The bifora or ''pifara'' was a
Sicilian double reed
A double reed is a type of reed used to produce sound in various wind instruments. In contrast with a single reed instrument, where the instrument is played by channeling air against one piece of cane which vibrates against the mouthpiece an ...
instrument of the
oboe
The oboe ( ) is a type of double reed woodwind instrument. Oboes are usually made of wood, but may also be made of synthetic materials, such as plastic, resin, or hybrid composites. The most common oboe plays in the treble or soprano range.
...
family, related to the ancient
shawm
The shawm () is a conical bore, double-reed woodwind instrument made in Europe from the 12th century to the present day. It achieved its peak of popularity during the medieval and Renaissance periods, after which it was gradually eclipsed by th ...
and particularly to the
piffero
The ''piffero'' () or ''piffaro'' is a double-reed musical instrument of the oboe family with a conical bore ( Sachs-Hornbostel category 422.112).
It is used to play music in the tradition of the ', an area of mountains and valleys in the north-w ...
of the northern Italian
Apennines
The Apennines or Apennine Mountains (; grc-gre, links=no, Ἀπέννινα ὄρη or Ἀπέννινον ὄρος; la, Appenninus or – a singular with plural meaning;''Apenninus'' (Greek or ) has the form of an adjective, which wou ...
. Much larger than the piffero, and made in one piece, it was employed together with drums in ceremonial processions, particularly in the town of
San Marco d'Alunzio
San Marco d'Alunzio ( scn, San Marcu, Ancient Greek: ( Ptol.) or ( Dion.), Latin: ''Aluntium'' or ''Haluntium'') is a city and ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Messina in the Italian region Sicily, near the north coast of ...
in the
province of Messina
Messina (, ) was a province in the autonomous island region of Sicily in Italy. Its capital was the city of Messina. It was replaced by the Metropolitan City of Messina.
Geography Territory
It had an area of , which amounts to 12.6 percen ...
. Its use seems to have died out during the twentieth century.
References
* Mario Sarica, ''Strumenti Musicali Popolari in Sicilia'', Assessorato alla cultura, Provincia di Messina 1994. Excerpted i
Il Flauto in Sicilia
, from AESS: Archivio di Etnografia e Storia Sociale, RegioneLombardia
Sicilian musical instruments
Single oboes with conical bore
{{DoubleReed-instrument-stub