R: Re: Celtic, semitic, etc.(pipes dept.)

>Ray wrote:
>
>> I know pipes are used in Brittany, Ireland & Scotland; but they are also
>> traditional to parts of England, e.g. Northumbria, and to many parts of
>the
>> European continent.
>
Evidently.  There is an Czech opera, still popular in Europe I think, called
"Schwanda the Bagpiper"-- here in the US one occasionally hears its rather
ponderous "Polka and fugue".  In Czech, Schwanda(?) Dudak; German title
Schwanda der Dudelsackpfeiffer-- which has to be one of the funniest words
in just about any language.
I've heard recordings of an Armenian instrument also called dudak, but it's
a double reed.
Of some interest: there's a Thai (uplands) and/or Laotian thingy called
Kaeng, which I heard demonstrated years ago-- a lot of bamboo tubes stuck
into (IIRC) a gourd; each tube had a little reed.  Can't remember the air
mechanism. Sounded like a parlor organ gone mad.  It was claimed that the
kaeng was the inspiration for western "free-reed" instruments like the
harmonica, accordion, parlor organ-- and the bagpipe.  Somehow, I think not.