Customer Reviews

Scottish Reflections

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Although this DVD collection is entitled `Scottish Reflections' the music included consists of early Scotch, English, and Irish folk tunes. All of the tunes appear to have been included in earlier DVD collections by Rideout. Gathered together, they form a haunting tribute to lost loved ones and past times.

Many of the pieces are viscerally connected to the early 19th Century when the British were battling Napoleon. Pieces such as `The Source of Spey' and `Periwig were dance tunes published in the Captain Simon Fraser Collection of 1815. `Lamentation for the Fallen Heroes at Waterloo' provides a haunting retrospective of the definitive battle. It takes little imagination to visualize sailors dancing to fiddle tunes such as `Itchy Fingers' or `Highland Laddie' (accompanied by a penny whistle), or soldiers sitting around camp fires at night contemplating home life and the chances of death while listening to `Lament for Limerick' (Ireland) or `Lochaber No More' (Scotland). Even the waltzes such as `Irish Lamentation' (England) are retrospective and `Gloomy Winter' says it all. A more recent piece, `Dunblane', by Charlie Glendinning commemorates the deaths of 16 school children and their teacher in 1996.

Using varied bowing techniques, Bonnie Rideout has created a set of poignant renditions of old and new tunes. National Sottish Harp Champion Sue Richards joins Rideout for several of these pieces, including `Unst Bridal March', `Cro Kintale' and the various lamentations. Perfect music for contemplation on a snowy winter's eve.

This CD really fits the bill for beautiful and heartfelt scottish fiddle music. It's a must to add to my Scottish music collection. The fiddle playing shines throughout and is clearly out front of all the instruments yet the other instruments create beautiful harmonies and variations with the fiddle. The music on this Cd features Bonnie Rideout's fiddling in performances that have interesting arrangements with a lot of variety to them because of all the other instruments. Its music that many Bonnie Rideout fans and Scottish music fans might miss out because the CD features tracks from other outstanding Celtic musicians and early music musicians that are not usually associated with Scottish music. Its a gem!

Wow, this is a wonderful CD and is a nice follow up to her other solo albums such as her last one called Scottish Fire. This one is a little more relaxed and easy listening- good after a long hard day of work or good for a long car trip too. It's got real nice group ensemble playing with Celtic harp and viola da gamba and also tts a MUST HAVE to just add to your Celtic collection of CDs or if you are a Bonnie Rideout fan. It's got some very fine arrangements and great tunes on it and the Scottish fiddle is really featured well and stands out clearly from the other instruments yet blends with them too. The original tune called "dunblane" written by Charlie Glendinning, a piper from the City of Washington Pipe Band is so moving it makes you cry and yet there are lively tunes too and a variety of sounds and unusual instruments played by members of the early music group Hesperus. The liner notes are very informative about some of the tunes and the use of Scottish fiddle and ornamentation and the bagpipe traditions.

For future reference Di and others:

I quote:

"'Scottish Reflections' the music included consists of early Scotch, English, and Irish folk tunes."

Scotch is what you drink

A Scot, or Scottish, is what you are.

The only exception is the 'Scotch-Irish' in the U.S., this is the Traditional name for the Scots who moved to Ireland, then moved to the southern U.S. states.

Okay, I'm done ranting.

This CD is extremely good, The bonnie wee lassie, Bonnie Ridout can play a fiddle like nae other. She does our Celtic tunes proud!