Come on Chris, you know fine well who is responsible a and so do the
others on this list. Sounding off at bairns themselves certainly wonat
bring about a process of reflection and correction. As for your
comments re the 4^th year piping student, it should be made clear that
the only "main study" piping student to have come through the Degree
Course so far has just entered their 4^th year. I am their tutor and
they certainly know where to put the beat on a jig. Not only that, they
are aware that a bar of 6 quavers would be played in 5 different time
values in the north Northumbrian Tradition. Students come on to the
course from a wide variety of backgrounds and some are encouraged to
take up a new second instrument such as the pipes as a minor part of
their studies. You were obviously brought in to help with this process
and Iam sure you taught them brilliantly so that by the end of the
course they did know where the beat lay in a jig!
The Sage Gateshead, like all huge organisations, is far from perfect
but intemperate outbursts wonat persuade the people at the top to
change things. I am quietly arguing the case to bring a more consistent
approach to the piping classes so the for the first time in 4 years we
can guarantee some continuity for Caedmon participants.
As for enjoying mediocrity Iam afraid thatas exactly what I do. I love
everyday attainable and sustainable things. I can only take stunning
amazing things in small doses and this goes for music too. The sound of
an everyday sort of player like Carolyn Dickson or Jimmy Little when I
first moved to Alnwick filled me with warmth and an appreciation that
there certainly was music beyond aI saw my Love Come Passing by Mea a
still my favourite piece of all time but only a tiny part of what our
tradition has to offer. When Joe and Hannah Hutton first came round for
a music night I played that (or another Peacock tune) and Hannah just
said very quietly, aI divvent [sic] like these pippy [sic] tunes you
play Anthonya. I understood what she meant and took no offence. It is
not a viable stance to insist that the only apropera way to play the
pipes is the tight closed style of the Cloughs. A folk tradition, by
definition, must be accessible to the vast majority of players and not
the preserve of the extremely talented. I enjoy our music because at
its roots it has a sharing communal quality to it that the virtuoso
stuff doesnat have. I remember going to a Manitas de Plata concert in
the 60s with a student who was learning classical guitar. The playing
was exciting, truly mind-boggling but for me it palled after 20 minutes
or so. The next day I asked him what he thought of it. He said he
thought it was like aspitting on a sixpence at twenty yardsa; extremely
clever and totally amazing but not very heart-warming or deeply
refreshing. It is not mediocrity to see the aspitting on a sixpence at
twenty yardsa aspect in some of the virtuoso material. To give a food
analogy, Macdonaldas is appalling and Michelin Star places are beyond
me. Just let me have good ordinary food a high quality mince and
vegetables and decent bread etc. Iad be surprised to find Iam alone in
enjoying these simple pleasures on a daily basis. As for the odd posh
meal, I love them too but not as my staple diet a not sustainable for
us ordinary folk!
As aye
Anthony
--- On Tue, 14/4/09, Chris Ormston <ch...@chrisormston.com> wrote:
From: Chris Ormston <ch...@chrisormston.com>
Subject: [NSP] Re: Lisa Ridley
To: "'Anthony Robb'" <anth...@robbpipes.com>, "'Rick Damon'"
<rick.da...@dartmouth.edu>, "'Dartmouth NPS'" <nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu>
Date: Tuesday, 14 April, 2009, 12:18 AM
"Yes, the clip sounded poor and yes, the article itself was
unfortunate but Jessica isn't responsible."
Then who is responsible? And why doesn't the Sage promote proper
piping? I
was asked to provide some piping tuition for a 4th year piping student
who
didn't know where the beat should sit in a jig. Unacceptable for a
degree
course. The Sage is about "Jobs for the Boys" and it stinks! They
pretend
to be about participation, but ultimately it's all about producing
middle-brow pap for the coach party market to promote the incumbents of
senior positions there! I've already had a yellow card tonight from
Wayne,
for something posted from another with the same IP address. I'll go
before
the red card is brandished. Enjoy mediocrity!
Chris
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