Re: [scots-l] Tempos

[Clarsaich]

<<the Scottish Harp Society
of America has an evaluation system that does exactly that and these
evaluations can be held at competitions or anywhere else. >>

The sad thing is that to be a master harper according to the Scottish Harp Society one must be able to play a March/Strathspey/Reel set and not much else. The repertoire requirement is 40 tunes, 75% of which is MSR's. (one also has to have 10 "airs" which are broadly defined. For example, Piobaireachd is classified as an air).

Toby suggested that there is elitism with competitions, and there may be some truth in his observation. Competitions (and "evaluation systems") select one type of Scottish harping (in this example) to the exclusion of others. Perhaps this is the basic problem with competitions of ALL sorts. Isn't there more to Scottish music than MSR's? I think even the fiddlers and pipers would agree that there is! Is *this* the problem of competitions: a narrow focus on what is important?  :-)

I was saddened to watch this devolve _briefly_ into a "Scottish" vs. "North American" discussion. (where does that leave everyone else?) It is the same music, with the same heart. We've plenty of culture to go around! I hope we will always be a community where one doesn't have to say, "I was born in Scotland" or even "I've been to Scotland" to be honored.

Anyway. Here's a question to start a different thread. I'm working up a "Time Line" of the harp in Scotland and Ireland. I wanted to see where all the different styles and types of harps and music come in to play in relationship with each other. It's been very enlightening! One thing I haven't been able to track down is the first appearance of the March/Strathspey/Reel set. Does anyone have any clues?

--Cynthia Cathcart
http://www.cynthiacathcart.net/