My Morpethian friend plays "The Hesleyside Reel" as a reel, up tempo,
with a bump-ditty, 2/2 rhythm. It's quite easy to play flat fingered
on the Border pipes at that tempo. Call me a slacker, but I doubt I
will ever have the technique to play the tune on the NSP at his tempo,
which is faster than the tempo Anthony Robb takes with the tune on
SPIRIT OF THE BORDER. I'd be happy if I could even approach that tempo
without having the tendons surgically detached in my right hand as it
is always the 'a' in the runs that takes me down.
As in most things NSP, I labor to emulate the playing of Joe Hutton,
and attempt to play "Hesleyside" with the same feel and tempo as his
recording of "Speed the Plough" (NORTHUMBRIAN RANT, Temple?). Does he
play it as a rant or a reel? You can hear him beating out four beats
to a bar, 4/4 as opposed to 2/2. Willy Taylor's recording of his own
two reels ("Pearl Wedding", "Nancy Taylor") on the same CD have the
same 4/4 rhythm I've come to think of as a rant. It seems uniquely
Northumbrian, whether it be a rant or a reel.
There's more than one way to skin a monkey, I suppose, but through this
discussion I've come to realize that my Morpethian friend's reel style
is, as I suspected, influenced by Scottish and Irish reel rhythms.
Many thanks to all,
John --
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