Review: The John M Mason Collection
Soundyngs’ workplace recently received an impressively weighty 2 volume hardback collection of fiddle tunes by John M Mason (1940-2011), co-founder … Read more
Fiddle
Review: Alexander ‘Battan’ Grant, 1856-1942
Image – the rondello, from Inverness Museums, in Smartify.org Art is long, and life is short, alas; people often need … Read more
Review: Harlaw Scotland 1411
When Soundyngs started back in January 2022, we were already 11 years after the 600th anniversary of the Battle of … Read more
Edwardian Music Rooms in Scottish Great Houses
Featured image: Fyvie Castle Music Gallery (author’s own photographs) “Domestic music-making” means different things in different homes. Soundyngs learnt recently … Read more
Dunkeld Fiddlers and Music Archives
With thanks to Pete Clark and Munro Gauld for filling in some of the gaps. Dunkeld is widely known as … Read more
Review: Window to the West: Culture and Environment in the Scottish Gàidhealtachd
Image: cover art from Window to the West This book, jointly authored by Meg Bateman and John Purser, is an … Read more
Review: Concerto Caledonia, “Shepherds & Tea Tables: Songs of Allan Ramsay”
Concerto Caledonia currently lead the field in historically-informed performances of Scottish music, and bring to their work awareness of both … Read more
Review: ‘Full of the Highland Humours’, recording by Ensemble Hesperi
(featured in image): Ensemble Hesperi performers Mary-Jannet Leith – recorders Magdalena Loth-Hill – baroque violin Florence Petit – baroque cello … Read more
Review: Josephine Miller’s “Community-based Traditional Music in Scotland”
Image: the John Wheatley Building and Community College, Haghill, in East End Glasgow, used as the venue for many classes … Read more
50 Years of the Society of Highland and Island Historical Research: more on musicians and music in Highland society
The Society of Highland & Island Historical Research (see Soundyngs post 2/3/22) celebrates this year the 50th anniversary of its … Read more
Fiddles of tin and ship pine
Although the design has changed over the centuries, from the 18th century onwards Scottish luthiers have embraced the Italian violin … Read more
Scottish Music on Early Cylinder Recordings
Before Covid19, the idea of online concerts was rather niche, but in the past two years, these have become an … Read more