Newsletter - Summer, 2008

Over 2,000 hits at www.scotianmusic.com and counting!!!!

Welcome everyone! This is the first newsletter for Scotianmusic, so we're very excited! For those of you who have been following our first year's progress, you will be very excited by the successful response that we have been receiving from musicians and customers alike. It has been a wonderful, busy, and sometimes terrifying foray into the world of business, but I wouldn't change a second of it for the world! So, without further ado, let's see what we we've got!

First, a little history...

The actual origins of the bagpipes are unclear, but the instrument probably originated in the Middle East or Central Asia, with their use going back thousands of years. The earliest recorded reference to the pipes is by Aristophanes in 400 BC, when the Athenian poet mocked the Athenians' archenemies the Thebans by saying that they blew 'pipes made of dog-skin and chanters made of bone'!

A few hundred years later the Roman scholar Suetonius records that the Emperor Nero played a tibia utricularis – an instrument similar to the bagpipes – and coins depicting Nero playing a bagpipe-style instrument have been found in archaeological digs. Perhaps Nero wasn't famously 'fiddling while Rome burnt' after all, but was busily playing the bagpipes! Indeed, it was very likely to have been the Romans who introduced the bagpipes to the British Isles: statuettes of figures playing the pipes have also been discovered at Roman excavation sites.

The Scots seem to have taken to the pipes somewhere around the 12th Century, when the instrument enjoyed an explosion in popularity. Being portable and capable of producing high volume, the bagpipes became part of the 'travelling minstrel' tradition, acting as a means of carrying news, gossip and music around the country. By 1314 Robert the Bruce's army was marching to Bannockburn to the strains of the pipes playing 'Hey tutti tatti', the same melody that centuries later would be used by another Robert when Burns adopted it for 'Scots Wha Ha'.

During the 16th century, pipers began to replace harpers as the chief Celtic musicians of the Highlands and in 1760 Joseph MacDonald's 'Complete Theory' appeared; the first book to seriously study the Highland Bagpipes and their music. However, around the same time, western classical music began to develop in sophistication and technology and soon the pipes began to fall into a decline in popularity that would continue until the late nineteenth century.

Until now... when the pipes are being played more and more often at ceremonies such as weddings, funerals, conferences, conventions and parades. This is where Scotianmusic.com can help. With our ever-growing list of performers from all across the province, we can meet your every need with qualified, reliable performers, ready for your call!

Some interesting business history...

Scotianmusic.com is the only Celtic music booking agency to cover an entire province! Others have localized services; we have the entire province covered, allowing the customer the advantage of a unified pricing system! Whatever your needs, we probably have a trained performer in your area, or close by. We also offer the only 1-800 musical booking service in the area! All this available through 1-877-45PIPER, or online at www.scotianmusic.com !!

 Caledonian Orchestra brings Scottish music to The Osprey
Saturday, November 1

Since 1993 the Caledonian Scottish Fiddle Orchestra has been charming audiences in Nova Scotia and beyond. Backed by non-profit society, the group is dedicated to the promotion of traditional Scottish music. They bring their distinctive sound to Shelburne at The Osprey, Saturday, November 1.
     According to John Sutherland with The Scots: The British North America Society, they are the only group in Canada playing the true Scottish fiddle orchestra sound.  Writing recently in The Scots Magazine, reviewer Alasdair Maclean said that, when enjoying the Orchestra, “… listeners will believe they are in a village hall somewhere between Perth and Stonaway.”
     The Orchestra has a sound distinctive to the culture of Scotland , following the musical compositions and style of William Marshall, Neil Gow, Scott Skinner and other composers of this time. The harmonies, timing and tempo all reflect a style of music, unique to a country where history was determined not only by events, but through a developed awareness of dance and song.
     They began playing together in the fall of 1993 in New Glasgow under the guidance of Peter Dunn, founder and first music director. The basis for all of the members was a mutual love of Scottish music and the fun and challenge of playing as a group. As they rehearsed and discussed what would be their primary goals as a group, some themes emerged.
     They wanted very much to represent Scottish heritage by developing a "classical" Scottish orchestra and to establish a unique and identifiable manner of performance. Getting adults and youngsters involved was also a priority, as was engaging the participation of like-minded organizations within local and more distant communities. Their first gig was in April of 1994 for the Maritime MacLauchlan Society.
     "Scottish music is unique and strives to capture the essence of its people and culture," says local promoter and Celtic musician, Pat Melanson. "Lively marches, strathspeys, reels, laments and waltzes are the origins of this band's repertoire." The Orchestra is large, with sixteen violins, four flutes, one cello, one drummer, two violas, four accordions and one keyboardist. Instruments such as the accordions and flutes help to establish and promote the true, "Scottish Fiddle Orchestra" sound. Nelson Ferguson, the conductor, gives a running commentary in a humorous way which amuses most of the audience, while educating them about the history and significance of the music.
     Ferguson 's career has included stints in the marine industry, as a university professor of mechanical engineering and several professional leadership roles in that field. He began playing music early, at dances in Pictou County . He studied the violin at the Halifax Conservatory of Music and with several well-known violin teachers. For many years, he played tenor banjo in the Dixietech Seven, touring throughout the Atlantic Provinces and Upper Canada , with guest appearances on several national television shows. During a stay there, he became a life member of the Glasgow Caledonian Orchestra. In addition to serving as musical director of the Caledonian Orchestra, he performs with the Celtic Fair trio, the Cranston Trio, and the Halifax Baroque Ensemble.

The November 1, 8:00pm  show at The Osprey is presented by Scotian Music, The Pipers Guild and Pat Melanson. Tickets are $15 and are available at The Whirligig Book Shop or by calling 875-1117.