Development Scottish folk music

a detail highland wedding david allan, 1780

there evidence there flourishing culture of popular music in scotland in late middle ages. includes long list of songs given in complaynt of scotland (1549). many of poems of period songs, none has notation of music survived. melodies have survived separately in post-reformation publication of gude , godlie ballatis (1567), spiritual satires on popular songs, adapted , published brothers james, john , robert wedderburn. 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 @ tunes played.

the first clear reference use of highland bagpipes french history, mentions use @ battle of pinkie cleugh in 1547. george buchanan claimed had replaced trumpet on battlefield. period saw creation of ceòl mór (the great music) of bagpipe, reflected martial origins, battle-tunes, marches, gatherings, salutes , laments. highlands in 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 eighteen players in lewis alone. well-known musicians included fiddler pattie birnie (c. 1635–1721) , piper habbie simpson (1550–1620). tradition continued nineteenth century, major figures such fiddlers neil (1727–1807) , son nathaniel gow (1763–1831), who, along large number of anonymous musicians, composed hundreds of fiddle tunes , variations.

there evidence of ballads period. may date late medieval era , deal events , people can traced far thirteenth century, including sir patrick spens , thomas rhymer , there no evidence until eighteenth century. scottish ballads distinct, showing pre-christian influences in inclusion of supernatural elements such fairies in scottish ballad tam lin . remained oral tradition until increased interest in folk songs in eighteenth century led collectors such bishop thomas percy publish volumes of popular ballads.