Alan Lomax
Ian O. Morrison
I was saddened to read an obituary of Alan Lomax, the *merican
musicologist, in the "Guardian" this week (actually, I was not aware
he was still alive!). He was one of those primarily responsible for
introducing various flavours of traditional music to new audiences -
for example the Blues to young white British musicians in the 1950s,
but I was not aware of his Scottish connections until reading the
following posting by Fraser Hunter in the "Highlands" e-mail list:
"The (Guardian) obituarist doesn't mention his important Scottish
work, but
Lomax made two recording fieldtrips to Scotland, the first in 1951
(Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Ayrshire, Barra, Benbecula, Dundee,
Edinburgh,
Elgin, Fyvie, Portnockie, Skye) and the second to South Uist in 1953.
On this latter trip he was recording as part of his commission by
Columbia Records to make a series of LPs covering the folk music
of the world. In both trips he was introduced to many singers by
Henderson and Maclean, with whom he kept in touch.
Lomax's recordings became, I believe, the first oral archives of
the School of Scottish Studies. Henderson even credited the work of
Lomax with the creation of his own post at the School, writing in 1951
that "the Univsersity people were so impressed by Lomax's achivements
... that they've disregarded my suspect politics at long last and
offered me a job!"
Lomax was also the ostensible reason that the American Modernist
photographer Paul Strand came to work in the Hebrides. Both were
exiles from McCarthyite America having similar affiliations to a suite
of 'unAmerican' leftist groups. They were also nodes in a wider
network which linked the Scottish folklore scene, through Strand to
the
world of European Modernism (Pablo Picasso, Jean-Paul Sartre) and
through
Lomax to the world of American blues (Muddy Waters, Woody Guthrie,
Leadbelly)."
At last, the benefits of McCarthyism become apparent! (Actually, the
pursuit of "un-American" Americans also led to some d*mn fine films
being produced...).
------
Ian O.
Sally
Hi Ian, One of the good things to come out of the depression years in
America was the people who collected, recorded and sang folk songs as
they found them across the US, Canada, and Nova Scotia. That music is
at the Library of Congress for anyone who wants to can listen and
study the music itself. Most of the songs collected were originally
from the British Islands - England, Wales, Scotland and ireland both
parts. Many times when you hear the music you may know different
words. The people when they left home, brought their music with them.
and that music is still being sung. Alan Lomax's father John was one
of the collector. Some of the music as a background from Child's
ballads. Percy Grainger and Vaughan Williams took folk music and put
it into classical repertoire. There is a Scottish song that sticks in
my mind called Henry Martin
"There were three brothers from merry Scotland...." A sea ballad how
Henry drew the short straw and became a pirate off the Scottish coast.
Probably marks a place in Scottish history, but when I'm not sure
when. for the nonce, Sally
Greyrover
In article <b8bcd929.02072...@posting.google.com>,
esd...@worldnet.att.net (Sally) wrote:
>There is a Scottish song that sticks in
>my mind called Henry Martin
>"There were three brothers from merry Scotland...." A sea ballad how
>Henry drew the short straw and became a pirate off the Scottish coast.
>Probably marks a place in Scottish history, but when I'm not sure
>when. for the nonce, Sally
My folks used to have "Henry Martin" on an album by Burl Ives. I haven't found
it anywhere.
Stan
Greyrover
In article <992a4c7b.02072...@posting.google.com>,
iomor...@yahoo.co.uk (Ian O. Morrison) wrote:
><WARNING: this post may contain genuine cultural content>
>
>I was saddened to read an obituary of Alan Lomax, the *merican
>musicologist, in the "Guardian" this week (actually, I was not aware
>he was still alive!).
As was I saddened to hear of his death. A great man.
> He was one of those primarily responsible for
>introducing various flavours of traditional music to new audiences -
>for example the Blues to young white British musicians in the 1950s,
>but I was not aware of his Scottish connections until reading the
>following posting by Fraser Hunter in the "Highlands" e-mail list:
>
>"The (Guardian) obituarist doesn't mention his important Scottish
>work, but
>Lomax made two recording fieldtrips to Scotland, the first in 1951
>(Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire, Ayrshire, Barra, Benbecula, Dundee,
>Edinburgh,
>Elgin, Fyvie, Portnockie, Skye) and the second to South Uist in 1953.
>
>On this latter trip he was recording as part of his commission by
>Columbia Records to make a series of LPs covering the folk music
>of the world. In both trips he was introduced to many singers by
>Henderson and Maclean, with whom he kept in touch.
>
>Lomax's recordings became, I believe, the first oral archives of
>the School of Scottish Studies. Henderson even credited the work of
>Lomax with the creation of his own post at the School, writing in 1951
>that "the Univsersity people were so impressed by Lomax's achivements
>... that they've disregarded my suspect politics at long last and
>offered me a job!"
>
>Lomax was also the ostensible reason that the American Modernist
>photographer Paul Strand came to work in the Hebrides.
I wasn't aware that Strand worked in the Hebrides, although I admired him and
have admired much of his photography. He was the reason Ansel Adams went to
photograph in New Mexico. I remember when Strand died.
>Both were
>exiles from McCarthyite America having similar affiliations to a suite
>of 'unAmerican' leftist groups. They were also nodes in a wider
>network which linked the Scottish folklore scene, through Strand to
>the
>world of European Modernism (Pablo Picasso, Jean-Paul Sartre) and
>through
>Lomax to the world of American blues (Muddy Waters, Woody Guthrie,
>Leadbelly)."
>
>At last, the benefits of McCarthyism become apparent! (Actually, the
>pursuit of "un-American" Americans also led to some d*mn fine films
>being produced...).
>
>------
>Ian O.
>
I admire Lomax for his work in trying to record to save the folk music of the
world. As I do anyone trying to record for posterity the cultures that are
vanishing.
Stan
S Viemeister
>
> My folks used to have "Henry Martin" on an album by Burl Ives. I haven't found
> it anywhere.
>
show 'Due South'.