[scots-l] Natalie MacMaster
Just in case some of the Scots-L members are interested, I thought I would post this email that I recieved yesterday. I'll have to record it ( it'll be on at 11:00pm here on the E. Coast work comes early. ) Later; Keith Dunn ... NATALIE MacMASTER TO APPEAR ON THE TONIGHT SHOW WITH JAY LENO Natalie MacMaster will be appearing with The Chieftains on The Tonight Show this Thursday evening, January 18 (please check your local listings for air time. The show airs on NBC in the US and Canada) Natalie flew to Denver, Colorado yesterday to join The Chieftains on their US tour. She and the band will be flying to Los Angeles on Wednesday evening to tape the show. The show will feature Joan Osborne, who is also touring with The Chieftains for the first leg of their tour. GET INTERNET ACCESS FROM JUNO! Juno offers FREE or PREMIUM Internet access for less! Join Juno today! For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj. Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Was Burns a racist?
Was Burns a racist? Just before his Kilmarnock edition came out - his first collection of poems - he hoped that the money from it would be enough to start a new life in Jamaica as a 'Negro-driver', a slave owner. Was it a case of, 'A man's a man for a that - exept negroes'? Did he change his mind when he saw the slave ship in Dundee harbour, which inspired his 'Slave's Lament'? Or was he merely _playing_ at being the great egalitarian? Was the slave ship anything to do with negroes? Viz. Peter Buchan's extensive notes in his Songs and Ballads of North East Scotland on the trade in Gaelic speaking Scottish slaves, children rounded up by the burgesses of the port towns and shipped to the Americas for cash. Not in the 1780s - the American war stopped this practice for a while. (It was never exactly slavery, more a very harsh form of indenture - people who entered into it would have done so in the expectation of being released from it in a few years). "Rounding up" isn't exactly what happened - the trade, at its peak, was in people fleeing from famine, who made their own way to the coast and signed up for any ship that would take them; not very different from the current trade in Hispanic illegal immigrants in the US. And Dundee was not a likely port of shipment for Highlanders - most went to the west coast. Also, the Slave's Lament is explicitly about an African. I'm sure many lowlanders like Burns were unaware of this trade. It had been described in a book published in Edinburgh while Burns was there, Knox's "A View of the British Empire". And Highland emigration was the subject of Henry Erskine's poem "The Emigrant"; Burns would have known Erskine well at the period when he was writing it, and Erskine must have known of the trade in indentured labour. So, Burns must have known of this. : But I never considered that folks would go BACK to the old world! I guess : you'd be inclined to, if you were nothing better than a slave here. Most of the Highlanders who left as indentured labour sided with the British in the War of Independence. Many were deported by the US after it, and ended up back in Scotland even more destitute than when they started out. I don't think many returned voluntarily. + OK, I've found Buchan's notes on the slave trade to Virginia, and the + offending city is not Inverness but Aberdeen. There is a lengthy story + about a man who was kidnapped as a child but made his way back - Peter + Wilkinson - and was treated extremely badly. Peter Williamson, aka "Indian Peter", who went on to set up a postal service and published the first postal directory of Edinburgh. See Kay's "Edinburgh Portraits", or pretty much any book about 18th century Edinburgh, he was a very well-known character. He turned into an obnoxious Tory prat in later life. === http://www.purr.demon.co.uk/jack/ === Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Was Burns a racist?
Jack Campin wrote: Peter Williamson, aka "Indian Peter", who went on to set up a postal service and published the first postal directory of Edinburgh. See Kay's "Edinburgh Portraits", or pretty much any book about 18th century Edinburgh, he was a very well-known character. He turned into an obnoxious Tory prat in later life. Do I take it, basically, that Peter Buchan's notes to his Ballads in 1828 are as badly researched as they are badly written? Williamson's story, and Buchan's notes, bear hallmarks of exaggeration and maybe the magistrates of Aberdeen were quite right to burn his book. I am completely open to re-evaluate both Peter Buchan and in turn David Buchan's 'Ballad and the Folk' thesis. The whole thing strikes me as a tangle of misinformation and personally biased opinions. Nigel Gatherer probably has the best approach - go back to the newspaper cuttings of the day where possible, and believe nothing in books. David -- Icon magazines: http://www.freelancephotographer.co.uk/ Music CDs and tracks: http://www.mp3.com/DavidKilpatrick Personal website: http://www.maxwellplace.demon.co.uk/pandemonium/ Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
[scots-l] concert
PUBLICITY RELEASE Crawford Art Centre, St Andrews, Thursday 8th February, 7.30pm. A concert of Scottish, French, Italian and Spanish music of mainly the 17th and 18th centuries for lutes, guitars, percussion and dance. Rob MacKillop is recognised internationally as the foremost interpreter of the Scottish lute and early guitar repertoire. Steve Player has an international reputation as a virtuoso dancer and guitarist. Together they present a brilliant and unique programme of haunting airs and ports from Scottish lute manuscripts, and exciting rythmic dances for strummed guitars from Europe and 'The New World'. But most importantly: FREE WINE!!! Tickets available at the door - 3 (2.50) Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] concert
