Transcript A Historic Approach to Studying Traditional Music

A Historic Approach to
Studying Traditional
Music:
Valuing Older Collections
Dr Karen E McAulay
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
Historical Music of Scotland
HMS.scot
Niel Gow, 1784
Niel Gow, 1784 – inside the book
Niel Gow & Sons, [1805]
Gow & Sons, 1805 – inside book
Gow and Sons – Ambitions!
1.
… it has been the Object … to preserve them for the Amateurs of that Stile of
Music in their native Simplicity, free from the Corruption of Whim or Caprice …
2.
ORIGINAL SCOTS STRATHSPEYS, REELS, and JIGS […] NATIONAL TUNES and
DANCES […] in every part of SCOTLAND [we] have not ONCE met with TWO
PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS who play the SAME notes of ANY tune! […] Standard
[…] CONFORMITY in playing those tunes, may with great propriety be adopted.
3.
… we humbly trust our Endeavours to conciliate an uniformity in playing those
tunes will soon be Established in every part of the Island.
4.
satisfaction on their Original Aim being obtained [i.e.] conformity being observed
throughout the Island, by Amateurs, as well as Professional People, playing the
same notes of every tune, without the confusion which prevailed previous to the
appearance of the Repository.
An earlier age: Barsanti (ca.1742)
Barsanti basically says,
• Old = Elegant
• Here are some I harmonised
• Proper, natural basses & uncorrupted tunes
• See what you think!
And this is Barsanti’s work:-
See Bruch’s Scottish Fantasy (1881)!
For Singers (???)
• Joseph Ritson,
• Scotish Songs
(1794)
Ritson, Scotish Song, I, lxxviii-lxxix.
Though the merit of the Scotish songs is generally allowed, it cannot be
pretended that they possess any uniformity of excellence. […]
The truth is, that there is more of art than of nature in the English
songs; at all events, they possess very little of that pastoral simplicity
for which the Scotish are so much admired; and which will be
frequently found to give them the advantages which the beautiful
peasant, in her homespun russet, has over the fine town lady, patched,
powdered, and dressed out, for the ball or opera, in all the frippery of
fashion.
Colin Brown –The Thistle (1883)
A Thorny Challenge …
• The Parachute Lecturer
Pinterest: Kristian Schuller Fashion Photography
Pedagogies
• Constructivist
• Experiential
• Flipping the
classroom
Creating Context
• ‘What did you do last
week?’
• Other preparation
• Encouraging students to
relate what they’re
looking at, to what they
already know
• ‘Next week, I understand
you’re looking at …’
Experience – active learning
• Not a lecture!
• Practical involvement
• Play or sing
• Listen
• Multimedia
• Visit library
Social Identity & Shared Learning
• Theories concerned with student retention:• Social Identity Theory (feeling ‘part of the group’)
• ‘Group-level’ learning (‘Shared thinking’, N.Bowskill, University of
Glasgow PhD, 2013)
• Both imply that the teacher should facilitate group bonding and
learning.
Feedback
• Feedback from students (3 quick
questions)
• Feedback from their courseleader or a peer
• Feedback from you, today!
• Does anyone do anything
similar?
• Any comments or suggestions?
Historical Music of Scotland
•
•
•
•
HMS.scot
@Karenmca
[email protected]
https://rcs.academia.edu/KarenMcAulay
Thank you!