Fanning the Flames for Dixon
IN OCTOBER a group of six enthusiasts gathered for a weekend in Hawick under Matt Seattle's tutelage. This was particularly appropriate as autumn 2009 was the centenary of Dixon's collection of 1733 being literally pulled from the flames in Perthshire and also marked 14 years since Matt published the music as The Master Piper- Nine Notes That Shook the World (now out of print but hopefully not for too long).
In his prospectus for the event, Matt had pointed out that “combining historical legitimacy with musical substance, Dixon's cross-border repertoire provides an exceptionally solid foundation for the revitalisation of Border piping, and demonstrates an approach to music which can inform our own playing” He intended the weekend “to help those
who wish to become acquainted with Dixon's music to deepen their acquaintance and enjoy hands-on playing, complemented by discussion and instruction” He hoped that “all will come to a sense of how astounding the music is and how much it is needed today”
While Dixon's collection is not specifically described as pipe music, it is significant that all 40 tunes can be played on a conventional nine-note chanter and there can be little argument that this is music for the bagpipe.
Those of us who participated in the workshop were generally stimulated by Matt's careful and systematic approach to the analysis and presentation of the music. We had one Northumbrian piper, three Scottish smallpipe players, a convalescent on electronic pipes and one Border pipe player in addition to Matt's Border pipes, so an interesting combination resulted. From a list of ten tunes issued in advance we had been asked to familiarise ourselves with all of them beforehand and to identify some for memorising. This helped us get off to a better start than is sometimes the case with fresh tunes at workshops, particularly given the demanding technical nature of some of those in Dixon's collection.
We started off with a series of exercises designed to assist with mastering the demanding arpeggios and runs that abound in the music, and to introduce some of the different rhythms than can be applied to good effect. Matt went on to introduce strategies to help cope with memorising the longer tunes, by breaking them down into discrete portions
of music and analysing the patterns that are found to recur in different tunes.
This led in turn to an examination of harmonic ratios, particularly 3 1 which regularly occurs, and the interplay of chanter and drones.
As we proceeded we were encouraged to make full use of the music issued and we gave special attention to analysing and playing Dixon's Highland Laddie, Gingling Geordie, Little Wee Winking Thing, The New Way to Bowden, and Hit Her Between the Legs (or Ranger's Frolic for the fastidious). Instruction was liberally interspersed with discussion and there was opportunity to benefit from the varied knowledge and experience brought to the table by the participants themselves. At one point and by request, Matt gave an impromptu rendition in his inimitable style of 16 parts of Dorrington Lads, the final part being unpublished and having “whispered itself' into his ear. And as a bonus we were shown how to execute a rant dance step while playing New Way to Bowden (don't try this at home).
Towards the end of the workshop and to put it in context we were privileged to be addressed by Julia Say, the secretary of the Northumbrian Pipers' Society, who travelled from Northumberland specially to tell us how far she has got in her as yet uncompleted historical research into William Dixon and his family She has traced the family to a small area delineated by Hadrian's Wall to the south, the A68 (“the Roman Road”) and the A696 (“the New Road”). Dixons appear in Parish records from the mid 17th century around Ingoe and Fenwick, and other records show that there were Dixons in the area from as early as 1538.
There is a magnificent Dixon family memorial tablet (possibly decorated by a Parsival Dixon) inside Stamfordham Church. There are several William Dixons mentioned and so far it has not been possible to identify which of these was responsible, with two collaborators, for writing the eponymous manuscript.
It does seem that the Dixons were well connected both with the gentry and with contemporary musicians. A later William Dixon had a son in Newcastle in 1753 who went to Glasgow as a collier and whose son William established ironworks there (which survived to the 1960s as “Dixon's Blazes”): this might just possibly be the route by which the manuscript came north before it reached Inver near Birnam by the start of the 20th century.
The workshop was complemented by tasty meals in the Damascus Drum, a small eatery- cum-bookshop in Hawick whose name Matt has given to one of his more exotic compositions. And on the Saturday evening we enjoyed a splendid session in a pub in Denholm, in the company of some delightful local musicians and singers.
Overall it was a rewarding weekend which benefited from Matt's careful planning and courteous consideration of the needs of his class. Dixon demystified? Well yes, probably so and I suspect we are all now trying to add a few Dixon tunes to our repertoire.
