I think it's time to wrap up the experiment, and say thanks to everyone for the encouraging comments, as well as the stimulating discussions...
This project originated a long time ago with my attempts to follow the transcriptions in David Lyth's excellent book on the bowing styles of the great Munster players recorded between the 1960s and 1980s, which can be ordered here. Following the transcriptions without the recordings was an exercise in futility for someone who stumbles through written notation as I do, so I started to look for the recordings from which the transcriptions were taken. I soon discovered that most of the recordings listed at the front of the volume were long out of print, and I began to beg, borrow and buy copies, copies of copies, copies of copies of copies, anything I could listen to in order to understand the complexity and grace in the bowing of these incredible fiddle players.
I think I only used one or two transcriptions to advance my understanding of the bowing of the Munster players, but listening to the recordings changed my life, and brought about previously unimagined growth in the way that I play. I began to think that it was a terrible shame that this incredible music was so difficult to locate and, being an inveterate collector, and obsessive organiser, I began to collate and publish the material, so that other people could enjoy the beauty and grace that I found in these old recordings.
Many people have found joy in these recordings, and I hope you've enjoyed the music at least half as much as I have. But there are legal changes occurring in the world that I was naive enough to believe would never take place. I had hoped that the potential for personal publication facilitated by the internet would have revolutionised the ways in which digital information was managed from a legal perspective; that institutions of ownership would evolve to embrace the possibilities opened up by the free movement of information on a global scale. I expected to encounter at least a little resistance to this project, and I have been surprised by the absolute lack of legal interest shown in my flagrant disregard for copyright law. But, things no longer look quite so simple, and I no longer wish to take the risk involved in publishing this material, so as of today, it will no longer be available to download.
I apologise for any disappointment...
I'll still be available at pashadragutreis@yahoo.co.uk if anyone has any questions, thoughts, or suggestions.
