Fiddles and Fiddle Tunes
What\u2019s the difference between a fiddle and a violin?
How did an English jig turn into a Virginian reel?
And what do Bach\u2019s violin sonatas have in common with folk tunes from Finland?
In The Listening Service today Tom Service explores fiddles, fiddlers, and fiddle tunes from around the globe, looking at how they connect communities, reflecting the stories of migrants and musicians across time, and staying true to tradition whilst continually changing. And how have classical composers incorporated fiddle tunes into their work? From Max Bruch\u2019s Scottish Fantasy, based on tunes found in a library in Munich, to Aaron Copland\u2019s Rodeo Hoe-Down, an orchestral transformation of the Kentucky fiddler Bill Stepp\u2019s tune Bonaparte\u2019s Retreat.
Our witnesses today are Pete Cooper, who learnt classical violin as a teenager before discovering busking and ending up fiddling in West Virginia, and Lori Watson whose music and research draw on the landscapes and folklore of the Scottish Borders where she grew up.
Producer: Ruth Thomson