January Funerals Hartford County and Middlesex County

January has been a big month for funerals, which means cold weather piping. Luckily, the temperature has hovered around 32 F., which isn't too bad if there is no wind. If it gets much below that, the valves on the pipes can freeze shut. We sometimes use hand warmer bags to apply heat to key areas of the pipes and the face. I once played at a funeral in New London during the winter. The temperature was 5 degrees, and there was a horrible wind slashing across the cemetary. Everything froze shut. It was a military funeral with a bugler. The bugler was supposed to play taps, but he couldn't make a note. It was painful.

Bagpipes Bagpiper Hartford Glastonbury Manchester Farmington Avon Simsbury Rocky Hill Middletown Portland Hampton Haddam

Because of the increase in gasoline prices and crude per barrel, I have had to increase my prices. I was recently asked for an explanation of my charges. In general I charge $200 to $250 per event, whether it's a wedding or a funeral. I may charge more if there is a lengthy trip involved. While it's true that a funeral performance may only require a few tunes, there is more time required for tuning and preparation that may not be immediately apparent to the client. Unlike a guitar, which tunes in a few minutes, or a piano, which is always in tune, the bagpipes require careful preparation and the tuning for an important performance should begin days in advance. While pipes are becoming easier to care for, they still require a lot of special attention. They're not cheap, either, a new chanter reed costs about 8 dollars.

So when it comes time to pay the piper, fear not, it is money well spent and well earned.