In the early part of the century there was a 'head' of perhaps half a dozen excellent pipers in various styles. And others, the 'tail' less excellent, but more numerous, perhaps in the dozens.
The head is still less than a dozen strong at most, - I won't name them as if I leave one out by mistake, it will start a war, pipers being such a placid bunch. There are scores of fairly good pipers. There is also a very long tail. The question for the development of the tradition is whether the head and tail are trying to go in the same direction.... -----Original Message----- From: tim rolls BT [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: 07 October 2008 14:21 To: Matt Seattle Cc: [email protected] Subject: [NSP] Tharsei or as the translation from the greek goes, " Be of good cheer" John 16:33 et al (wonderful combination, the internet and the bible.) I think Chris is far too pessimistic and lacking in self confidence. I may be well off the mark here, but I'd guess in the first half of the 1900s there were only a few dozen people carrying on the traditions and tunes of NSP. Now there are hundreds. possibly thousands of people playing the pipes all around the world, and a good many of them are aiming for the Gold Standard, so there are quite possibly more people playing, or trying to play, the pipes the traditional way than ever before. Regarding the traditional Northumbrian tunes, it's known that many of these were lifted, or have migrated from Scotland and Ireland, and Keep your feet still Geordie Hinny and the Rowan Tree at least, were known under different names by my father-in-law playing the melodeon in Norfolk over 50 years ago. We should accept this cross fertilization as an invigoration, I've no doubt many Northumbrian tunes are played on Uillean pipes, and the playing of other forms of music on the pipes widens their audience and brings more devotees into the fold,( if that's not a mixed metaphor.) I thoroughly enjoy Chris's playing, but I enjoy trying to play the fiddle too, and back beat and syncopation does it for me. I am not ashamed to say that KT first brought my attention to the pipes, although she was a young lass playing the fiddle when I first saw her. Without her more broadly accessible/commercial/populist (call it what you will) style and repertoire, many people would never have come to the pipes. That may have been a good thing or not, who's to say. Whatever, I don't think traditional playing is threatened, but is becoming available to a wider and wider audience with the advent of the internet. Discuss. Tim ----- Original Message ----- From: "Matt Seattle" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Robert Greef" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Cc: <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, October 07, 2008 10:01 AM Subject: [NSP] Re: More code? > I'll spell it out > > A pint of Guinness (or similar stout) is the image, symbolising or > alluding to ..... > > Ireland, and by extension, in the context, Irish music. Chris's post > was an amusing (to me and presumably others) comment on the perceived > dilution of the Northumbrian piping tradition. It contained references > which would be picked up by many on this list, whether or not they > agreed with the underlying opinions, but you can't please, or amuse, > everybody. > Cheers > Matt > > On 10/7/08, Robert Greef <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> This posting makes my point more emphatically, because even with this >> extra >> commentary the passage is still meaningless dribble. Say what you mean! >> Or >> is this whole farrago totally content -free? >> Cheers, >> Robert >> >> ----- Original Message ----- >> From: "Matt Seattle" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> >> To: <[email protected]> >> Sent: Monday, October 06, 2008 12:52 PM >> Subject: [NSP] Re: Threat replies are in >> >> >>> >>> I suspect there has been some misunderstanding of Chris Ormston's post - >>> >>> "The new threat is from another species imported from >>> Ireland and Scotland. This beast has a stout black body with a creamy >>> white head, and has taken root in newcastlegateshead." >>> A pint of Guinness (or similar stout) is the image, symbolising or >>> alluding to ..... >> >> >> >> >> >> To get on or off this list see list information at >> http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html >> > > ------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------- No virus found in this incoming message. Checked by AVG - http://www.avg.com Version: 8.0.173 / Virus Database: 270.7.6/1711 - Release Date: 10/6/2008 5:37 PM
