Conclusion and Summary
by Charlie Gore
Here is a selection of contributors to the printed music of the Scottish fiddle tradition. Some of them (let’s say around 50%) were fiddler-composers; some were professional music publishers; others were just enthusiastic collectors. There were manuscript collections produced in Scotland in the 17th and early 18th centuries; publishing began around 1730; but the peak was reached in the 1780’s and 90’s. Some of the earliest published books include material that dates back 100 years or more. These were the songs and dances of the countryside, some of which were popular in the troubled reign of Mary Queen of Scots. Many are still played for dancing now, four centuries on. Such music was the seed-corn of the Golden Age – personified and greatly amplified by such as the Gows of Athole and the great William Marshall of Speyside, but a hundred others as well – when the whole Scottish nation rejoiced in its national music and danced its socks off to it! The echoes of it are with us still, although new voices are loud in competition on the international folk scene. But contemporary composers are still adding to the repertoire and perhaps, if we can keep the roots of the tradition alive through these dangerous times, that may be one of the most encouraging signs. Scotland’s national tradition is not quite dead yet!
All the names listed represent published works of which copies have survived and these are to be found in the Rare Books or Music Sections of several major British libraries (and some in North America).
The National Library of Scotland (Edinburgh) (ask particularly for the collections of Glen, Inglis and Henderson)
Aberdeen University and Public Libraries
Edinburgh University (Reid) Library
Dundee Public Library (Wighton Collection)
The Mitchell Library (Glasgow) (ask for the Kidson Collection)
A.K. Bell Library (Perth) (ask for the Athole Collection)
The British Library (London)
The Bodleian Library (Oxford university) (ask for Harding Collection)
This list is restricted to instrumental (e.g. fiddle, piano, flute, etc) collections, so there are many obvious exclusions; for example; most of the vocal collections with words; most of the songs and airs specifically of Gaelic (Hebridean) origin; the bagpipe repertoire as published mainly in Regimental manuals; Irish fiddle music (except that which occurs randomly in many collections); traditional Shetland and Orkney fiddle music. Today, much of this material, along with some of the emigrant music of North America, is regarded as part and parcel of what is loosely tagged ‘the tradition’, but it fogs the picture entirely if we lump it all in together and ignore over 300 years of history.
The Scottish national fiddle tradition is represented by a distinct body of music, which was – and still is – played in its various and regional styles for the accompaniment of dance and for listening. Its roots are preserved in the printed music of the dancing years (c1780-1830) and in that later surge of dance fever (1870-1900). In the hands and hearts and minds of those who still incline towards authenticity, this music (and what has since been rediscovered or composed in imitation and emulation of it) is still the core of the tradition.
Published pre-1784
AIRD, James (Vols 1 – 2)
BREMNER, Robert
CAMPBELL, Joshua
CRAIG, Adam (Dancing Master, see Playford)
DOW, Daniel
McGIBBON, William
McGLASHAN, Alex
McLEAN, Charles
MARSHALL, William
MUNRO, Alex
OSWALD, James
PLAYFORD, Henry
PLAYFORD, John
RAMSAY, Allan
RIDDELL, John
ROSS, Robert
RUTHERFORD, David
SKILLERN, Thomas
STEWART, Niel
STUART, Alex (see Allan Ramsay)
THOMPSON, Andrew
THOMPSON, C & S
THOMPSON, S A & P
THOMSON, William
URQUHART, Alexander
WALSH, John
WRIGHT, Daniel
YOUNG, John
1784 – 1840
AIRD, James (Vols 4 – 6)
ANDERSON, John
BAILLIE, Peter
BOWIE, John
BOWIE, Peter
CAMPBELL, Alex
CAMPBELL, William
CHRISTIE, William
CLARK, John Snr
CLARK, John Jnr
