Sunday 26 April 2009

At long last I've produced my first academic output for many years, presenting a paper in the safe welcoming environment of yesterday's Musica Scotica conference. A very useful exercise indeed. I particularly enjoyed watching many people simultaneously pick up their pens and write down my assertion that 18/19th century song collections are cultural statements by outsiders (even including Robert Burns), whereas the fiddle music collections are personal statements by insiders. I'd only thought of it a few days ago.

It was also very enjoyable having most of my assumptions about the bagpipe traditions of Scotland quietly demolished by Hugh Cheape. I certainly hadn't realised that there was such a strong tradition of playing the Union pipes in the north-east of Scotland. 

later
Back from the south side and the very civilised launch party for Alasdair Roberts's excellent new album Spoils - any launch party featuring Rikke's home baking is worth travelling some distance for.  Ali gave me a vinyl copy too - I'd recommend that you buy it even if Alison and I weren't playing on it. 

And I managed to remix that melodica improvisation in a spare half hour this morning.