Changing Traditions

Lecture 6 (Strathclyde, 25.4.13)Karen McAulay

Collections as products of their times

• This is what we expect to find today …

Domestic music-making in the 19th Century

Scots Musical Museum

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E-A-B thenE-G#-B

The Songs of Scotland Prior to Burns (Chambers,1862)

• ‘It is meant as historical in its general scope and arrangement, and may […] satisfy all ordinary inquirers into the subject, as a department of the national literature.

• ‘It is also hoped that the collection may be serviceable amongst those who have not consented to the entire banishment of our national airs from the drawing-room.’

The Songs of Scotland Prior to Burns (Chambers,1862)

Popular mid-19th century collections

• Vocal Melodies of Scotland (1836); Finlay Dun & John Thomson. Reissued 1842-53; again post 1853; Revised & re-edited 1884.

• The Songs of Scotland adapted to their appropriate melodies (1848-9) ; G F Graham (a.k.a. Wood’s Edition of the Songs of Scotland); Rev. as The Popular Songs of Scotland with their appropriate Melodies (1887, 1908)

Vocal Melodies of Scotland - Dun & Thomson’s concern for the performer

• ‘… some of the finest Scottish songs have been published, hitherto, in keys quite unsingable by the generality of voices…’

• ‘… accompaniments … appropriateness of style and facility of execution’

• ‘marks of expression [to guide those] either unacquainted with the Scottish style, or had no teacher to guide them’

Orain na h-Albain; Dun• Accompaniment … ‘simple and appropriate’• ‘a few suggestions as to the manner of singing the songs.’ • ‘simple and natural … due expression of the words will

occasionally require the time to be retarded or accelerated … rhythm is irregular ’

• ‘long-drawn out sounds seem to be a characteristic feature in the style of the music of many mountainous countries, originating … from the physical conditions … being favourable to the production of echoes’[!!!]

Graham comments on lyrics• ‘As the third and fourth stanzas of the original song

are not only unsuited to the air, but are little better than street-ballad doggerel, we have taken the liberty to alter them in this work.’

• Graham won’t repeat the ‘profane absurdity’ of certain opening stanzas.

• ‘rejected the old words as very silly, and quite unworthy of the popular air to which they were adapted.’

• ‘We give here the three most tolerable stanzas of this very trashy song’

Musical examples

• Flow gently, sweet Afton (i) arr. F. Dun(ii) Arr. G. F. GrahamCompare accompaniments with(iii) An die Musik (Schubert)(iv) Ständchen (Schubert)

Highland sentiments• Continued to collect tunes ‘in the field’,

because fear of culture disappearing• Threat to Gaelic language• Clearances, emigration, arguments about croft

and land-ownership

An Comunn Gaidhealach, 1891

Preceded by Lorn Ossianic Society, 1872-early 1880s.(Prof. John Stuart Blackie a

leading light in both societies)

The Mod (started 1892)

Mod – The National Bard

• Gaelic Mod at Oban - Crowning of the Bard - Mr Angus McInnes (4.10.58)

Choral music at The Mod• A Choisir-Chiuil (St

Columba Collection of Gaelic Songs), late 19th Century.

• (And there’s a modern edition!)

Musical example• Thainig an Gille dubh (A’ Choisir Chiuil p.13) –

melody then choral setting

Marjory Kennedy-Fraser• 1857-1930• Perth … • Edinburgh … • World tours … Eriskay … • Barra …

Fr. Allan McDonald, Eriskay• Gaelic poem collector

& folklorist (1859-1905)

Early recording equipment• Kennedy-Fraser’s

graphophone

Archival sound – 1908 (not MKF)

Marjory Kennedy-Fraser• Songs of the Hebrides

(3 vols)• Sea Tangle• From the Hebrides• More Songs from the

Hebrides

Musical examples• Kennedy-Fraser – • Spinning wheel accompaniment• Harp effect accompaniment

Musical Example• Kennedy-Fraser –• Eriskay love-lilt, sung by Lisa Milne

W B Yeats (Irish poet and dramatist)

• Celtic Twilight– a ‘sketchbook full of folklore reverie’ (1893)

Ducoudray:

Breton song

Musical Examples• Debussy – Pelleas & Melisande opera (overture)• Compare the style of Debussy’s La Cathedrale

Engloutie (piano), with• Kennedy-Fraser’s Sleeps the noon in the deep blue

sky (sung by Lisa Milne)• This is the same tune, untitled, in the Macdonald

collection• Kennedy-Fraser – The Coolin of Rum (again,

impressionistic, Debussy-esque)

Musical Examples• Kennedy-Fraser – A simple setting of A Raasay

Love-Lilt (Songs of the Hebrides Vol.I)• Musically more adventurous setting,

Lochbroom love song (SOH Vol.1)• Then listen to choral Mod setting

Hamish MacCunn (1868-1916)

• The land of the mountain and the flood

• The Dowie Dens o’ Yarrow

• Ship o’ the Fiend• Jeanie Deans• Diarmid• 150+ songs …

Musical Example• MacCunn – Flow gently, sweet Afton

20th century developments

• Folk revival http://folkmusic.about.com/od/folkmusic101/a/60sFolkRevival.htm

• Ewan MacColl http://www.peggyseeger.com/ewan-maccoll/ewan-maccoll

• Ethnomusicological approach • School of Scottish Studies • (now Celtic and Scottish Studies)

http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/literatures-languages-cultures/celtic-scottish-studies

• Travellers’ repertoire – Recordings• Internet – electronic advances