PART 1. The rift between vocal and written canntaireachd PART 2. The rationale behind a proposed colour scheme PART 3. Case study 1: Hiharin hiodreen – One of the Cragich (PS 36) Part 4 is a continuation of Case[…]
Category: Proposals
Using colour to convey musical pitches – Part 3
PART 1. The rift between vocal and written canntaireachd PART 2. The rationale behind a proposed colour scheme PART 3. Case study 1: Hiharin hiodreen – One of the Cragich (PS 36) This series is dedicated to the memory of Lt Cl[…]
Thoughts on Judging Traditional Settings
There seems to be a certain hesitation, a reticence expressed by some judges regarding their ability to judge settings with which they are not familiar. It is understandable: it seems common sense that if you[…]
Using colour to convey musical pitches – Part 2
In Part 1, I observed how the difference between sound waves and light waves has severed the vocal practice of canntaireachd from its written forms. In this part, I explain the rationale for a colour system that could heal the[…]
Using colour to convey musical pitches – Part 1
This series of posts seeks to elucidate canntaireachd, pibroch’s oldest tool for memorisation and musical understanding. In this part, I notice how the difference between sound waves and light waves has severed the vocal practice of canntaireachd from its written forms. I propose[…]
The world’s oldest tune and pipe
A couple of weeks ago, I was in Sweden piping at the opening of the Archaeomusica exhibition. Most of the pipes in my case were reproductions of archaeological finds. In 2008, a 40,000-year-old vulture bone with 5 finger holes was unearthed in Hohle[…]
Pibroch and poetry
The more I look into Gaelic poetry, the more convinced I become that this is the most valuable approach for anyone wanting to get inside the head of pibroch composers. It offers rich evidence of cultural context,[…]