I’m delighted to share with you Mairi MacArthur’s ‘Memories’ of her friendship with Betsy and with Betsy’s many associates. I was researching in Uganda when Betsy died so had no knowledge of Betsy’s last days nor of her funeral so…
Author: Peter Cooke
Recorder Music – from Sutton Coldfield.
For nearly two decades the HOLBORNE CONSORT has flourished in Sutton Coldfield. Named after the 16th century English composer Anthony Holborne and founded by Beresford King Smith, it has enjoyed meeting regularly and occasionally contributing to local concerts. Until recently…
Recorder music from Cramond Primary School Edinburgh, 1970
Here are a few tunes I recorded on cassette back in 1970 of Cramond school’s recorder group which Di Cooke was teaching during the period 1969-70. Cramond Primary is a small school just above the slopes to the River Almond,…
From Uganda: An Hour of Gayaza Praise!
Gayaza Girls School is situated around 12 miles north east of the Uganda’s capital, Kampala. It is the country’s oldest all-girls boarding secondary school, founded in 1905 by the Church Mission Society, and has a long tradition of excellent…
Willie Hunter, Shetland’s finest fiddler/violinist.
It’s 38 years since I spent a long weekend in Lerwick privileged be recording the violin playing of ‘Young’ Willie Hunter and his accompanist Violet Tulloch. On my return I posted a master copy of those fine sessions to the…
Benedicto Mubangizi
Omukuri gw’enteguzi (wedding flute) – played by a flautist on a simple notched four-hole flute – when on the day of the wedding the groom’s party arrives within earshot of the home of the bride to be. Recorded by…
Betsy Whyte – still travelling
A new little book, Wee Betsy, about that friendly and cleverest of Scottish travellers, Betsy Whyte, has just been published by her great-grandson David Pullar. It is written for young schoolchildren. I’m keenly waiting for my copy to arrive.…
Budongos, Okemes and Lukemes
The above title gives just three of the names used in Uganda for that class of musical instrument known as Lamellaphones. Search for lamellaphones on Facebook if you wish to see a variety of instruments from elsewhere in Africa.…
George Moss again – and more.
In my earlier writings about George Moss I mentioned that when I first met him in 1970 he was no longer playing his bagpipes. However by the end of that decade he was prepared to try blowing them up for…
Banadda Godfrey – Ugandan artist extraordinary
I first met Banadda when visiting Busoga (eastern Uganda) in 1987 after an absence of some 19 years during which time Uganda (and Busoga especially) suffered horrendously from the lawless and chaotic rule of Idi Amin and after him…