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4 Reels for Fair Isle (after John Cage)

Martin Eccles•

Martin Eccles

(United Kingdom) 

The website "MPE Fair Isle Reels" is dedicated to the cultural heritage and traditional music of Fair Isle, a small island between the Shetland and Orkney archipelagos in Scotland. It focuses specifically on the preservation and documentation of Fair Isle reels, which are traditional dance tunes integral to the island's social and cultural life. The site offers historical context about the origin and evolution of these reels, highlighting their role in Fair Isle’s community gatherings and celebrations. It includes detailed transcriptions of these musical pieces, alongside discussions of their stylistic characteristics and significance within Fair Isle’s broader musical tradition.

Moreover, the site provides resources for researchers and enthusiasts interested in the ethnomusicology of the region. It incorporates audio examples and references to field recordings, which serve as important archival materials to understand the performance practice and variations of the reels over time. The blog format allows for ongoing updates and invites contributions from scholars and musicians, fostering a collaborative environment for the study of Fair Isle’s musical geography and cultural expression.

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Featured

performance

12 sub-collections · 383 items

Scotland

Collection · 29 items

Shetland

Collection · 7 items

Traditional

Collection · 8 items

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Added by Asli Ozgen-Tuncer
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