(from Scots Gael. pìobaireachd: ‘piping’).
A term used since the 18th century to denote that part of the Highland bagpipe repertory known otherwise as ceòl mór (‘great music’) or a single item of that repertory. Daniel Dow in his Collection of Ancient Scots Music (1776) refers to ‘ports, salutations, marches or pibrachs’ and includes the tune Pibrach Chlann Raonailt. Devotees of the Highland bagpipe often use the Gaelic spelling pìobaireachd even when writing in English, as in the dual name adopted in 1903 by a society set up to further the preservation and performance of the repertory: Commun na Pìobaireachd/The Piobaireachd Society. Pibroch is often described as the ‘classical’ music of the Highland bagpipe to distinguish it from the rest of the piping repertory which consists of dance music, airs and military music (such as 2/4 and 6/8 quick marches).
Its early history is obscure and clouded by many legends of doubtful origin, but it apparently evolved as a form of ceremonial music played at Highland courts, for clan gatherings and as battle music. Hence the main classes of pibroch are the failte (salute), cumha (lament), spaidsearachd (march) and cruineachadh (gathering). The last named type usually consists of easily recognized repeated signal motifs. Pibrochs are all in theme and variation form.
Although in earlier times, possibly until the middle of the 18th century, the content and order of the variations were probably somewhat flexible (for example, some early manuscripts indicate frequent restatements of the theme or urlar), the variations are now stereotyped and played in a fixed order. This resulted from two important changes: the first was in the mode of transmission (from oral to literary), though, as with other classical traditions, the repertory had always been rigorously taught in a master-pupil situation, often at special ‘colleges’; the second was a change in the social function of the pibroch following the effective demise of the clan system during the 18th century. Since 1820 the efforts of individual collectors and organizations, notably the Piobaireachd Society, have resulted in an expansion of the pibroch repertory, not only as a result of the publication and teaching of rare items from manuscript sources, but also by encouraging the composition of new pibrochs through occasional competitions. Beginning in the 1990s, there have been attempts to re-evaluate the received style of playing commonly heard in competitions, the principal platform for the performance of pibroch. This has involved experiments in reviving earlier playing styles as far as can be deduced from manuscripts and oral tradition.
For music examples, further discussion and bibliography see Scotland, §II, 6(i).
PETER COOKE