Photo by RR Best
Bagpiper Paul Hinson

•September 16, 2015•

Paul Hinson played the “Flowers of Forest” on Scottish Highland bagpipes for the Patriot Day assembly in Sullivan Friday, Sept. 11.

For Hinson, who lives in Oakland, his interest in the bagpipe started when he heard his first one played in St. Louis.

“That was 37 years ago,” Hinson said, noting he started buying records and then gained enough skills to start playing.

He explained the pipe’s sound comes from the blend of reeds from the clarinet, saxophone and oboe teamed with the consistency of the player in controlling the air flow through the bag.

Mutual friends connected Hinson with Rebecca Lawson which resulted in his performance at the Sullivan Patriot Day assembly.

“Bagpipes are experiencing a bit of a revival,” Hinson continued. The history of the bagpipe started in India and North Africa and was brought to the Irish and Scots by the Greeks and Romans.

Although there are several styles, Hinson plays the fuller sounding Scottish Highland bagpipe because of its superior sound outdoors.