Another Freeland Barbour tune:
What a beautiful start to my day! Thanks Christian!
Great to hear yet another Scottish tune, Christian. Freeland Barbour has composed many really lovely tunes. Your version here is very well delivered and as always your arrangement and recording are first rate. The white castle in your pictures is Blair Castle, ancestral home of the Duke of Atholl, head of the Clan Murray. The Duke has the right to maintain a private army, The Atholl Highlanders. This is the only private army in Britain. The castle ballroom was the venue for the annual Glenfiddich Fiddle Championship, probably the most prestigious traditional fiddle competition in Scotland with some of the world's best trad fiddlers being invited to compete, with Scotland and the USA always very well represented. It was sponsored throughout its existence by the William Grant Foundation, the makers of the famous and extremely palatable Glenfiddich Malt Whisky. I am fortunate enough to have been in the audience on several occasions. The Trust decided that it wanted to support Scottish music in different ways and unfortunately the event was held for the last time in October 2016, ending a run of 27 years. Seventeen of the previous champions were present to perform a really memorable afternoon of great traditional fiddling, a very fitting finale to an amazing event. The Piping Championship has continued.
Cool rendition as usual, with a good balance of tremolo and that sparkling little "ping" at the end. To complement John's mention of the Glendfiddich Championship, there is a video of Mari Black playing in the "antler room" (as I call it to myself) in Blair Castle. She has a nice channel with a monthly tune (and to be frank, with a disposition that could sell any tune to anyone).
Bertram said, "To complement John's mention of the Glenfiddich Championship, there is a video of Mari Black playing in the "antler room" (as I call it to myself) in Blair Castle. She has a nice channel with a monthly tune (and to be frank, with a disposition that could sell any tune to anyone)." I was lucky enough to see Mari perform there in the ballroom more than once. She was playing at that last performance of past winners back in 2016 as well and her quality of playing is very typical of the standard of the Glenfiddich Championship. And, as Bertram says, she has such a warm personality. That wall of stags' heads and antlers is a reminder that Atholl Estates is one of the great sporting estates in Scotland. Under those heads, in a place of honour on the left corner of that wall, is one of Niel Gow's fiddles on display in a glass case along with the famous portrait of Gow painted by Sir Henry Raeburn. His other known fiddle is owned privately by a family here in Scotland.
Thanks Frank, John and Bertram! Always interesting to read about Scottish castles
Nice tune, and a very pleasant warm sound from your recording!
