[scots-l] Re: Blackford Fiddlers

2003-09-06 Thread Nigel Gatherer
Nigel Gatherer wrote:

 ...Donald Riddell...was taught by Alexander Grant, a fiddle maker and
 a friend of Scott Skinner. Riddell in turn taught many fiddlers who
 are now acknowledging their debt: Bruce MacGregor, Iain MacFarlane,
 Greg Borland, and so on.

Greg Borland was actually taught by Hector MacAndrew, and will be
talking about him, as well as playing some of his tunes at Fiddle 2003
this year. The Fiddle 2003 programme is now available (phone 0131 346
0977), and it's on the web too at www.scotsfiddlefestival.com

This year's line-up includes Jerry Holland, David Greenberg, Duncan
Chisholm, Sarah-Jane Fifield, and many more.

-- 
Nigel Gatherer, Crieff, Scotland
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/gatherer/

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Re: [scots-l] Re: Blackford Fiddlers

2003-07-06 Thread Toby Rider
Nigel Gatherer wrote:


Are they playing the Irish tunes in a very Irish-style, or are they
just taking Irish tunes and playing them in their own particularly
regional style?


Difficult to say conclusively, because that repertoire is now coming
directly from CDs. Also, the guy behind the Blackford Fiddlers is not
from the region, so you couldn't say there is a distinctive regional
style. There won't be a regional style these days (in Scotland) unless
there is a strong fiddler who teaches lots of youngsters. Donald
Riddell was one such; he was taught by Alexander Grant, a fiddle maker
and a friend of Scott Skinner. Riddell in turn taught many fiddlers who
are now acknowledging their debt: Bruce MacGregor, Iain MacFarlane,
Greg Borland, and so on.


 Directly from CD's, as in CD's of all sorts of people, or just a 
certain few players?
 Glad to hear there are at least some regional styles left there.

Toby



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[scots-l] Re: Blackford Fiddlers

2003-07-05 Thread Nigel Gatherer
Toby Rider wrote:

 The one thing which concerns me is the repertoire. The instigator is
 English, and he has been teaching a majority of irish tunes. It
 always strikes me as sad that here in Perthshire, historically a
 very strong centre of Scottish fiddle music (home of the Gows and
 many, many other giants of Scots fiddling) a basically Irish
 repertoire is learned. The good news is that the youngsters are
 enthused by the likes of Catriona MacDonald, The Wrigley Sisters,
 etc: there are role models in Scottish music, and the young people
 are finding them.

  Are they playing the Irish tunes in a very Irish-style, or are they
 just taking Irish tunes and playing them in their own particularly
 regional style?

Difficult to say conclusively, because that repertoire is now coming
directly from CDs. Also, the guy behind the Blackford Fiddlers is not
from the region, so you couldn't say there is a distinctive regional
style. There won't be a regional style these days (in Scotland) unless
there is a strong fiddler who teaches lots of youngsters. Donald
Riddell was one such; he was taught by Alexander Grant, a fiddle maker
and a friend of Scott Skinner. Riddell in turn taught many fiddlers who
are now acknowledging their debt: Bruce MacGregor, Iain MacFarlane,
Greg Borland, and so on.

-- 
Nigel Gatherer, Crieff, Scotland
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/gatherer/

Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music  Culture List - To 
subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html