scottish music

[chayim]

Hi. I played fiddle for 7 years before I started learning Wooden flute. One of the things I got really into on the fiiddle was cape breton and Scottish music. Especially the Strathspeys. (I'm listening to Jerry Holland right now). Anyway...Do people play wooden flute in Cape Breton or Scottish traditional music? I have only heard fiddle and piano thus far, and occasionally pipes of some sort.
-daniel

[groxburgh]

Do people play wooden flute in Cape Breton or Scottish traditional music?

Yes.
You could do worse than start reading here:
http://www.theflow.org.uk/styles/styles_scotland.html

Cheers
Graeme

[caitlin ruadh]

You'd think being a DJ for fifteen years I'd know the answer to that question, but I don't! What sticks in my mind is what Cape Breton Fiddler J.P. Cormier told me once when I mentioned to him that my flute playing sounded a lot more like Cape Breton music than ITM: "Play what you want and how you are." So I imagine even if it isn't "traditional" by the normal definition of the word, Flute playing in Cape Breton music is fine.

There are lots of Scottish bands that use Flute. Skydance, Old Blind Dogs, Kornog (Breton and Scottish Hybrid), to name a few. So play what your heart tells you.

My 2p

Caitlin

[Tjones]

Here a link for you Calum Stewart: http://www.myspace.com/calumfrancisstewart

[chas]

Look up Chris Norman. He does a lot more than Scottish and Cape Breton music, but you can tell he's really at home playing it. He is to strathspeys on the flute as Bonnie Rideout is to strathspeys on the fiddle. I never really understood the strathspey till I heard Ms Rideout play one.

[drewr]

I'm from Cape Breton and although I heard a lot of celtic music being played growing up, I never once saw anyone play a flute. Although the Cape Breton style can certainly be adapted to the flute (I've done so myself), the instrument itself doesn't really seem popular there.

[planxtydt]

It would be nice to hear Callum Stewart play some scottish music on his myspace site. Nothing against his compositions, they are very nice.
There is a difference between scottish music and a scottish musician.

[hans]

Look up Chris Norman. He does a lot more than Scottish and Cape Breton music, but you can tell he's really at home playing it. He is to strathspeys on the flute as Bonnie Rideout is to strathspeys on the fiddle. I never really understood the strathspey till I heard Ms Rideout play one.

In a class lesson (Scottish fluters convention, Aberdeen 2001) Chris Norman described the strathspey as the tango of Scottish music, and urged us to play it with similar fire than expressed in tango.

Cheers,
~Hans

[greenspiderweb]

Look up Chris Norman. He does a lot more than Scottish and Cape Breton music, but you can tell he's really at home playing it. He is to strathspeys on the flute as Bonnie Rideout is to strathspeys on the fiddle. I never really understood the strathspey till I heard Ms Rideout play one.

Oh yeah, and she sure can play them, along with anything else on the fiddle or viola! Lovely stuff!

[ancientfifer]

In a class lesson (Scottish fluters convention, Aberdeen 2001) Chris Norman described the strathspey as the tango of Scottish music, and urged us to play it with similar fire than expressed in tango.
Cheers,
~Hans

IMHO, having been taught flute and whistle by a Scotsman, I would agree. A bit more percussive with striking accents and dynamics than your average flute playing. As a teen in the 70's, Breton fiddler Ron Ganella did a summer residency with our music department at a popular historic site, and that has forever influenced my playing. I think often many of us fluters may tend towards focusing on the "sweet flow" of the music. But I think a good Strathspey deserves to be "ripped" into a bit, especially after a dram er two. The mix of double-dotted and reverse double-dotted eighth note rhythms, and starkly contrasting loud and soft dynamics/accents, particularly lends to some more percussive/expressive and at times, exaggerated playing. I think one good example, might be better ones out there, which could be extrapolated to the flute somewhat, is Natalie McMasters take on Tolluchgorum w/ variations http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-d9A0jRBYY

[hans]

I think one good example, might be better ones out there, which could be extrapolated to the flute somewhat, is Natalie McMasters take on Tolluchgorum w/ variations http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-d9A0jRBYY

Tullochgorum: you mean this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sdc-oL6VjIc
Great playing!

There is also a great flute rendering of this tune by Chris Norman on the CD "The Caledonian Flute" (not available to listen on the web though).

~Hans

[Denny]

ya gotta wait 'till just after the 1st minute

[kenny]

Who played flute with the "Old Blind Dogs"?

[s1m0n]

There have been some terrific flute/pipes players with the Battlefield Band over the years, including Dougie Pincock and Iain MacDonald.

[caitlin ruadh]

Who played flute with the "Old Blind Dogs"?

I looked in the liner notes of the one album I have at home ( Legacy ) but it doesn't seem to have a band list anywhere. It's an old album though, and I don;t know if their most recent stuff has the same lineup anyway. I'll look again Thursday when I'm at the radio station next. Sorry I couldn't be more help!

Caitlin