[NSP] Re: NSP duet with other instruments
From John Dally 9th Feb: There are not many fiddlers around here who are interested in playing with NSP, or SSP for that matter, but it would I like to find one who is willing to tune down the way Willie Taylor did in order play with Joe Hutton. Mmm... Willie Taylor hated tuning down to Joe. When the turnip chopper did for Willie's left forefinger he found it easier to play with the bridge moved up towards the fingerboard. In the latter years I set up two of Willie's fiddles and he found it most comfortable to have the bridge halfway between the f-hole nicks and their top edges. This took 15 mm off the standard length of approx 330mm between nut bridge. This of course did no favours for the tone but more importantly gave a string tension which in Willie's words was like knicker-elastic when tuned down to F. Salvation came when Mike Nelson made a concert G set for Joe in the late 80s. Speaking of Willie T, thanks to Francis for directing me to the Mike MacDougall material. The similarities between his story and Willie T's were so eerie it brought me close to tears. Everything from the distances travelled (less in Willie's case but then he walked) - anything up to 12 miles to a dance/session play till daybreak walk back and go straight out onto the hills to see to the sheep. Then grab an hour or so sleep at lunchtime and go back out in the afternoon. Like Mike he regarded it as important to get out there and play. Very early on in my Mount Hooley days he told me, if you've been given a talent it's your duty to share it. Well put methinks. Anthony -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[NSP] Re: Fidola?
Thanks for the explanation. I think a similar arrangement has been used on other instruments in the past. It is strange that I can't find any reference to such a beast on the Internet, but I did find this: [1]http://kaczmarek.org/pages/biopage_folder/bio_1.html Wiki is not much help either: [2]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidola __ From: Anthony Robb [mailto:anth...@robbpipes.com] Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 11:38 AM To: bri...@aol.com; nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu; BIRCH Christopher (DGT) Subject: Fidola? Hello Christopher, A fidola is rather different to a tuned down fiddle or small viola in that it has a hole for the sound-post to pass through and be pinned directly to the trebleside foot of the bridge. This gives a bigger plate/deeper tone. They need to be treated with care as the arrangement is not robust. To call it a viola might lead to problems with the Trade Descriptions Act! Cheers Anthony --- On Mon, 8/2/10, christopher.bi...@ec.europa.eu christopher.bi...@ec.europa.eu wrote: From: christopher.bi...@ec.europa.eu christopher.bi...@ec.europa.eu Subject: [NSP] Re: NSP duet with other instruments To: bri...@aol.com, nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu Date: Monday, 8 February, 2010, 9:21 fidola (which I think - is a fiddle tuned like a viola, i.e. a fifth lower). Given that the size of the viola has not been standardised (unlike that of the violin - body length tends to be around 360 mm, with extremes at 354 and 362) , why not just call it a small viola? c To get on or off this list see list information at [3]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html -- References 1. http://kaczmarek.org/pages/biopage_folder/bio_1.html 2. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fidola 3. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[NSP] Re: Sliabh na m'bhan (was Gaelic Pronunciation)
On 6th Feb Julia Say wrote: That's interesting, Margaret. I remember Joe's views on both Irish music in Northumberland, and on Billy Pigg and his playing, from conversations with him in the early 90s, at the Rothbury course, at Alnwick, and from playing bass with him and Will Will in sessions. As a result I am mildly surprised that he played it. Hello Julia Margaret, Sorry to be so tardy replying to this. I hope people aren't given the wrong impression about Joe by this posting. I think the distinction has to be made between style and music. People who knew Joe well would be amused by the suggestion that he had something against Irish music per se. True the Irish style was not attractive to him (and others) as it was too fast and flowing and lacking the bounce needed to satisfy a Ranting community. Jigs had similar problems. Having said that, many tunes of Irish origin were very successfully adapted to become well used favourites. Saddle the Pony Blackthorn Stick to name but two. Hornpipes were the common ground here and Joe played some great Irish ones, Stack of Wheat, Greencastle etc. To be fair the same problems existed with some of the well known Scottish bands. Their reels tended to be unRantable and their waltzes and polkas tended to drag as far as Northumbrian dancers were concerned. If Scottish bands couldn't adapt their style to suit they didn't get a return gig! As Jimmy Little said recently, to really know about our music you have to live amongst it! As aye Anthony -- To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[NSP] Re: NSP duet with other instruments
