This document outlines a series of 6 lectures on Scottish musical history given by Dr. Karen McAulay. The lectures will cover various topics throughout Scottish musical development such as Celtic music, 18th and 19th century Scottish music, and the Celtic Twilight movement. The document also provides some context on Dr. McAulay's own background and research interests in late 18th/19th century Scottish music.

1. Scottish Musical History
6 Lectures by
Dr Karen McAulay

2. 6 lectures on Scottish music:
• Today 7/3 Looking at research in Celtic music
• 14/3 Overview of Celtic music
• 21/3 18th Century Scottish music
• 28/3 19th Century Scottish music
• 18/4 Reading between the lines:
interpreting compilers' intentions
• 25/4 Celtic Twilight and 20th Century
Revival
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3. General ‘stuff’
• Choice of 2 essays, set by Dr Argondizza & myself.
• Reading list – modern texts, old sources. Dip into
both.
• Celtic – or Scottish? Sometimes I’ll refer to Celtic
music – that’s so I can draw in Irish and Welsh
where I feel it’s appropriate.
• My research: late 18th/19th century Scottish music
• Me: musicologist; music librarian; in RCS - a place
focusing on performance. These circumstances
inevitably affect my approach!
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4. Research in Celtic Music
An Introduction
Dr Karen McAulay

5. The beginning of a research journey
• The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (The
librarian, the line-manager and the cupboard)
• Alice in Wonderland’s cake (“Eat me”)
• Rudyard Kipling’s questions:-
• “I keep six honest serving-men
(They taught me all I knew);
Their names are What and Why and When
And How and Where and Who.”
• - No wonder journalists are taught the rhyme!
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6. What - Why – When - How – Where - Who
James Simpson’s signature
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7. What - Why – When - How – Where - Who
James Simpson’s Dalfield Walk address
(Book 1)
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8. What - Why – When - How – Where - Who
James Simpson’s Myrekirk address
(Book 3)
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9. What - Why – When - How – Where - Who
James Simpson’s flute chart
(back of Book 1)
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10. What - Why – When - How – Where - Who
What kind of music? Flute ensemble
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11. What - Why – When - How – Where - Who
Psalm tune (by a local precentor)
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12. What - Why – When - How – Where - Who
Anthem/choral item from
a published collection
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13. Six Questions
• What
• Why
• When
• How
• Where
• Who
• Three weeks’ study leave … the deal …
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14. Aims
• Find answers to some of the questions
• Publish findings appropriate places
• Presentation to BA (Scottish Music) students
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15. Realities of research
• Libraries: Glasgow, Dundee, Perth, British Library
• Archives &c: Dundee Archives & Registrar
• People: Charlie Gore (The Scottish Fiddle Music
Index); Peter Harrison (Concert Royal); Myrekirk’s
owner
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16. That was Myrekirk house –
These are Myrekirk Cottages!
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17. Outcomes (1)
• Six answers (briefly!)
• What
• Why
• When
• How
• Where
• Who
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18. Outcomes(2)
• Box and Fiddle article (Oct 2002)
• The Scots Magazine (Nov 2002)
• Brio Vol.40 no.1 (Spring/Summer 2003)
• RMA Chronicle Vol.38 (2005)
• Not to mention The James Simpson Show (Feb
2003)
• And …
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19. One thing led to another
• My doctoral research
• Q: Where are the research centres? (and it’s
not just in universities – private
researchers, too.)
• Q: How do research findings get
disseminated?
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20. WARNING! Research as varied as the
people doing it!
• Q: Big question: Mine is historical research –
but what other kinds of research might be
conducted into Scottish music?
• Some examples …
• Q: Even bigger question: What is Scottish
music?
• Discuss …!
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21. Interdisciplinarity
• Which means, precisely?
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22. Examples of interdisciplinarity
• Musicology combined with ethnomusicology (eg Edinburgh –
School of Scottish Studies, now Department of Celtic and Scottish
Studies http://www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/literatures-
languages-cultures/celtic-scottish-studies
• Musicology combined with literature – eg Dr Kirsteen McCue’s work
(Scottish literature and music) in University of Glasgow’s School of
Critical Studies
http://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/critical/staff/kirsteenmccue/
• University of Edinburgh’s Centre for the History of the Book
http://www.hss.ed.ac.uk/chb/
• Aberdeen’s Elphinstone Institute – postgrad research in folklore,
ethnology, anthropology
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate-
research.php?code=elph_int
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23. Resources
• Historical sources: musical and non-musical
• Modern resources: books, journals, databases
(general and musical)
• Question: What have I used?
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24. Resources
• Answer: depending on what you’re researching, you
could use a very wide range of resources!
• Music (for my research) EASMES database; Wighton
Database, RILM abstracts and indices. Some people
rely heavily on RISM, too. Digitised journals eg JSTOR
• General (for my research) ECCO; others covering other
periods or subjects eg EEBO
• What if a resource goes ‘down the plughole’?!
• General principles of research – being able to back up
statements, cite references, summarise existing
research, explain and defend your own position.
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25. Back to the James Simpson MSS
• Take a look
• (Does anyone play the flute? Lead a church
choir?)
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26. Some interesting links
• Flautist Peter Harrison’s Concert Royal – 18th century
performance practice http://www.classical-
artists.com/concertroyal/
• Peter Harrison and his present research project
http://www2.hull.ac.uk/scarborough/campus-
departments/sse/staff/peter-harrison.aspx
• Dundee – Wighton Heritage Centre at Dundee Central
Library
http://www.dundeecity.gov.uk/wighton/heritage.htm
• EASMES (Early American Secular Music and its
European Sources, 1589-1839)
http://www.colonialdancing.org/Easmes/Index.htm
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27. Summary
• Research into Scottish music:-
• Historical
• Interdisciplinary
• Modern
• Resources
• Research dissemination
• The biggest question: what is Scottish music?!
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28. Next week
• Overview of Celtic music
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