Internal projects
Team
Jorge Castro Ribeiro (INET-md/ UA, artistic coordination)
Napoleão Ribeiro (UA)
Period
20/10/2027 to 20/10/2027
Funding
INET-md
Abstract
Voices of Old Bagpipes is a project dedicated to the study of Portuguese bagpipes preserved in museums and private collections, with particular focus on the so-called Mirandese bagpipe.
Since the 1990s, the bagpipe has undergone a significant revitalization process in Portugal. Interest in historical instruments, the craft of building replicas, and the search for historical references have contributed to the emergence of various terms and models, such as the Transmontana, Mirandese, Coimbrã, or Minhota bagpipes. These developments are tied to music, the construction of local identities, the promotion of heritage, and the broader debate surrounding tradition, revivalism, and innovation.
The project proposes an interdisciplinary approach, combining organology, acoustics, ethnomusicology, and digital humanities. Historical specimens of Portuguese bagpipes will be cataloged, measured, digitized, and analyzed, aiming to understand their material, acoustic, and structural characteristics. Whenever possible, components such as chanter pipes, reeds, tuning systems, dimensions, and the technical solutions used by the builders will be studied.
Beyond the physical and acoustic study of the instruments, the project seeks to reconstruct their cultural biography: who built them, who played them, where they circulated, how they were preserved, and how they influenced contemporary musical practices. Photogrammetric digitization will enable the creation of three-dimensional documentation of the instruments, contributing to their preservation, comparative analysis, and future research.
The project will have a scientific, heritage, cultural, and social impact by producing original knowledge about an instrumental heritage that remains understudied. Its results will be useful for researchers, museums, collections, builders, players, and communities connected to bagpipe performance. Planned deliverables include a scientific article and a technical catalog detailing the inventory of the studied instruments.
As a pilot project, Voices of Old Bagpipes will test an interdisciplinary and replicable methodology, combining inventory, photogrammetry, morphological and acoustic analysis, data processing, and ethnomusicological research. This methodological and documentary foundation will help lay the groundwork for future larger-scale research and more competitive applications for national and international funding.
Keywords
Portuguese bagpipe; Organology; Musical revivalism; Digital humanities.
@ Photographs by Napoleão Ribeiro