Nigel Richard “Session Pipes”, date unknown

Nigel Richard, who passed away in 2021, was a superb maker of Border pipes. He made bellows-blown sets, but also mouthblown sets, which he called “Session Pipes.”

Session Pipes are pitched in A440, and the sound is pretty much the same as a border pipe. Other pipemaking companies are making similar items now, but Nigel was the forerunner and a real craftsman. Reeds are still available from Ezeedrone.

This set was owned by a late acquaintance of mine, and it looks to me like the pipes were rarely played, maybe hardly at all. The reeds all went beautifully, and the bag was tight. This is a lovely instrument that plays well with other instruments!