But most importantly: FREE WINE!!! Guid wine or naw? COLONEL IAN J. L. ADKINS - [EMAIL PROTECTED] Crown Malt Inspector Provost of the Village of Dunroamin Invernesshire, Scotland The Angry Scotsmen's Internet Asylum http://www.cyberhub.co.uk Blackmill Networks, Limited http://www.blackmill.net - Original Message - From: Rob MacKillop [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: Fife Arts [EMAIL PROTECTED] Cc: Billy Kay [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Gordon Milne [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Mike Dodds [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Morag-Anne [EMAIL PROTECTED]; scots-l [EMAIL PROTECTED]; Sue Davis [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, January 17, 2001 2:48 PM Subject: [scots-l] concert PUBLICITY RELEASE Crawford Art Centre, St Andrews, Thursday 8th February, 7.30pm. A concert of Scottish, French, Italian and Spanish music of mainly the 17th and 18th centuries for lutes, guitars, percussion and dance. Rob MacKillop is recognised internationally as the foremost interpreter of the Scottish lute and early guitar repertoire. Steve Player has an international reputation as a virtuoso dancer and guitarist. Together they present a brilliant and unique programme of haunting airs and ports from Scottish lute manuscripts, and exciting rythmic dances for strummed guitars from Europe and 'The New World'. But most importantly: FREE WINE!!! Tickets available at the door - 3 (2.50) Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] concert
Regarding the concert and free wine at the Crawford, St Andrew's. Sounds great, Rob. In connection with your previous message regarding Burn's as a potential 'Negro driver' - no doubt you are famous with the super portrait of the Glasgow tobacco merchant Glassford and his family in which one of his seven children is playing an early guitar. Were the instrument and its players linked to the slave trade? We need to know. Stuart Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] concert
Ian Adkins wrote: But most importantly: FREE WINE!!! Guid wine or naw? If it's being poured out of a cardboard box, run! :-) Toby Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
[scots-l] Re: Was Burns a Racist?
Surely to try to brand Burns a "Racist" is to apply a totally inappropriate modern/retrospective assessment of him? I'd have no problem with questionong whether Burns was involved in/interested in/happy about slavery; but to use the word "Racist" seems to me to fail to take any account of the mores of the time (and is of itself pejorative). In support of this, I would venture the thought that the term "Racist" was unheard as little as forty years ago. Historical perspective is fine, but has to be tempered with a knowledge of the contemporary context. Nicolas B., Lanark, Scotland. Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Celtic Connections Festival Workshops?
John said: When I looked over the multipage ad flyer that was sent out listing all the performers and events at the Glasgow Celtic Connections, I was VERY surprised to note that tho there were lots of fiddlers performing there wasn't a single fiddle workshop!!! Yes, I believe there was a tune workshop but that invited ANY instruments that cared to attend.. and there they include accordions as an instrument of tradition!! Seemed like it woulda have been very appropriate to have some workshops on traditional fiddle music! I thought that too. Seems to be all about giving folks 'tasters', or keeping the kids occupied. A few years back I remember some really good workshops by visiting fiddlers as you say. I see the workshops were organised by the Balnain House management. Hmmm. Derek Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Was Burns a racist?
David asked: Do I take it, basically, that Peter Buchan's notes to his Ballads in 1828 are as badly researched as they are badly written? Williamson's story, and Buchan's notes, bear hallmarks of exaggeration and maybe the magistrates of Aberdeen were quite right to burn his book. Peter Williamson sued the magistrates of Aberdeen after this and won his case if I remember correctly (I wasn't actually there). With the cash he got he opened a 'coffee house' in Edinburgh, which was considered a bit like a 'coffee house' in Amsterdam nowadays. He was a hell of a man, and no doubt exaggerated, but I don't the think the basic facts about him being lifted from the quay in Aberdeen as a child (where he was probably left) and going through some remarkable exploits in America are in any doubt? He had a string of inventions, including the first postal service, although I think he got it a bit wrong by charging the recipient not the sender. He also designed a machine to allow you to walk from Edinburgh over to Fife, along the sea bed. It was a big box with portholes to look out of, and things for your feet to go in so you could walk. I played in a show several years ago about his life (sponsored by the Post Office :) It is crying out to be turned into a screenplay. Always thought Robin Williams would suit the role. And he has such a good Scots accent :) Derek Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Was Burns a racist?
In a message dated 1/16/01 3:09:23 PM Eastern Standard Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: In Maryland, at least, they are beautifully indexed, so you're not hunting needles in haystacks looking for reference to your folks. I'm in Maryland, but my Grandfather lived most of his life in Virginia, so I guess I'll have to look there. Thanks for the idea. --Cynthia Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Was Burns a racist?
Are you really comparing being a Negro-driver to working for a brokerage firm? That latter might be closer to being an exiseman. But a slave owner? OK, maybe you were only kidding... Rob I was kidding... though as I think about it now it's not entirely off-base, since in the context of Burns' times the slave trade and slave agriculture were for many people just another form of business. And I do think people in need find it easier to consider actions they find immoral when people around them find those actions normal and acceptable. I suppose I would rather think of Burns that way than as a simple hypocrite who exploited a moment of pathos to make "The Slave's Lament." Susan Susan Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] concert
Ian Adkins wrote: Toby, it cud be a huge balloon or melon, it dinna matter nane, it's o they spigots A'm afeart! :P Groan... That was bad! :-) Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
