A bagad (, ) is a Breton band, composed of

bagpipe Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, ...

s ( br, binioù, french: cornemuse), bombards and

drum The drum is a member of the percussion group of musical instruments. In the Hornbostel-Sachs classification system, it is a membranophone. Drums consist of at least one membrane, called a drumhead or drum skin, that is stretched over a ...

s (including snare, tenor and bass drums). The pipe band tradition in Brittany was inspired by the Scottish example and has developed since the mid-20th century. A bagad plays mainly

Breton music Since the early 1970s, Brittany has experienced a tremendous revival of its folk music. Along with flourishing traditional forms such as the bombard- biniou pair and fest-noz ensembles incorporating other additional instruments, it has also branc ...

, but a bagad's music is evolutionary: new forms and musical ideas are experimented with at each annual national competition. The plural for ''bagad'' is unusual in that many are referred to as ''bagadoù'' but for two, three or any other specified number they are simply referred to as ''bagad'' (following the rules of Breton grammar). Every major town and city in

Brittany Brittany (; french: link=no, Bretagne ; br, Breizh, or ; Gallo: ''Bertaèyn'' ) is a peninsula, historical country and cultural area in the west of modern France, covering the western part of what was known as Armorica during the period ...

has at least one ''bagad'' and there are over eighty in total. There are also many ''bagadoù'' outside Brittany, owing to large-scale Breton emigration throughout France.

Bagad Lann Bihoue The Bagad de Lann-Bihoué is a bagad, a Breton pipe band. It is the bagad of the French Navy. It represents the French Navy and France in multiple national and international events. It has performed regularly in front of Heads of State. It is a ...

is well known to belong to the

French Navy The French Navy (french: Marine nationale, lit=National Navy), informally , is the maritime arm of the French Armed Forces and one of the five military service branches of France. It is among the largest and most powerful naval forces in t ...

. For competition purposes the ''bagadoù'' are ranked into five categories. Major competitions take place annually in Brest and in

Lorient Lorient (; ) is a town ('' commune'') and seaport in the Morbihan department of Brittany in western France. History Prehistory and classical antiquity Beginning around 3000 BC, settlements in the area of Lorient are attested by the presen ...

, where the National Championship takes place during the Interceltic Festival in August.

Premier Category 2008

The most successful ''bagadoù'' compete in the 'Premier Category'. * Bagad Brieg,

Briec Briec (, formerly ''Briec-de-l'Odet''; br, Brieg) is a commune in the Finistère department in the region of Brittany in north-western France. Sights * Calvary at Saint-Vennec, (1556) *Chapelle de la Madeleine, 16th century *Chapelle de Sainte- ...

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Bagad Brieg
*

Kevrenn Alre Kevrenn Alre ("Bagad and Celtic Circle of Auray" in Breton language) is a group of music and dance of Breton traditional inspiration, created in 1951, by railroad employees of the marshalling yard of Auray (Morbihan, Brittany). Eight times nati ...

Auray Auray (; br, An Alre, or simply ) is a commune in the Morbihan department, administrative region of Brittany, northwestern France. Inhabitants of Auray are called ''Alréens'' (French) and ''Alreiz'' (Breton). Geography The city is surrounde ...

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Kevrenn Alre
* Bagad Roñsed-Mor, Locoal-Mendon �
Bagad Roñsed-Mor
*

Bagad Kemper Bagad Kemper (using the Breton name for the town of Quimper) is one of the oldest bagad, Breton pipe bands. Formed in 1949, its first president was none other than Loeïz Ropars, renovator of the Fest Noz (dance party) and kan ha diskan singer (B ...

Quimper Quimper (, ; br, Kemper ; la, Civitas Aquilonia or ) is a commune and prefecture of the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France. Administration Quimper is the prefecture (capital) of the Finistère department. Geography Th ...

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Bagad Kemper
* Bagad Cap Caval,

Plomeur Plomeur (; ) is a commune in the Bigouden region of Finistère department of Brittany in north-western France. Plomeur is situated between the larger communes of Penmarc'h to the South-West, Guilvinec and Treffiagat to the South, as well as Pon ...

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Bagad Cap Caval
* Kerlenn Pondi, Pontivy �
Bagad Kerlenn Pondi
* Bagad Bro Kemperle, Quimperlé �
Bagad Bro Kemperle
* Bagad Quic-en-groigne,

Saint-Malo Saint-Malo (, , ; Gallo: ; ) is a historic French port in Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany, on the English Channel coast. The walled city had a long history of piracy, earning much wealth from local extortion and overseas adventures. In 1944, the All ...

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Bagad Quic-en-Groigne
* Bagad Gwengamp, Guingamp �
Bagad Gwengamp
* Bagad Sant-Nazer,

Saint-Nazaire Saint-Nazaire (; ; Gallo: ''Saint-Nazère/Saint-Nazaer'') is a commune in the Loire-Atlantique department in western France, in traditional Brittany. The town has a major harbour on the right bank of the Loire estuary, near the Atlantic Ocea ...

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Bagad Saint-Nazaire
* Bagad Er Melinerion,

Vannes Vannes (; br, Gwened) is a commune in the Morbihan department in Brittany in north-western France. It was founded over 2,000 years ago. History Celtic Era The name ''Vannes'' comes from the Veneti, a seafaring Celtic people who live ...

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Bagad er Melinerion
* Bagad Beuzeg ar C'hab, Beuzec-Cap-Sizun �
Bagad Beuzeg ar C'hab
* Bagad Penhars,

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Bagad Penhars
* Bagad Ar Meilhoù-Glaz,

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Bagad Ar Meilhoù-Glaz
* Bagad Sonerien Bro Dreger,

Perros-Guirec Perros-Guirec (; br, Perroz-Gireg) is a commune in the department of Côtes-d'Armor in Brittany. It has been a seaside resort since the end of the 19th century. Geography Climate Perros-Guirec has a oceanic climate ( Köppen climate classificat ...

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Bagad Sonerien Bro Dreger

National Champions

* 2017 Bagad Cap Caval * 2016 Bagad Cap Caval * 2015 Bagad Cap Caval * 2014 Bagad Kemper * 2013 Bagad Kemper * 2012 Bagad Kemper * 2011 Bagad Kemper * 2010 Bagad Cap Caval * 2009 Bagad Cap Caval * 2008 Bagad Cap Caval * 2007 Bagad Brieg * 2006 Bagad Kevrenn Alré * 2005 Bagad Kevrenn Alré * 2004 Bagad Kemper * 2003 Bagad Ronsed Mor * 2002 Bagad Kemper

External links

* Official Bagadou Association
Bodadeg Ar Sonerion

Bagadou
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