Anthony is absolutely right about Willie Taylor's dislike of tuning down a fiddle; the 'knicker-elastic' comment is one he used frequently. When I'm playing duets with Andy's nsp, I always tune down. For me, I've spent a long time trying to find the right fiddle and strings so it doesn't sound like a kipper-box (or I hope it doesn't) when tuned lower. In my opinion, it's about trying to find a sound quality/timbre/call it what you will, that sounds right with the particular set of pipes you're playing with. That's the case with any two instruments playing together, of course. The only time I ever heard Joe play the fiddle was when he was about to leave my parents' house late one evening and had boxed up his pipes, only to hear the rest of us start on a tune that happened to be a favourite of his. He picked my fiddle off the top of the piano and played along till the end of the set, when Hannah decided it was definitely home time! Margaret To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[NSP] NSP duet with other instruments
Margaret's comment: When I'm playing duets with Andy's nsp, I always tune down. For me, I've spent a long time trying to find the right fiddle and strings so it doesn't sound like a kipper-box (or I hope it doesn't) when tuned lower. made me think, what about baroque violinists? Specialist baroque orchestras and soloists play at A=415 or a semitone lower than modern standard pitch and very occasionally even lower. This is getting on for low enough to play with standard-pitch Northumbrian pipes. Proper baroque violins have the neck set at a flatter angle than ordinary modern violins/fiddles (neck angle was increased in the 19th cent. among other things to enable higher string tension - louder tone). 18th century classical technique had a lot more in common with the playing styles of traditional music than modern classical technique does e.g. bow-hold, sometimes playing with fiddle held lower, using first position and open strings more etc. - and generally it was less high-tension than modern violin playing. This doesn't mean it lacks life, and good baroque violinists certainly don't sound as if they're playing on a kipper-box strung with knicker elastic. Would using specialist baroque-violin gut strings on a standard fiddle make for better results at the lower pitch? Just some thoughts from a non-string player, so excuse any ignorance shown! Philip To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[NSP] Re: kipper box
I'm confused, how did we get to knickers from kippers? No, on second thoughts don't answer that. What I'd like to know is, what is the correspondence about, the lowering of the tension in the elastic of the knickers, or the tension in the elastic of the lowered knickers? Tim - Original Message - From: Julia Say julia@nspipes.co.uk To: tim rolls BT tim.ro...@btconnect.com; Francis Wood oatenp...@googlemail.com Cc: marga...@watchorn7.plus.com; NSP group nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu Sent: Tuesday, February 09, 2010 1:26 PM Subject: Re: [NSP] Re: kipper box On 9 Feb 2010, Francis Wood wrote: I'm following this correspondance about baroque violinists and their lowered knicker elastic tension with some puzzlement. Maybe further resarch is needed. Would someone care to admit to a close enough acquaintance with a female baroque violinist to safely enquire about her knicker elastic? Over to you, gentlemen. Facetiously, Julia To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[NSP] Re: kipper box
On 9 Feb 2010, at 12:24, tim rolls BT wrote: The kipper box is a new one on me, and I think must be very local to = Craster. I've never seen one at a session, even at Low Newton just up = the coast, but maybe I go to the wrong sort of gig. It brings forth a = vision of some sort of coastal folk-skiffle crossover band. I wonder if = any tunes were written specially for it? Well kipper's an old word for salmon before they have fattened so you = could try 'Salmon Tails'. I'm following this correspondance about baroque violinists and their = lowered knicker elastic tension with some puzzlement. Francis To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
[NSP] Re: Memories of Father Angus MacDonell
Not Northumbrian or pipes, nor Cape Breton, but some may enjoy this 1972 RTE prgramme on John Doherty the Donegal fiddler, in 5 parts. Part 1 is [1]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiehZZ2tXKg -- References 1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TiehZZ2tXKg To get on or off this list see list information at http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html
