Pipe and Tabor Player - Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire

Pipe and Tabor Player (c1260) in north west window spandrel at Higham Ferrers Northamptonshire.

The Pipe and Tabor ensemble dates from around the 11th century and is often depicted in medieval church iconography as instruments for liturgical or secular musical life. This figure is significant as both an early visual record of the pipe and tabor tradition, and appears to be one of the earliest known medieval representations of a pipe and tabor musician integrated into medieval ecclesiastical stonework.

Their ability to provide both melody and rhythm made the pipe and tabor ideal for outdoor processions, dancing, and solo accompaniment. Though more secular in nature, taborers were sometimes part of church sponsored festivals, processions, or miracle plays, and in some rare cases (like angel musicians in medieval art), the pipe and tabor symbolize heavenly joy.