The Fiddle in Scottish Culture

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The fiddle tradition in Scotland is rich and multi-faceted. This book explores the functions and place of the fiddle in society, using a variety of relatively untapped sources such as poetry by little-known writers, newspaper accounts, oral legends and works of art, a number of which are included as illustrations. The book takes as its starting point the introduction of the modern instrument in the latter part of the seventeenth century, examining fiddling at fairs and in processions, blind fiddlers and the lost art of singing while playing. The role of the fiddler at weddings and dances is also discussed, as are legends about fiddlers and the trows or fairy people of Scotland. Music for fifty tunes is included in the book, a number of which have been culled from historical or archival sources, and are rarely found in the repertoire of present-day musicians.

Katherine Campbell is a lecturer in ethnomusicology at the School of Celtic and Scottish Studies, University of Edinburgh. She is General Editor of the Scottish Tradition series, School of Scottish Studies Archives, University of Edinburgh, and is author of a number of publications including Traditional Scottish Songs and Music  (with Ewan McVicar), The Greig-Duncan Folk Song Collection (with Patrick Shuldham-Shaw and Emily Lyle) and The Songs of Amelia and Jane Harris.