The conundrum of the title refers to the problem of reconciling an authentic repertoire for those wishing to use replicas of the three early wire strung harps, with what little real evidence exists. Since as in any such exercise the... more
The conundrum of the title refers to the problem of reconciling an authentic repertoire for those wishing to use replicas of the three early wire strung harps, with what little real evidence exists. Since as in any such exercise the foundations of any evidence base needs to be solid; this critical analysis examines how firm that foundation, based mostly on a few interlinked modern published works, really is. This also includes a fresh evaluation of an apocryphal story from the harper Arthur O’Neill’s memoir noted down circa 1808, which formed part of that evidence, by expanding on the brief discussion in an addendum to the article Mapping the Clarsach in Scotland https://www.wirestrungharp.com/harps/harpers/mapping-clarsach/
Bardic Traditions: Cymru (Wales) Published in Harptime, Jun 2017, Issue No. 61, Vol. 16, pp 3-5. Early history of Cymru, prior to the arrival of the Romans, was for the most part an oral tradition. There are many legends of bards and... more
Bardic Traditions: Cymru (Wales)
Published in Harptime, Jun 2017, Issue No. 61, Vol. 16, pp 3-5. Early history of Cymru, prior to the arrival of the Romans, was for the most part an oral tradition. There are many legends of bards and their music, but none written down until after the arrival of Latin. Turning to archeology, there is evidence of people living in Wales well before the end of the last ice age, thousands of years ago. Is there evidence of an equally ancient bardic tradition? According to mythology and lore, the answer is yes. Is there any archeological evidence? This paper is a preliminary exploration.
Myth and Mist: The early history of the Harp in Scotland. Given at the 24th Edinburgh International Harp Festival. 5th April 2005. An exploration of the history of the Scottish harps viewed in their historical setting when the... more
Myth and Mist: The early history of the Harp in Scotland. Given at the 24th Edinburgh International Harp Festival. 5th April 2005.
An exploration of the history of the Scottish harps viewed in their historical setting when the geographical boundaries of 'Scotland' were considerably more elastic than today.
Identifying the wood of the surviving historical wire-strung harps of Ireland and Highland Scotland has long been an important goal of researchers and instrument-builders. In 1969, microscopic examination of the anatomical features of the... more
Identifying the wood of the surviving historical wire-strung harps of Ireland and Highland Scotland has long been an important goal of researchers and instrument-builders. In 1969, microscopic examination of the anatomical features of the wood of two of the earliest surviving harps of this type, the Queen Mary and Lamont of National Museums Scotland, identified all parts of both as European hornbeam (Carpinus betulus). Due to the importance of these two harps as early exemplars, this identification has had far-reaching implications for understanding the construction practices for this type of historical harp.
Questions about the identification of the woods of the Queen Mary and Lamont harps have prompted a re-evaluation. In this article, we discuss the observations and evidence that led to our decision to reidentify the wood of both harps, including the use of X-ray computed tomography to test the earlier identification of all wooden members as the same species.
A rigorous new identification has been undertaken that addresses the fragile state of the wood and the need to minimize the impact on these important musical artefacts by revising the sampling method and utilizing scanning electron microscopy as an alternative to conventional microscopic examination. The results of our work to date are presented, and the implications for these two harps and for other harps of this type are discussed.
Some articles exploring the background to the collection of pipe music known as the Campbell Canntaireachd published in the Piping Times Vol 58. No. 1 (October 2005), Vol 58. No. 2 (November 2005), Vol 58. No. 10 (July 2006) and Vol 67.... more
Some articles exploring the background to the collection of pipe music known as the Campbell Canntaireachd published in the Piping Times Vol 58. No. 1 (October 2005), Vol 58. No. 2 (November 2005), Vol 58. No. 10 (July 2006) and Vol 67. No. 1 (October 2014).
Ranald MacAllan Og, of the MacDonalds of Morar has been the subject of numerous traditional tales but with few hard facts. Indeed that the traditional tales mostly have a supernatural element should arouse the suspicion that they are,... more
Ranald MacAllan Og, of the MacDonalds of Morar has been the subject of numerous traditional tales but with few hard facts. Indeed that the traditional tales mostly have a supernatural element should arouse the suspicion that they are, like many of the even earlier folk tales of fairies and changelings, a method of dealing with the less pleasant realities of life. A subject which has been well covered by Ronald Black in his introduction to 'The Gaelic Otherworld' in his new edition of Gregorson Campbell's Superstitions of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. Therefore in the absence of solid evidence this author and others have mainly relied on just one main source, the three volume 'The Clan Donald' published by the two Ministers, the Reverends MacDonald and MacDonald between 1896 and 1904, where they state that, Ranald of Cross. He had a great reputation as a piper, and was also reckoned a good performer on the harp and violin. It was on this basis that Ranald MacAllan Og was included as a harper in the book 'Tree of Strings', published in 1992. The research has however continued since then and it has become clear that this simple statement presents a number of problems when set against the evidence now to hand. Ranald MacAllan Og was certainly a piper but the claim that he was 'of Cross' and was also a harper and violer seems to be the result of some enthusiastic embellishment by the two Victorian Ministers with no such claims appearing prior to their publication. Indeed it has some similarity to some other erronious additions to piping history, also down to an over enthusiastic clerical historian when in 1840 the Reverend Doctor Norman MacLeod published a number of unsubstantiated claims about the MacCrimmon family of pipers including the myth that they originated in Italy in the town of Cremona.
