Clearing out the basement, well, truthfully, a corner of the basement a few days ago I uncovered a three hole pipe which, for those readers who are not into folk music, is the blown half of a pipe and tabor – the original “one man band”. Once upon a time I learned to play a single tune on this fine instrument but I’m blowed (a fine bit of word-play there, don’t you think?) if I can remember what it was after 25+ years. Suffice it to say that you can play surprisingly good music on a pipe that only has three holes – as will be demonstrated.

And so – I wandered down a deep rabbit hole on the internet, as one does, and surfaced some time later to find this band playing. It’s a pandemic Zoom performance between members of The Pipe and Tabor Society of Japan and The Taborers Society of England. The tune is from Playford’s collection of dance music published in 1651 and goes under the title of Hunt the Squirrel. If you follow my Facebook posts you may already have seen this briefly appear there but I wanted the link preserved for posterity. Be warned, the tune is a real ear-worm.

Pay particular attention to the Japanese musician’s squirrel. I rather suspect that performer is a professional who is slumming it with the rest of them for fun.

As I said three minutes of joy for a cold afternoon.