Fiddling
Fiddling
History of the fiddle in Scotland
While it's doubtful whether Nero really did fiddle while Rome burned, it is clear that stringed instruments have been with us throughout history. In Scotland, 'faedyls' and 'rebecs' gave way to viols, and eventually in the 17th century Scotland took to the violin - the instrument perfected by the great Italian makers in the 17th and 18th centuries and virtually unchanged since. In folk music it is called the fiddle, and the masters of Scottish music have developed many distinctive techniques of bowing and phrasing.
Its popularity grew with that of dancing. Robert Burns' Tam o'Shanter saw:
Warlocks an' witches in a dance;
Nae cotillion brent new frae France,
But hornpipes, jigs, strathspeys an' reels
Put life an' mettle in their heels
This gives us some clues as to what was going on in the middle of the 18th century - two streams of music, the courtly dances in the great halls and the less formal music in the farmhouse kitchens. It also notes the emergence of that most distinctive of Scottish music forms, the strathspey.
The Gow family
Patronage by the landed gentry greatly assisted the appearance of printed music from the late 17th century onwards and supported many fine players and composers. Perhaps the most famous was Niel Gow (1727-1807), the son of a weaver from Inver, near Dunkeld, who was patronised by the Dukes of Atholl, taken down to London to play, and painted by Sir Henry Raeburn. His fame as a player and composer encouraged a visit to his home by Robert Burns in 1787 where Niel played a few tunes for him before they adjourned to the local inn.
The latter part of the 18th century became known as the Golden Age of fiddle music. Niel Gow's talent was inherited by his sons, notably his fourth son Nathaniel Gow. Other major fiddler-composers included William Marshall from Fochabers, described by Burns as the first (i.e. best) strathspey player of the age, and Robert Mackintosh from Tulliemet, Perthshire. The Gow family and others continued to publish Collections of music.
The 19th century
The 19th century saw the publication (in 1815) of one of the most famous collections of tunes - that of Captain Simon Fraser of Knockie, on the South shore of Loch Ness, mainly from the Gaelic tradition and chiefly acquired during the interesting period from 1715 to 1745. Other major publications in the late 19th century were James Stewart Robertson's Athole Collection (1884), Keith Norman MacDonald's Skye Collection (1887) and John Glen's Collections of 1891-95.
The most famous figure of the late 19th and early 20th centuries was the flamboyant, preposterous but brilliant James Scott Skinner from Banchory, who left a legacy of over 600 tunes, and remains a major influence today.
20th century developments
The 20th century saw a quiet but steady development with the founding of strathspey and reel societies, the growth of dance bands and country dancing, and the continuation of the solo tradition by fiddlers such as Hector Macandrew, Bill Hardie, Angus Grant and Douglas Lawrence. Advances in recording and travel introduced the music of Shetland, Cape Breton and Ireland, which have added both to the repertoire and the range of distinctive regional playing styles. Towards the end of the century an enormous surge of interest in traditional music was fostered by classes, workshops, courses and festivals. A major player in this renaissance has been Alasdair Fraser, who has inspired many fiddlers with his recordings, workshops and concerts.
Schools and colleges are now recognising the merits of traditional music, public interest allows more young fiddlers to make a living, and the inevitable urge to experiment (which has always been there) is matched by an enthusiasm for the great music of the past.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
If a book listed in the bibliography below is available from the Highland Libraries it will be indicated by a book icon - 
Hunter, James
The Fiddle Music of Scotland
Hardie Press 1979
Johnson, David
Scottish fiddle music in the 18th century
Mercat Press 1997
The Scottish Fiddle Music Index
Amaising Publishing House Ltd 1994
Cowie, Moyra
The Life and Times of William Marshall
1999
John Glen
The Glen Collection of Scottish Dance Music 1891-95
Inverness: reprint Highland Music Trust 2001
Martin, Christine
Scottish Traditional Fiddling, A Player's Guide
Taigh na Teud 2002
Airs and Melodies Peculiar to the Highlands of Scotland and the Isles
Fraser, Capt Simon (ed), of Knockie, reprinted Paul Stewart Cranford 1986
Stewart-Robertson, James
The Athole Collection of the Dance Music of Scotland
Inverness:reprint Balnain House 1996 - now Highland Music Trust
MacDonald, Keith Norman
The Skye Collection 1887
reprint Paul Stewart Cranford 1986
Mackintosh, Robert
The Mackintosh Collections
Inverness: Highland Music Trust, 2002.
Marshall, William
The Marshall Collections 1781-1845
inverness: Highland Music Trust, (reprint) 2007
The Gesto collection of Highland music
Walker, Alexander
Alexander Walker Collection
reprint Paul Stewart Cranford 1991
Alburger, Mary Anne
Scottish Fiddlers and Their Music
London: Gollancz, 1983.
Highland Music Trust
Highland Collections
Inverness: Highland Music Trust, 2005
Aberdeen University Scott Skinner
Leburn, Alexander and Walker, James
Fiddle Music from Fife 1793-1799
Inverness: reprint, Highland Music Trust, 2006
MacDonald, Malcolm
A collection of Strathspey reels,etc
Isle of Skye: Taigh na Teud Music, 2002.
McDonald, Patrick
A collection of Highland vocal airs
Purser, John
Scotland's music
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