Simon Thoumire recently asked whether we knew anything about fiddler William Craig, his life and music. Like others we knew little but had been intrigued by him for some years. After a brief flurry of research we offer the following information as well as three of his pioneering tracks.
Author: raretunes
Figures for Scotch Quadrilles and more
Elgin melodeon player Fred Cameron recorded these figures for quadrilles and other tracks in 1910.
Two Famous Pipers
The great John MacDonald plays a fragment of the pibroch Lament for the Children and Pipe Major Forsyth plays “The King’s Piper”, plays The Flowers of the Forest and Mallorca.
An American sings Burns
Singer Earl Robinson paired his song that opens with the line “What is America to me?…” with Robert Burns’ A man’s a man for a’ that.
BBC Scottish Orchestra Strings play traditional music, 1937
Listed to the strings of the BBC Scottish Orchestra playing traditional dance music, arranged and conducted by Ian Whyte. More to follow later:
rareTunes at Ten
RareTunes is now 10 years old. We are still uploading tracks from our original system and have recently added fiddlers, singers, pipers and folk groups. Happy listening! Many, many more still to come!
Concertinas are Coming
Eight Scottish concertina players* and their music have been added to rareTunes. This is just the start as a new area dedicated to the instrument is in preparation. Watch this space!
*Alexander Prince, Walter Dale, Tommy Dale, George S. Morris, Jack Easy, Peter McCabe, Victor Smith and Jimmy Dickson.
1930s recordings of accordionist Davy Hutchison
Hear forgotten button accordionist Davy Hutchison here. With supporting biographical information and memoirs.
rareTube
We have now added video content of included performers served from our rareTunes and other’s youtube.com channels. As videos are added they will be announced via posts such as this. Click here.
rareTunes frae Fife : Douglas Robb sings of John Thomson
A precious recording of a song dedicated to footballer John Thomson, ‘The Laddie frae Cardenden’ recorded shortly after his tragic death in 1931. Click here.
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