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The Cello, Abby Newton, and Scottish Music
Today the cello is usually considered a classical instrument, but from the the late 17th to early 19th centuries it was used in folk ensembles to provide low, driving rhythms for dance tunes and to render haunting Scottish airs. In those days, "folk" and "classical" musics were often performed by the same musicians. Instrumentation was shared too, with violin and cello figuring prominently in both contexts. Many indigenous Scottish tunes were given formal arrangements by the great composers of the period. Haydn, Beethoven, and Mendelssohn all composed settings for traditional Scottish music. James Oswald, a prominant Scottish composer of the 18th century, integrated his musical activities by composing Italianate settings for folk tunes and also composing tunes in a rustic style that were later assimilated as folk tunes into popular usage.
By the middle of the nineteenth century the division between "high" and "low music" began to be more sharply drawn. The fiddle remained a mainstay in folk music, but the cello was supplanted by other instruments like the piano and (later) the guitar.
As part of the folk music revival of the past 40 years there has been a movement to restore the unique richness of the cello to traditional music. Abby has been on the forefront of that movement since 1973 when she began two seminal musical associations. First, she joined Jay Ungar, Lyn Hardy, and John Cohen in the Putnam String County Band. Although classically trained, she adapted her playing to their arrangements of traditional American music and they toured extensively for several years. Putnam String County Band played concerts in a broad range of venues from small coffee houses to large summer festivals. They are still remembered fondly by folk enthusiasts.
She also met Jean Redpath in 1973. Jean was looking for a cellist to accompany her on her first U.S. release. This began a musical relationship that has spanned 15 albums and more than two decades.
Abby's deep involvement with the music of Scotland began with and was nurtured by Jean Redpath. It was with Jean that Abby first visited Scotland in 1978. The warmth of the people and the melancholy beauty of the Scottish landscape moved her. On that tour she met Tom Anderson, the legendary teacher and champion of Shetland fiddle music. Tom, Jean, and Abby performed a concert at Blair Castle together that Abby recalls as one of the most inspiring musical experiences of her career.
Since then, Abby has visited Scotland many times and has performed both there and in the U.S. with many prominant Scottish musicians including Aly Bain, Mairi Campbell, and Alasdair Fraser. Alasdair, in particular, enhanced Abby's understanding of Scottish music and was a major force in the creation of Crossing to Scotland.
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