I’m delighted to share with you Mairi MacArthur’s ‘Memories’ of her friendship with Betsy and with Betsy’s many associates. I was researching in Uganda when Betsy died so had no knowledge of Betsy’s last days nor of her funeral so…
Category: Scotland
Recorder Music – from Sutton Coldfield.
For nearly two decades the HOLBORNE CONSORT has flourished in Sutton Coldfield. Named after the 16th century English composer Anthony Holborne and founded by Beresford King Smith, it has enjoyed meeting regularly and occasionally contributing to local concerts. Until recently…
Recorder music from Cramond Primary School Edinburgh, 1970
Here are a few tunes I recorded on cassette back in 1970 of Cramond school’s recorder group which Di Cooke was teaching during the period 1969-70. Cramond Primary is a small school just above the slopes to the River Almond,…
Betsy Whyte – still travelling
A new little book, Wee Betsy, about that friendly and cleverest of Scottish travellers, Betsy Whyte, has just been published by her great-grandson David Pullar. It is written for young schoolchildren. I’m keenly waiting for my copy to arrive.…
George Moss again – and more.
In my earlier writings about George Moss I mentioned that when I first met him in 1970 he was no longer playing his bagpipes. However by the end of that decade he was prepared to try blowing them up for…
George Moss : pibroch notations.
I’ve been pleased to read on the Altpibroch website three recent blogs discussing the piping knowledge and ability of George Moss (b. 1903). Robin Andrews’ three essays discuss George’s ideas and his examples of ‘traditional’ timing. Robin continues with a discussion…
The fiddler and his art. How did they do it?
The Fiddler and His Art (CDTRAX 9009 MONO) has been one of the best selling records released by the University of Edinburgh’s School of Scottish Studies from its huge audio archive and issued as part of its acclaimed Scottish Tradition…
Modes or Tastes and William Dixon – again. What’s in a word?
With them rose A forest huge of spears; and thronging helms Appear’d and serried shields in thick array Of depth immeasurable: anon they move In perfect phalanx to the Dorian mood Of flutes and soft recorders; such as rais’d To…
William Dixon’s tunes re-visited – the problem of key signatures.
This is an updated version of the brief article published in the December 2016 issue of Common Stock, the journal of the Lowland and Border Pipers’ Society. Here the article has been expanded by the inclusion of more music notations…