CLARKSON, John Snr
CLARKSON, John Jnr
COOPER, Isaac
CORRI, DUSSEK Co
CUMMING, Angus
DEWAR, James
DUFF, Archibald
DUFF, Charles
EDINBURGH Repository of Music
EGLINTON, 12th Earl of
FRASER, Capt. Simon
FRENCH, John (of Ayr)
GALE’S Pocket Companion
GIBB, Alex (of Haddington)
GOW, John & andrew
GOW, Nathaniel
GOW, Niel Junior
GOW, Niel & sons
GRANT, Donald
HALL, John (of Ayr)
HAMILTON, John
HIME & Sons
JENKINS, George
JOHNSON, Abraham
JOHNSON, James
KEITH, Malcolm
LADIES (Various)
LEBURN, Alexander
LINLEY, F
LONGMAN & BRODERIP
MacDONALD, Donald
MacDONALD, Malcolm
MacDONALD, Rev Patrick
MacEWAN, James
MacFADYEN, Joseph
MacGLASHAN, John
MacGREGOR, John
McGOUN, Archibald
MacINTOSH, Abraham
MacINTYRE, Duncan
MacKAY, Alexander
MacKINTOSH, Robert
MacINTYRE, Duncan
MAXWELL, Alexander
MORISON, John
MORRISON, William
MULHOLLAN, John M
MUSICAL MISCELLANY, The
NAPIER, William
NEAL, J & W, (Dublin)
PARKER, Mrs
PEACOCK, Francis
PETRIE, Robert
PORTEOUS, James
PRINGLE, John
REINAGLE, A & J
RIDDELL, Capt John
RITCHIE, Matthew
ROBERTSON, Alexander
ROBERTSON, Daniel
SHEPHERD, William
SHIRREFS, Andrew
SIME, D
STEWART, Charles
STIRLING, Magdalina
STRATTON, Alexander
TAYLOR, James (Fochabers)
TURNBULL, John
WALKER, James (Dysart)
WATLEN, James
WILSON, Thomas
1840s – 20th century
ATHOLE COLLECTION (see Robertson J. S.)
BAYLEY & FERGUSON
CAMERON, G & J
CHAPPELL & Co (London)
DAVIDSON, G & J
DAVIE, James
GLEADHILL, Thomas
GLEN, John
GRANT, Charles (Aberlour)
GREY, A. Ogilvie
HARDIE, Alastair J.
HENDERSON, J. Murdoch
HENRY, James (Portsoy)
HONEYMAN, William C.
HUNTER, James (1979)
KERR, James S.
KOHLER, Ernst (Edinburgh)
LOGAN & Co. (Inverness)
LOWE, Joseph
MacDONALD, Dr K. N. (‘Gesto’ & ‘Skye’ Collections)
MacKENZIE, A. (Father/Son)
MARR & Co.
MARTIN, Christine (Taigh na Teud)
MIDDLETON, Charles (Keith)
MILNE, Peter (see Middleton)
MORISON, Miss J. (Kintail)
MOZART ALLAN (Glasgow)
MUELLER, Robert
ROBERTSON, James S. (see Athole Collection)
RSCDS Publications (Edinburgh)
SURENNE, John T.
WALKER, Alexander (Newe)
Box and Fiddle
October 2002
All the names listed represent published works of which copies have survived and these are to be found in the Rare Books or Music Sections of several major British libraries (and some in North America).
The National Library of Scotland (Edinburgh) (ask particularly for the collections of Glen, Inglis and Henderson)
Aberdeen University and Public Libraries
Edinburgh University (Reid) Library
Dundee Public Library (Wighton Collection)
The Mitchell Library (Glasgow) (ask for the Kidson Collection)
A.K. Bell Library (Perth) (ask for the Athole Collection)
The British Library (London)
The Bodleian Library (Oxford university) (ask for Harding Collection)
This list is restricted to instrumental (e.g. fiddle, piano, flute, etc) collections, so there are many obvious exclusions; for example; most of the vocal collections with words; most of the songs and airs specifically of Gaelic (Hebridean) origin; the bagpipe repertoire as published mainly in Regimental manuals; Irish fiddle music (except that which occurs randomly in many collections); traditional Shetland and Orkney fiddle music. Today, much of this material, along with some of the emigrant music of North America, is regarded as part and parcel of what is loosely tagged ‘the tradition’, but it fogs the picture entirely if we lump it all in together and ignore over 300 years of history.
The Scottish national fiddle tradition is represented by a distinct body of music, which was – and still is – played in its various and regional styles for the accompaniment of dance and for listening. Its roots are preserved in the printed music of the dancing years (c1780-1830) and in that later surge of dance fever (1870-1900). In the hands and hearts and minds of those who still incline towards authenticity, this music (and what has since been rediscovered or composed in imitation and emulation of it) is still the core of the tradition.
