Piping In The Rain

I recently piped at a funeral in terrible weather down in St. Petersburg. It was pouring down when I left so I grabbed my rain coat to keep me dry because there isn't any protection made for pipes. I had many people ask me at the graveside if the pipes would be damaged and its a yes and no answer. Obviously if I left them sitting in the rain they would be trashed (has that happen a few years ago at a fallen soldier event when there just wasn't any covering for me.

The pipes I play are Scottish pipes made in Scotland and if you know anything about Scotland it rains... a lot! The instrument can handle rain as long as I get them dried off ASAP and keep rain from getting inside the instrument best as I can. The times I play in the rain the pipes always need to play better in general or maybe its just me. If anything it almost feels like I'm back in Scotland in the Highland piping.

Bagpipes survive a lot during war time so I figure Florida in summer when the temperate and humidity are the same number and the rain is falling hard and fast they can handle it. I bagpipe rain or shine for every event I've played and have never not piped for any reason (though I probably should have the one time). I have confidence that my Duncan Soutar pipes are make fantastically and God will protect them and myself. That is not to say they will be perfectly in tune as that is difficult enough without the rain but they will play.

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