Page 41 - Robin Stuart, Salmon Farmer

ISSUE : Issue 41

Published by Ronald Caplan on 1986/1/1

A NEW TAPE OFFER! Cape Breton Fiddlers on Early LPs In the 1950s and '60s a number of Cape Breton fiddlers went into studios to make long-playing records of their music. Many of these records are no longer in circula? tion. But the music is often of very good quality. To make some of this music avail? able to our readers, and to encourage the record companies to release the entire al? bums once again. Cape Breton's Magazine has arranged with Holborne Records (owners of the rights to some of this music) to produce a tape of selections from these early LPs. We have produced a tape called "Cape Bret? on Fiddlers on Early LPs." It includes Dan R. MacDonald, Johnny Wilmot, Donald MacLel? lan, Dan Joe Maclnnis, and the MacLellan Trio. There are 20 separate medleys on the tape. Except for three selections, these are not dubs from the old records. Instead, this tape has been made from the original studio masters. The sound quality, there? fore, ranges from good to very-good. The tape is available only as a cassette, and only by mail from Cape Breton's Maga? zine. It will not be for sale in stores. See the end of this article for a complete list of the tunes on "Cape Breton Fiddier?? on Early LPs," and for information on how to order the tape. Here is music Paul Cranford has notated from several tunes on the tape. Once again, Paul wants to point out that while each tune is based on the one fiddler's playing, the notation is not exactly as played and the variations are sometimes from other Cape Breton players. Also, writing out the music has the same dangers as recordings have--the learner sometimes thinks this is the "right way" to play the tune. This is not at all the intention. Rather, the cas? sette and the written music are offered first for pleasure, second as encourage? ment to musicians to continue the tradi? tion and to take risks, create their own vaiations, dare to play from the heart. If recordings and notation were to stifle in? dividual expression, they would not be the aid to the music they are intended to be. Wee Davie This is an ancient pipe reel that first appeared in Neil Stewart's 1761 collection under the title "The Mil? ler's Daughter." Dan Joe Maclnnis plays it as an ABCB format. The D part that we're giving here is inspired by the B part of Neil Stewart's arrangement. Home Of the PEERLESS ?'yi?

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