strathspey@strathspey.org:24455

Anselm Lingnau

Re: C.D. Dance to the Pipes

Jan. 22, 2001, 3:18 p.m. (Message 24455, in reply to message 24454)

Lee Fuell <xxxxx@xxxxxxxxxx.xxx> writes:

> Most of the reels and jigs on this CD have a four-bar intro instead
> of the chord (men bow down for two bars and come up for two bars - pret=
ty
> standard for dancing to bagpipes, I believe), and it's fairly clear to
> my ear when the intro stops and the dance music begins.

I haven't had a chance to listen to the CD in question but with a piped
four-bar intro SOP is to listen for two bars, bow/curtsey for two bars.
This ties in better with what you do normally (the `standard' chord is
something like two bars' worth). The `long' bows are more of a highland
dance thing, and even there it varies from dance to dance and if you do
bow for four bars you usually have another four bars before the bow to
get used to the tempo. There is no highland dance I know where you begin
to take your bow in the same instant that the music starts.

> However, I have the same problem as you on the Strathspeys.  For exampl=
e,
> I think Monymusk has a two-bar intro, but I've got to listen to it all =
the
> way through and count all the bars to make sure.  =


Two bars in strathspey time are more or less four bars in reel time (if =

you're a piper) so that would figure.

Personally I'm not too fond of the highland bagpipe for country dancing
(superb tracks like `Blue Bonnets' off the `Memories ...' CD
notwithstanding). They seem to work for dances like the Reel of the
Royal Scots, Reel of the 51st Division, Duke of Atholl's Reel and so on
where the original tune is actually a pipe tune. Fine. But the fun stops
where a well-known tune is mangled beyond recognition just so it will
fit on the highland bagpipe -- there are so many *real* pipe tunes
around that it hardly seems worth the effort.

Besides, we all know what the RSCDS wants us to think about original
music, namely `Use it ALWAYS unless in a life-threatening situation'.
And here we find one of the Really Big Names in the RSCDS world
recording Cutty's Wedding for Cauld Kail and Duke John for The
Montgomeries' Rant -- both extremely popular dances with very well-known
original tunes? Oops. I mean, there is nothing wrong with recording a
nice set of pipe reels but then please call it `Set of Reels' and not
`The Montgomeries' Rant' on the record sleeve.

Anselm
-- =

Anselm Lingnau ......................... xxxxxxx@xx.xxxxxxxxxx.xxx-xxxxxx=
urt.de
Good judgement comes from experience. Experience comes from bad judgement=
=2E
                                                                 -- Jim H=
orning