Following the article of a couple of weeks back, we asked Breton piper Patrick Molard how he came to have such excellent recordings of Bob Nicol, Balmoral, playing light music.
Patrick responded promptly and, we are delighted to say, also supplied us with several other recordings from his archive. Thank you Patrick!
He wrote: It is such a long time ago (51 years!) that it is difficult for me to remember exactly who gave me this tape of Bob Nicol playing light music.
I got tuition in ceòl mòr from Bob Brown when I was a French assistant teacher at Aberdeen’s Rubislaw Academy from August 1971 till March 1972.
This was just before Bob left for his fateful trip to Australia and New Zealand, and unfortunately I was not to see him again as he died after coming back from his tour as you all know.
So I went to see Bob Nicol and I received tuition again from April to the end of June 1972, mainly ceòl mòr, but he also taught me a few old jigs which he liked.
One of his pupils from that time gave me a copy of the tape with Bob [Nicol] playing different MSR settings but I don’t know when and where it was recorded unfortunately.
Maybe Jack Taylor, Ian Duncan or Bill Wotherspoon will know, or Duncan Watson also, as I was often in contact with them at the time.
I also remember that I took part in the foundation of the Aberdeen Piping Society with Norman Matheson at the same period. Not very much but here are the recordings to enjoy.
Firstly we have this very attractive competition reel which is unnamed. Has anyone ever heard it before? Does anyone know its name or composer?:
Now MacBeth’s Strathspey and Pretty Marion, the tune we heard in the first article:
Lastly we have Tulloch Gorm and John MacKechnie, the latter fades out on the repeat:
Can you post the link to the previous article please? I cannot find it…
It is Editor’s Notebook: The Games/ Major Small/ Pretty Marion/ Festival Pix/ Book Help