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Title: Who was Neil Gow? Post by: Anne T on January 02, 2008, 06:07:41 PM I recently bought XXXV and I really like "Neil Gow's Apprentice." Although the story is clear without any background knowledge - old man looking back on the different lives he and his brother have led in different lands - I wondered if Neil Gow was a real person and why is the narrator of the song his apprentice?
Title: Re: Who was Neil Gow? Post by: gower flower (Shirl) on January 02, 2008, 06:10:41 PM Is this any help? http://www.folkmusic.net/htmfiles/inart441.htm Title: Re: Who was Neil Gow? Post by: david stevenson on January 02, 2008, 06:50:55 PM And you'll find Neil Gow's tunes all over the Scots fiddle repertoire. Dougie Maclean was and remains an exponent when he picks up the fiddle.
Title: Re: Who was Neil Gow? Post by: Anne T on January 02, 2008, 07:33:20 PM Thanks for the info, david and g.f. Fitting that he was a fiddle player then, as one of the things that strikes me most is the sympathetic relationship between the voice and the violin in the song.
Title: Re: Who was Neil Gow? Post by: Paolo on January 04, 2008, 04:35:01 PM Hello all, and happy new year.
The Gow familiy has a unique place in scottish traditional music revival between XVIII and XIX centuries. Swarb's "Flittin" feature a stunning version of a beautifil haunting tune by Neil's son, Nathaniel. Best Paolo |