The Lamont and Queen Mary harps of National Museums Scotland are two of the oldest surviving examples of the harp of Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland. Growing interest in these iconic instruments has led to a need for new research... more
The Lamont and Queen Mary harps of National Museums Scotland are two of the oldest surviving examples of the harp of Ireland and the Highlands of Scotland. Growing interest in these iconic instruments has led to a need for new research into their materials and construction. With recent advances in imaging and analytical tools, these instruments can now be examined and understood to a much greater degree than previously possible. With this in mind, the authors have undertaken a research project to study the Lamont and Queen Mary harps. Each harp underwent CT-scanning, and a visual and photographic survey, with x-ray fluorescence and scanning electron microscopy – energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy of selected areas of interest. The CT scanning was conducted at the Clinical Research Imaging Centre of Queen’s Medical Research Institute, and the survey and laboratory analysis were conducted at the National Museums Scotland Collection Centre. This paper presents the initial findings of this project. The interior construction of the harps, hidden internal damage and repairs, pattern of the wood grain, and current state of the wood are discussed. Results of the visual and photographic survey and analysis of the composition of pigments and metal parts are also presented and discussed in the context of the findings from the CT scans. Additionally, contour maps of the soundboard thickness generated from the CT scanning data for each harp are presented.
A new look at the historical background to the origins of the instrument now known as the Lamont Harp and the connections to the Robertson Family of Lude in an attempt to reconcile the physical instrument to the contemporary evidence... more
A new look at the historical background to the origins of the instrument now known as the Lamont Harp and the connections to the Robertson Family of Lude in an attempt to reconcile the physical instrument to the contemporary evidence surrounding Lude and it's owners. Due to multiple footnotes the version with 'active numbering' may be easier to read. http://www.wirestrungharp.com/harps/historic/lamont_harp_history.html
En un CD de arpa tuyera publicado por la Maison de Musiques du Monde en 2007 publicado por Michel Plisson, aparece una pieza instrumental llamada "Fandanguillo", interpretada por el arpista Arturo García. Dado su interés musicológico, se... more
En un CD de arpa tuyera publicado por la Maison de Musiques du Monde en 2007 publicado por Michel Plisson, aparece una pieza instrumental llamada "Fandanguillo", interpretada por el arpista Arturo García. Dado su interés musicológico, se ofrece aquí una transcripción.
This is the abstract and table of contents of my PhD dissertation, "The Organology of the Queen Mary and Lamont Harps," an in-depth study of the construction and craftsmanship of two ca. 15th-century harps. The complete dissertation is... more
This is the abstract and table of contents of my PhD dissertation, "The Organology of the Queen Mary and Lamont Harps," an in-depth study of the construction and craftsmanship of two ca. 15th-century harps. The complete dissertation is available for download from the University of Edinburgh Research Archive at https://www.era.lib.ed.ac.uk/handle/1842/19551.
The Irish Piper James McDonnell was widely traveled and was a source of several tunes collected by Edward Bunting. He had a reputation as a somewhat irascible character which was certainly justified if this account of some legal problems... more
The Irish Piper James McDonnell was widely traveled and was a source of several tunes collected by Edward Bunting. He had a reputation as a somewhat irascible character which was certainly justified if this account of some legal problems he got into while on a circuit of Scotland was typical. Published in An Piobaire Vol 4. No. 37 (September 2006). He along with several other Irish Pipers performed for the Highland Society of London and an example of his signature is reproduced in 'The Highland Society of London Meetings' published in An Piobaire Vol 7. No 4 (September 2011)
MacLean Harpers, some loose ends in West Highland Notes & Queries. Series 3. No. 15 (October 2010). Further details of previous research including evidence that the son of Murdoch MacDonald the harper to MacLean of Coll continued playing... more
MacLean Harpers, some loose ends in West Highland Notes & Queries. Series 3. No. 15 (October 2010). Further details of previous research including evidence that the son of Murdoch MacDonald the harper to MacLean of Coll continued playing the harp after his fathers death.
First published in Notes & Queries of the Society of West Highland and Island Historical Research. (Feb 1987). This updated and expanded version now including a full transcript of the harper's 1694 Testament Inventory of one of the... more
First published in Notes & Queries of the Society of West Highland and Island Historical Research. (Feb 1987). This updated and expanded version now including a full transcript of the harper's 1694 Testament Inventory of one of the wealthiest harpers of his generation. Now published online at www.wirestrungharp.com/harps/harpers/duncan_mac-in-deor.html
