Nigel Gatherer wrote: >Jim Dawson, I believe, is talking about improvisation which is a whole >different colour of horse, and not a subject which immediately comes to >mind in a discussion of Scottish music. I remember in my green youth >getting very excited about my first exposure to pibroch; I asked my >older friend how much improvisation was involved. I was surprised when >he said "None at all!"
This might be true amongst...dare I say it...the more senior traditional musicians amongst us, but in my humble opinion that is changing rapidly where younger musicians are concerned. Take Shooglenifty, Peatbog Fairies, Afro Celt Sound System, Sandy Brechin.......for example, they are playing Scottish (or at least traditional orientated) music and twisting it out of the fixed ideal of what Scottish music was. Improvisation, I feel, is important to doing that successfully. Just as Blues and later Rock was formed from the variation of African influences in Gumbo square New Orleans, our own Scottish music is evolving into something more modern......and it is keeping it alive among younger audiences. On the subject of Pibroch, I had a spell at Perth College studying Traditional music and was involved various projects with Alan MacDonald who was tutoring the pipes. I had a great interest in piproch (though not my primary instrument) and was actively encouraged by Alan to improvise over it, and.....sacrilege at it's utmost.....mix modern dance rhythms over it. It sounded superb. He in fact wrote a thesis on the subject of pibroch and his conclusion was that modern pibroch, to which you refer was actually a fabrication of what real pibroch was. The original was much more loose and free to the players imagination. If I can obtain a copy of this I will let you know. Of course this all ties in with the late Seamus McNeil who was as strict as they come where pibroch was concerned, and publicly slated Gordon Duncan for his take on the tradition. Hence the title of Gordon's album "Just for Seamus".....I have heard it said this was in defiant response to his heckling. So it may not go down well with the sticklers of tradition but it will keep Scottish music alive for the future, and in my 'relative' youth am all for it. Toby Rider wrote: >Is it so "narrow minded" to wish that these >folks could get recognized for their talents & hard work?? Is that so sad? NO, but that is not what you said. Anyway point taken and matter closed, perhaps I was a little harsh in my judgement. Jim Dawson. Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music & Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
