Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?

Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: Will Fly
Date: 08 Aug 18 - 09:08 AM

There are a lot of good, modern tunes - not just in Scotland - which follow the styles and formats of traditional tunes, and fit neatly into sessions and similar gatherings. Andy Cutting, Phil Cunningham, John Kirkpatrick and Chris Wood are examples of composers writing in the idiom.

Unlike all the squabblings about folk song, their tunes - and old and modern tunes from other countries (think Cape Breton, American old-time, etc.) can mesh seamlessly at sessions. If the tunes get the feet tapping and our spirits rising, we don't really give a toss about provenance.

Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 08 Aug 18 - 08:51 AM

Well I know I definitely typed "too"...

but any mysterious things can happen when previewing and editing in the mudcat typing box...

Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: GUEST,Jack Campin
Date: 08 Aug 18 - 08:17 AM

I don't see a problem with the term, and it does fit people like Phil Cunningham and Chris Stout.

It does NOT describe Eddi Reader, Karine Polwart or Franz Ferdinand. (Whether it applies to Blue Rose Code I have no idea - I'm so sick of seeing spammed adverts for them that I will never listen to anything they do if I can help it).

Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 08 Aug 18 - 08:03 AM

GUEST - in essence.. labeling music for any purpose, academic or marketing,
never ending mudcat disputes, or whatever else...

can ultimately end up just being complete pedantic bollocks...

see my name....


[it used to be punkfolkfunkdiscorocker until I started getting to fat to dance...]

Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: GUEST,Captain Swing
Date: 08 Aug 18 - 07:16 AM

I couldn't agree more Guest. A tradition must continue to evolve if it is to remain a tradition so in that sense it must be 'of the time' i.e. contemporary.

In the 70s we talked about contemporary folk. This usually meant singer/songwriters with guitars ranging from Paul Simon and Dylan to locals performing newly crafted songs, often love songs. It's interesting that for the most part (Dylan not included) those songs have remained as they are and have not evolved or have disappeared from view. On the other hand the trad songs we were sing have continued, changed, been presented in different formats etc. So the trad songs remain more contemporary than the ex-contemporary songs which, for the most part sound dated (Paul Simon not included).

Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: GUEST
Date: 08 Aug 18 - 06:21 AM

D'oh. Why should the terms contemporary and traditional cancel each other out? Tradition doesn't just mean old... traditions continue in the contemporary era.

Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 08 Aug 18 - 02:02 AM

I once had a blistering arguement with someone on the session.org message board who said he had composed several ' traditional tunes ' he failed to grasp the difference between contemporary and traditional, he seemed to think that composing in a traditional style made it traditional.

Dave H

Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: punkfolkrocker
Date: 07 Aug 18 - 10:48 PM

errrrmmm... wouldn't Contemporary and Traditional cancel each other out...???

..so it's just Scottish Music then....

Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: BobKnight
Date: 07 Aug 18 - 08:23 PM

I write new songs in Traditional style, or if you prefer, contemporary songs in traditional style. Thread title is a bit convoluted.

Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 07 Aug 18 - 12:35 PM

If that's what they're talking about, it's contemporary Scottish music - damn all traditional music in there that I'm aware of.

Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 07 Aug 18 - 12:07 PM

here's a Stout\McKay track

Bare Knuckle
https://youtu.be/IGByokenWlA

Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: FreddyHeadey
Date: 07 Aug 18 - 12:00 PM

A few folk artists featured in this year's *#SAYlonglist18* -
Chris Stout & Catriona McKay; Elephant Sessions; Karine Polwart & Pippa Murphy;
plus
Blue Rose Code whose album features several traditional musicians.

