Re: Tunes played at Highland Games
Richard Desmond & Mike Parker (rich-d@dircon.co.uk)
Tue, 6 Aug 1996 09:33:42 +0100
>CEO document contents:
>
>In Harp Digest #49, Julie M. Lehrman wrote :
>
>>In the last few years there have been several books and
>>recordings published of the Early Music of Scotland. Did
>>anybody choose to compete in the Scottish Harp competition with
>>a 16th or 17th century selection? Did that person use a replica
>>of an "period" harp? How well was this repetoire recieved by
>>the judges? How much leeway is given in what is acceptable as
>>an "Air" since the modern distinctions of Airs, reels,
>>strathspeys hadn't been invented yet?
>
>While I can't speak for Alexandra Highland Games, I've seen all
>sorts of music tried on at the New Hampshire games at Loon; from
>modern compositions "in the Scottish style", to Greg Balcewitz
>playing something he dredged from an ancient source, with wire
>harp on left shoulder and hands reversed (which, arguably, maybe
>isn't Scottish style, though historic). >snip<
> Peter Mac
> peter_macaulay@DGC.ceo.dg.com
Hi there,
It is completely arguable that left shoulder playing is *only* traditional
for ancient Scots music on a real clarseach.
Be happy,
Mike.