The Flute in Scotland from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century,
Elizabeth C Ford; published by Peter Lang (2020)

Review by Gordon Turnbull

Until very recently in Scotland, when we thought of the flute in traditional music, we tended to immediately think of Irish musicians. This is beginning to change, but the truth is that the flute has been undergoing a revival in Scotland for less than 50 years, with most of the activity being since 2000.

Many of us, myself included, were drawn to the instrument largely through exposure to the flute in Irish traditional music, where it is long established. By studying these examples and applying what we have learned to Scottish traditional music through trial and error, it has been possible to begin to piece together something that might be understood as a Scottish flute. This was the origin of the FluteFling weekends — an attempt to understand and share as part of an ongoing process of revival.

But an ongoing mystery for many traditional flute players in Scotland who are part of the current revival is: to what extent was the instrument previously played? There have been hints in publications of repertoire found in many public archives, but they have been buried away. As Kenny Hadden noted, there must have been a market for flute arrangements of Scottish music in the past.

Discovering the origins

Just before the second FluteFling Scottish Flute Day in Edinburgh in 2015, Elizabeth Ford approached the organisers. A PhD student at the time, she was studying the early history of the flute in Scotland and gave a talk and performance for attendees, opening up a new world for many of us. Elizabeth returned the following year to participate in a notable concert and has remained in touch.

Following the completion of her landmark PhD, it has been published by Peter Lang as The Flute in Scotland from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century.

Dr. Elizabeth Ford giving a talk on flutes

It has to be said that Elizabeth Ford’s book is a welcome publication in the history of Scottish music and is a must-have for any serious student of the flute in Scotland. This is a well-researched fascinating read, full of engaging detail, fascinating diversions and leavened with disarming wit; dry it is not.

Importantly, Dr. Ford firmly dispels the long held myth that the flute was introduced to Scotland in 1725 and reveals instead that it was present in the 16th century and was part of a rich musical flourishing in Scotland throughout the 18th century and into the 1800s. Through detailed research, she examines and scotches many established assertions to piece together a rich and colourful picture of the Scottish flute world. What emerges is that the flute was confidently part of the contemporary musical landscape. A quote from Tobias Smollett of 1771 sets the scene: “The Scots are all musicians — Every man you meet plays on the flute, the violin, or the violoncello…”

Covering amateur and professional musicians of the period, evidence for women playing, composers and repertoire, traditional musicians, teachers and instrument makers, Elizabeth Ford delves deep into the archives to demonstrate that the flute was prevalent in the Lowlands, from Aberdeen to Glasgow, Edinburgh, the Lothians and Galloway. As yet, no direct evidence for the flute in the Gaelic archives has been uncovered, but it is to be hoped that the tantalising hints may be pursued in the future.

Gordon holds an ivory and silver flute claimed to have been once owned by Bonnie Prince Charlie. At an Edinburgh auction room 2015 (c) Gordon Turnbull

Much like elsewhere in Europe, the flute was largely a symbol of gentrification and grew in popularity alongside that of other instruments in tandem with the increasing wealth of the landed classes. Scotland underwent a period of rapid urbanisation, from 1750-1850 in particular, as Lowland farming was “Improved”, resulting in the displacement of many who had formerly worked the land.

Some of these displaced people went to work in towns and cities, while the wealth of landowners increased and merchants prospered with transatlantic trade such as sugar, tobacco and slaves. The Scottish Enlightenment, the Jacobite uprisings of 1715 and 1745 and the start of the notorious Highland Clearances also occurred during this turbulent period of rapid change in Scotland.

For more on this, the early chapters of Tom Devine’s The Scottish Nation: A Modern History perfectly complement Elizabeth Ford’s book.

Against these many changing strands of Scottish society, we learn from Dr. Ford’s book that the establishment of Musical Societies took place in Aberdeen and Edinburgh. Associated professionals were engaged to teach various instruments, including flute, and organise performances. The flute was also featured in Glasgow where the music teachers organised performances in the absence of a local society.

The Flute in Scotland from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century digs deeply into the archives and shines the light on many personalities and characters, from letters requesting new flutes to be purchased from London to a love message secreted into an instrument gifted to a female flute player. (And yes, women most certainly played the flute).

Flute players, composers, arrangers, teachers and makers

Dr. Ford offers us portraits of different amateur and professional musicians of the period, looks at the flute elements of the work of composers and arrangers, not just bigger names such as William McGibbon and James Oswald, but also Daniel Dow and the Italian influence of Barsanti and Urbani, who worked and resided in Edinburgh. Combined with private manuscript collections of flute players, a broad sweep of Scottish flute playing society is captured. The repertoire ranges from traditional music to newly composed sonatas in an Italian style, suggesting a healthy amateur scene and a wide range of ability.

William Nicholson’s flute

Flutes have always been expensive instruments and require some care, but it wasn’t just those with money and aspirations who played the flute. Information is scant, but much can be inferred. Lower class examples such as weaver poet Robert Tannahill (Paisley) and pedlar poet William Nicholson (Kirkudbright) suggest that there may have been another traditional and undocumented scene. I think that many of us can recognise this musical scene painted by Tannahill:

There is Rab, frae the south, with his fiddle and his flute;
I could sit list tae his strains still the starns fa out.
An we’re noddin, nid nid noddin,
We’re a noddin fu at e’en
— Robert Tannahill, The Five Frien’s

It is in this context that the music of Scotland began to be collected, organised and published, with the patronage of the landed classes, professionals, middle and merchant classes. The Flute in Scotland from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century describes the music societies of Edinburgh and Aberdeen, and the teachers of Glasgow who organised concerts, where flutes featured naturally alongside violin and harpsichord.

Dr Ford also provides us with a tantalising glimpse of flute makers active in Scotland: James Lily (no surviving flutes but active 1708), Urquhart (his one surviving example is the earliest Scottish flute and can be seen here, probably first name Alexander and active as a maker and writer 1726; he was the first translator of Hotteterre into English), John Mitchell Rose (of Rudall and Rose fame), Thomas McBean Glen (no examples, but listed as a maker of bagpipes and flutes 1833).

John Gunn was one of many new names to me and to my mind should be more widely celebrated as an influential teacher and author of flute theory books. The first to attempt a scientific description of tone production and method while discussing style and expression, he bridges the worlds between single keyed and 8-keyed instruments and surely stands alongside Hotteterre and Quantz in his contribution to the instrument. From a traditional musician’s point of view the discussion of the changes in ornament styles is of particular interest.

Once exposed, all of this activity reveals a compelling argument for the flute being rightfully part of Scottish musical heritage. The reason it has been long forgotten while other instruments and repertoires have been celebrated in Scotland remains an unanswered question. A crux seems to be the formulation of cultural symbols for Scotland in the 19th Century. Dr. Ford ponders on the associations of “German” flute (as the transverse flute was known) with the Hanovarians at a time when Jacobitism was being safely romanticised. That is an area for further study, but The Flute in Scotland from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century lays a welcome firm foundation for future investigations.

The Flute in Scotland from the Sixteenth to the Eighteenth Century by Elizabeth Ford, published by Peter Lang (2020) https://www.peterlang.com/view/title/69223