Folk music Music of Scotland

a detail highland wedding david allan, 1780

there evidence there flourishing culture of popular music in scotland during late middle ages, song melody survive period pleugh song . after reformation, secular popular tradition of music continued, despite attempts kirk, particularly in lowlands, suppress dancing , events penny weddings. period saw creation of ceòl mór (the great music) of bagpipe, reflected martial origins, battle-tunes, marches, gatherings, salutes , laments. highlands seventeenth century saw development of piping families including maccrimmonds, macarthurs, macgregors , mackays of gairloch. there evidence of adoption of fiddle in highlands martin martin noting in description of western isles of scotland (1703) knew of 18 players in lewis alone. well-known musicians included fiddler pattie birnie , piper habbie simpson. tradition continued nineteenth century, major figures such fiddlers neil , son nathaniel gow. there evidence of ballads period. may date late medieval era , deal events , people can traced far thirteenth century. remained oral tradition until collected folk songs in eighteenth century.

the earliest printed collection of secular music comes seventeenth century. collection began gain momentum in eighteenth century and, kirk s opposition music waned, there flood of publications including allan ramsay s verse compendium tea table miscellany (1723) , scots musical museum (1787 1803) james johnson , robert burns. late nineteenth century there renewed interest in traditional music, more academic , political in intent. in scotland collectors included reverend james duncan , gavin greig. major performers included james scott skinner. revival began have major impact on classical music, development of in effect national school of orchestral , operatic music in scotland, composers such included alexander mackenzie, william wallace, learmont drysdale, hamish maccunn , john mcewen.

after world war ii traditional music in scotland marginalised, remained living tradition. marginal status changed individuals including alan lomax, hamish henderson , peter kennedy, through collecting, publications, recordings , radio programmes. acts popularised included john strachan, jimmy macbeath, jeannie robertson , flora macneil. in 1960s there flourishing folk club culture , ewan maccoll emerged leading figure in revival in britain. hosted traditional performers, including donald higgins , stewarts of blairgowrie, beside english performers , new scottish revivalists such robin hall, jimmie macgregor, corries , ian campbell folk group. there strand of popular scottish music benefited arrival of radio , television, relied on images of scottishness derived tartanry , stereotypes employed in music hall , variety. exemplified tv programme white heather club ran 1958 1967, hosted andy stewart , starring moira anderson , kenneth mckeller.

the fusing of various styles of american music british folk created distinctive form of fingerstyle guitar playing known folk baroque, pioneered figures including davy graham , bert jansch. others totally abandoned traditional element including donovan , incredible string band, have been seen developing psychedelic folk. acoustic groups continued interpret traditional material through 1970s included tannahill weavers, ossian, silly wizard, boys of lough, battlefield band, clutha , whistlebinkies.

celtic rock developed variant of electric folk scottish groups including jsd band , spencer s feat.

five hand reel, combined irish , scottish personnel, emerged successful exponents of style. late 1970s attendance at, , numbers of, folk clubs began decrease, new musical , social trends began dominate. however, in scotland circuit of ceilidhs , festivals helped prop traditional music. 2 of successful groups of 1980s emerged dance band circuit runrig , capercaillie. by-product of celtic diaspora existence of large communities across world looked cultural roots , identity origins in celtic nations. includes scottish bands 7 nations, prydein , flatfoot 56. canada bands such enter haggis, great big sea, real mckenzies , spirit of west.