Published pre-1784
AIRD, James (Vols 1 – 2)
BREMNER, Robert
CAMPBELL, Joshua
CRAIG, Adam (Dancing Master, see Playford)
DOW, Daniel
McGIBBON, William
McGLASHAN, Alex
McLEAN, Charles
MARSHALL, William
MUNRO, Alex
OSWALD, James
PLAYFORD, Henry
PLAYFORD, John
RAMSAY, Allan
RIDDELL, John
ROSS, Robert
RUTHERFORD, David
SKILLERN, Thomas
STEWART, Niel
STUART, Alex (see Allan Ramsay)
THOMPSON, Andrew
THOMPSON, C & S
THOMPSON, S A & P
THOMSON, William
URQUHART, Alexander
WALSH, John
WRIGHT, Daniel
YOUNG, John
1784 – 1840
AIRD, James (Vols 4 – 6)
ANDERSON, John
BAILLIE, Peter
BOWIE, John
BOWIE, Peter
CAMPBELL, Alex
CAMPBELL, William
CHRISTIE, William
CLARK, John Snr
CLARK, John Jnr
CLARKSON, John Snr
CLARKSON, John Jnr
COOPER, Isaac
CORRI, DUSSEK Co
CUMMING, Angus
DEWAR, James
DUFF, Archibald
DUFF, Charles
EDINBURGH Repository of Music
EGLINTON, 12th Earl of
FRASER, Capt. Simon
FRENCH, John (of Ayr)
GALE’S Pocket Companion
GIBB, Alex (of Haddington)
GOW, John & andrew
GOW, Nathaniel
GOW, Niel Junior
GOW, Niel & sons
GRANT, Donald
HALL, John (of Ayr)
HAMILTON, John
HIME & Sons
JENKINS, George
JOHNSON, Abraham
JOHNSON, James
KEITH, Malcolm
LADIES (Various)
LEBURN, Alexander
LINLEY, F
LONGMAN & BRODERIP
MacDONALD, Donald
MacDONALD, Malcolm
MacDONALD, Rev Patrick
MacEWAN, James
MacFADYEN, Joseph
MacGLASHAN, John
MacGREGOR, John
McGOUN, Archibald
MacINTOSH, Abraham
MacINTYRE, Duncan
MacKAY, Alexander
MacKINTOSH, Robert
MacINTYRE, Duncan
MAXWELL, Alexander
MORISON, John
MORRISON, William
MULHOLLAN, John M
MUSICAL MISCELLANY, The
NAPIER, William
NEAL, J & W, (Dublin)
PARKER, Mrs
PEACOCK, Francis
PETRIE, Robert
PORTEOUS, James
PRINGLE, John
REINAGLE, A & J
RIDDELL, Capt John
RITCHIE, Matthew
ROBERTSON, Alexander
ROBERTSON, Daniel
SHEPHERD, William
SHIRREFS, Andrew
SIME, D
STEWART, Charles
STIRLING, Magdalina
STRATTON, Alexander
TAYLOR, James (Fochabers)
TURNBULL, John
WALKER, James (Dysart)
WATLEN, James
WILSON, Thomas
1840s – 20th century
ATHOLE COLLECTION (see Robertson J. S.)
BAYLEY & FERGUSON
CAMERON, G & J
CHAPPELL & Co (London)
DAVIDSON, G & J
DAVIE, James
GLEADHILL, Thomas
GLEN, John
GRANT, Charles (Aberlour)
GREY, A. Ogilvie
HARDIE, Alastair J.
HENDERSON, J. Murdoch
HENRY, James (Portsoy)
HONEYMAN, William C.
HUNTER, James (1979)
KERR, James S.
KOHLER, Ernst (Edinburgh)
LOGAN & Co. (Inverness)
LOWE, Joseph
MacDONALD, Dr K. N. (‘Gesto’ & ‘Skye’ Collections)
MacKENZIE, A. (Father/Son)
MARR & Co.
MARTIN, Christine (Taigh na Teud)
MIDDLETON, Charles (Keith)
MILNE, Peter (see Middleton)
MORISON, Miss J. (Kintail)
MOZART ALLAN (Glasgow)
MUELLER, Robert
ROBERTSON, James S. (see Athole Collection)
RSCDS Publications (Edinburgh)
SURENNE, John T.
WALKER, Alexander (Newe)
Box and Fiddle
October 2002