Nostalgia - Music in Scotland
by Tomoko Oyama
(Saitama, Japan)
A man playing bagpipe
What makes me feel nostalgic is the sound of...
The Great Highland Bagpipe, which is the most well-played bagpipe in Scotland. It is a traditional musical instrument which is made of the skin of a cow or sheep and African blackwood.
The history of the bagpipe in Scotland is from the 15th century and has been used in the military of Scotland, then Britain. Because of the military use, the bagpipe was spread to all over the world.
Now, it is widely played by military pipe bands and civil pipe bands. I have seen a man playing the bagpipe with kilt which is a traditional clothes in NZ. It is popular in England, Canada, USA, Australia, NZ, and South Africa.
Why does this sound make me feel nostalgic? This is because of the famous music "Auld Lang Syne," a folk song in Scotland. In Japanese, this is so well known by the name of "Hotaru no Hikari (蛍の光)." The lyrics of it means farewell and a recollection of having good days with friends.
This song spread to all over the world, so I think there are many kinds of meanings of it.
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