Great to see contemporary traditional Scottish music represented!



https://mobile.twitter.com/TMSAScotland/status/1026761933440131072?ref_src=twsrc




~~~~~~~~~~~~
" ... Boasting a lucrative £20,000 prize for the winner and nine runner up prizes of £1,000 each, the award celebrates, promotes and rewards the most outstanding Scottish albums released each year.

Albums of the Day
Everyday from Monday 6 August until Sunday 19 August we'll be sharing our Albums of the Day on social media using #SAYlonglist18"

On The Longlist

Best Girl Athlete
Best Girl Athlete

Blue Rose Code
The Water of Leith

Adam Holmes and The Embers
Midnight Milk

BABE
Kiss & Tell

Catholic Action
In Memory Of

Chris Stout and Catriona McKay
Bare Knuckle

Elephant Sessions
All We Have Is Now

Franz Ferdinand
Always Ascending

Golden Teacher
No Luscious Life

Happy Meals
Full Ashram Devotional Ceremony (Volumes IV - VI)

Karine Polwart with Pippa Murphy
A Pocket of Wind Resistance

Kobi Onyame
Gold

Martha Ffion
Sunday Best

Mogwai
Every Country's Sun

Neon Waltz
Strange Hymns

Out Lines
Conflats

Pronto Mama
Any Joy

Siobhan Wilson
There Are No Saints

The Spook School
Could It Be Different?

Young Fathers
Cocoa Sugar

https://www.sayaward.com

Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: Johnny J
Date: 07 Aug 18 - 11:41 AM

Phil Cunningham and many others compose new tunes in a traditional style or idiom.

Many others who may also be traditional players and musicians or have have a background in this music compose new music and partake in projects where the style of music is not remotely like this.

Nothing wrong with them doing this, of course, but a description such as "Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music" is too wide sweeping in my opinion and doesn't really tell us very much.

Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: GUEST,Captain Swing
Date: 07 Aug 18 - 11:25 AM

Considering how quickly tunes by the likes of Phil Cunningham have been subsumed into the repertoires of traditional players I can easily understand the term "Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music".

And of course, all tunes that are now traditional were once contemporary. What's the big deal?

Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: Johnny J
Date: 07 Aug 18 - 07:10 AM

Sorry, replying to Kenny there. Yes, Nigel, that's another possibility.

I'm not really "despairing", of course. Just my usual wee rant and I've also got a lot of respect for the TMSA(and SMG).

Basically, I'm just wondering if a term such as "Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music" is particularly helpful or useful.
I think not but, hopefully, we could discuss this?

Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: Johnny J
Date: 07 Aug 18 - 07:05 AM

That could well be what they mean or, perhaps, it might be traditional musicians playing in a contemporary style?

The better younger musicians are actually very versatile and capable of playing various styles of music.
As I say, I actually like a lot of the new music. However, I think it's important not to be too vague or misleading(However, well intentioned) when reporting or describing it to a wider public.
If I hadn't already been following the music myself for such a long time, I wouldn't be sure what to expect.

Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: Nigel Parsons
Date: 07 Aug 18 - 06:58 AM

Without seeing the whole of the tweet it's difficult to even confirm that there's anything there to despair about.
With a heading: "Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music" it could be about contemporary performers of traditional Scottish music.

Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: GUEST,kenny
Date: 07 Aug 18 - 06:54 AM

Could it not be "contemporary, but in a traditional style" ? Just askin'. It's a bit difficult to say any more without knowing what it was they were referring to.

Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: Johnny J
Date: 07 Aug 18 - 06:50 AM

To clarify my post, I'm not necessarily criticising the newer music. Some of it is really good.

However, it can only be one or the other.. i.e "traditional" or "contemporary".
The raison d'etre of the two organisations is basically the fostering and promotion of Traditional Scottish music. So I would have expected a better use of language here.

Subject: RE: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: Jim Carroll
Date: 07 Aug 18 - 06:34 AM

"I despair."
Me too
Jim Carroll

Subject: Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music?
From: Johnny J
Date: 07 Aug 18 - 06:32 AM

Just seen a tweet from the TMSA(Traditional Music and Song Assocation of Scotland) referring to something called

"Contemporary Traditional Scottish Music".

This was retweeted by The Scots Music Group.

Both of these organisations should really know better. I despair.
:-((                :-((