Jack Campin wrote: > Somebody really oughta do a collected Skinner.
I've always thought that; it would be a must-have. Another book I'd like to see would be a big collection based on Jimmy Shand's repertoire. Not his own compositions (which are useful for dancing perhaps, but rather forgettable) but the vast number of grand tunes he played in his long career. I've started working on a collection of tunes played by Scots musicians from early recordings (say 1905-1933) which constitutes another era between JS Kerr and the rise of the radio dance bands. In amongst the reels, jigs and strathspeys can be found an American influence in the compositions of Felix Burns and the craze for quadrilles and lancers. The rate I'm working on it, it should be ready by, oh, the end of the decade easily. My list? Mmm. Kerr's Merry Melodies Bks 1-4 With a tattered copy of one of these books I taught myself to read music and discovered much exciting music. To paraphrase Stan Reeves, I discovered that instead of diddley-diddley music I could be playing DURRum-die-do DURRum-do music! The Gow Collection I'm not sure what Jack's objection to this is. There are a few mistakes in the notation and the odd spelling mistake (there's one tune credited to National Gow - long lost brother perhaps?), but the tunes are taken directly from the Gows' publications, with no transposing. They're clear and easy to find. Obviously I would have preferred a huge fat volume including all the four-page sheets, the vocal melodies, the Beauties, and transcriptions of some of the early player-piano rolls (I made that last one up), but you cannot have everything. The Scottish Violinist Or "Scott Skinner's Greatest Hits." Henderson's "Scottish Music Maker" is perhaps a better selection of Skinner's pieces, but it's not currently available. Now that Skinner's 75 years are up, I presume I could reprint SMM without copyright problems? Ah, no. It would be Henderson's copyright I'd be abusing. Sorry. Winston Fitzgerald, A Collection Along with Jerry Holland's and Brenda Stubbert's collections, this books contains music as played by modern musicians. Traditional Celtic Violin Music of Cape Breton Kate Dunlay and David Greenberg have produced a marvellous work here. Flowers of Scottish Melody J Murdoch Henderson's knowledge of Scots fiddle music was extensive, and here he selects and annotates his idea of a rounded collection. Some people might grumble at the amount of his own compositions included, but hey, that's traditional. However, I don't think it's available, but much of it is rehashed in Hardie's 'Caledonian Companion'. The Popular Songs and Melodies of Scotland GF Graham published a one-volume edition of a formerly three-volume collection of Scottish songs. I often play through it, and I like his choice. He was another who seems extensively to have researched Scottish music, and his copious notes are valuable for anyone interested in tune histories. Not currently in print. The Gesto Collection I like the Skye Collection and Fraser's 'Peculiar' collection, but if I could only take one of the three to my desert island, it would be Gesto for its wonderful journey through interesting Highland music. Two more. This is hard. I don't want to include too many books that are out of print. The RSCDS Books (several volumes, but the early ones are best) Lots of good tunes from various sources, and the odd not bad contemporary one. I kind of think of Shetland music as almost another genre, or at best a sub-set (even though many latter Shetland fiddlers were also great Scottish fiddling advocates: Tom Anderson and Wille Hunter to name but two), however, I think an overall view might allow a Shetland corner. To that end, I'd have 'Haand Me Doon da Fiddle' as my tenth book. -- Nigel Gatherer, Crieff, Scotland [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/gatherer/ Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music & Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
