January update

Posted on January 11, 2016 by Gordon

FluteFling weekly classes are taking a break still due to family circumstances. I am still interested in trying some one-off workshops locally at some point, but cannot say when they will be.

The third Scottish Flute Day will return in May is not affected. If you haven’t already done so, please sign up for the newsletter to be sure of not missing any announcements relating to that event or any others.

In the meantime, thank you for the good wishes and support and I hope to be out again making music with you all once more before too long.

Photo: Winter star (c) Gordon Turnbull

FluteFling Scottish flute day 2016

Posted on November 14, 2015 by Gordon

Plans are under way for the 3rd annual FluteFling Scottish Flute Day, following on from previous successes.

Update: Saturday 7th May is confirmed, at the same venue as last year, The Old Parish Church Halls, Bellfield Street, Portobello.

We’re very early in the planning stages but hope to make it part of Tradfest once again. The day is likely to follow the familiar format of multiple tutors with a chance to work with them all. More information will appear on the new dedicated page that will be updated as information becomes available.

Photo of Kenny Hadden teaching (c) Ros Gasson

Autumn term update

Posted on October 10, 2015 by Gordon

FluteFling classes are taking a break this term, but will aim to be back in the New Year.

In the mean time there is always the archive to explore or revisit and I am exploring other flute and whistle playing opportunities for the group. Please check back for any updates, sign up to the newsletter or drop me an email.

Photo: David Begg (flute) playing in Sandy Bell’s Monday night session, Edinburgh (c) Gordon Turnbull

The Johnstown Reel: an Edinburgh flute tune

Posted on June 15, 2015 by Gordon

A focus this term has been modern tunes by Edinburgh flute and whistle players. The Johnstown Reel is a fine slow reel by Rebecca Knorr and is often played in Edinburgh sessions.

Rebecca is an exceptional flute player and teacher, with a great line in pipe tunes. She created the traditional flute degree course for the Royal Conservertoire of Scotland in Glasgow and plays regularly with Islander Ceilidh Band.

The tune is named after Rebecca’s grandmother’s home town in Pennyslvania and in E Dorian and Bm, making for two unusual and contrasting wistful parts. This has been recorded by Rebecca with guitarist Tony McManus and with her band Calluna, while The Tannahill Weavers also recorded the tune. Here she is with Tony McManus, who she played alongside with fiddler Tim O’Leary in the 1990s:

There’s a little bit of discussion on The Session, with a good version uploaded by Kenny Hadden. I’ve recorded a slightly different version for the class that can be found on the Resources page.

A resonating flute tune: The Cameron Highlanders revisited

Posted on May 29, 2015 by Gordon

This week we revisited The Cameron Highlanders, a four-part tune originally by James Scott Skinner that changed a little when it went over to Ireland.

I have taught this two-part version a couple of times, but not recently (although I included it in last year’s resources). I may have heard this played by Irish band Stockton’s Wing originally, but it has changed and developed a bit since then.

A nice thing about the setting of the tune in D is that it focuses on D F and A and it is possible to emphasise the bottom D on the flute and really get it to resonate.

Getting that hard bottom D beloved of traditional flute players is a holy grail. For me, it’s the key to unlocking the sound of the whole flute. The entire relationship between you and your instrument can be expressed through this discovery and it is worth spending time working on it. I wrote up some notes on flute tone exploration with Amble Skuse in 2013 and further notes more recently.

Some other thoughts:

Australian flute maker Terry McGee
Paul Mulvaney’s flute essay covers this and other issues. This has been around a while but seems little known. I’m glad its still available.
(And here’s a link to a side-issue, spectral analysis of the Hard D on the uilleann pipes. Actually, it’s quite interesting. Really)

Some information on the tune from last year, with links to the recorded music on flute and whistle. More on James Scott Skinner here and here. The music in ABC format and as a PDF is on the Resources page for this year.

Image: Fronticepiece from the Miller o’ Hirn collection by James Scott Skinner, 1881; University of Glasgow Library.