The Cultural History of Musical Instruments in Scotland: 1700 to the Present Day

Description

What can a bagpipe, a fiddle or a harpsichord tell us about national culture and identity? Each country has a different story to tell, and Scotland's story has not yet been told. This book traces the cultural and social history of musical instruments in Scotland. Each chapter focuses on a different instrument, discussing its appearance in literature and art, its presence or rendition in music, and its organological development. There are clear links with the historical, socio-cultural, political, even religious milieux of the nation, as the book addresses such questions as 'Why was bagpipe music considered anti-Christian?' 'Why were genteel ladies for centuries not depicted playing the flute?' and 'What is the BBC's role in promoting Scottish fiddle music?' This book is the first authoritative source to provide a deep understanding of the cultural history of instruments which have had, and often still have, great societal impact in Scotland. It will interest a wide readership - from enthusiasts of Scottish music to cultural historians, from art specialists to music collectors, from curators to university lecturers.

Vivien E. Williams studied foreign languages and literatures at the University of Bari, Italy, and gained a PhD from the University of Glasgow. She was awarded the Daiches-Manning Fellowship and the Grete Sondheimer Fellowship. An avid reader, and a bagpipe enthusiast since her teenage years, she currently works as a researcher and translator. She has won several national and international prizes for prose and poetry. Hugh Cheape gained a PhD from the University of Edinburgh on the musicology and organology of the bagpipe in Scotland and Europe. He is currently a Senior Lecturer and Research Professor at the University of the Highlands & Islands. He is also Vice-President of the National Trust for Scotland, a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London, Fellow of the Royal Scottish Geographical Society, and an Honorary Member of the Saltire Society.