On December 10, 1929, Stanley Kennedy North gave a talk to the Musical association in London. With him was Tom Clough who played his own 17 key chanter. Kennedy North had brought an unfinished 18 key chanter (additional G key) which he was himself making. However on this occasion he played a 7 key Reid set.
Below is an interesting excerpt from the proceedings. Francis It is too often forgotten that experiments in the workshop resulting in improvements and modifications of musical instruments, have affected in a marked degree the music played upon them. That the peculiarities of the small-pipes are best shown off by the characteristic music of Northumbria will at once be apparent to you as musicians when you come to hear Mr. Tom Clough play. You will notice the frequent use of the leaping octave, the repetition of phrases, the abundance of triplets, arpeggi, thirds and sixths and a remarkably effective use of the seventh. I will now ask Mr Tom Clough to play “Chevy Chase”. This tune, as you know, is a very old one. It is simple and elementary, sits well on the Northumbrian small-pipe, and is often played by Mr. James Hall the Duke’s Piper at Alnwick Castle. I want to say here at that Mr Hall’s rendering is quite different in time and phrasing from that of Mr. Clough, and if you would allow me to say so, much more to my liking; but you! must remember that families of papers, like the Halls and the Cloughs have their own traditional ways and playing of tunes. In their heart of hearts they don't think much of each other's methods either. Unfortunately I have never had the pleasure of entertaining Mr James Hall, or rather being entertained by him in London. Mr. Tom Clough is many years his junior. Mr. James Hall, a charming man for whom I have a great affection, lives up in the hills on the banks of the Breamish and his playing has a distinctly crisp and more primitive quality than the polished musicianly execution of the famous Tynesider we have here this afternoon. Here again the style of playing is affected by the variation in the instruments. Mr James Hall’s chanter reeds are smaller than those of our friend here, and his drone reeds are of cane, while Mr Tom Clough’s are of brass. To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
