As I have been practicing the Fairy Queen for tomorrow’s concert, and I have the Downhill harp here this week, I thought I would do a quick Youtube of it as a record of where I am at the moment.
Author: Simon Chadwick
An cruit bheag ‘s an cruit mhor
Practicing for my Carolan concert this coming Thursday lunchtime, I have got the Downhill harp back from my student who usually has it and I was reminded of how I often talk about the importance of using an appropriate instrument for different repertory. Continue reading An cruit bheag ‘s an cruit mhor
Carolan’s Concerto
I am preparing for my Carolan concert in a couple of weeks time, and today I made up the posters ready to be put around town.
Playing a fiddle tune
At today’s concert in All Saints Church Hall, I played Cumha Raonuill Mhic Ailein Òig on the fiddle, as part of my new programme “The contest betwixt fiddle & harp”. I was very nervous to present the fiddle in public but it seemed to go down very well.
Music and Mathematics
On Wednesday I attended an interesting panel discussion, part of a series “In Numbers”, “on the ways in which mathematics interacts with the humanities”.
MacNeil of Barra’s March
I am going to play the replica Queen Mary harp in Kisimul Castle on Barra in the Autumn, and so I thought I should get a MacNeil of Barra tune up and running. I am finding it a great challenge to get MacNeil of Barra’s March working on the harp.
Wighton centre, Dundee
Here’s a photo of me taken at today’s Lament for the Union concert at the Wighton Centre in Dundee.
Bowed-harp workshop
Yesterday I was in Edinburgh to present my “bowed lyre workshop” at the Northern Streams festival.
Modes
In discussion with Siobhán Armstrong the other day, she challenged me to set out my ideas on how we can use modes to categorise or understand the old Gaelic harp music. Here is the scheme that I think I have been gradually bringing together for a while.
Uamh an Òir
On a whim, I went to the cave, and recorded a video of the pìobaireachd, Uamh an Òir (the Cave of Gold). Continue reading Uamh an Òir