Understanding Scotland Musically : Folk, Tradition and Policy

Scottish traditional music has been through a revival in the mid-twentieth century and has now entered a professionalised public space. Devolution in the UK and a surge of cultural debate surrounding the independence referendum in Scotland led to a greater study of identities in the UK, set within a wider context of cultural globalization. Traditional music has played an increasingly prominent role in the public life of Scotland, mirrored in other Anglo-American traditions. This book explores the movement from historically text-bound musical authenticity towards more transient sonic identities that blur established musical genres and the meaning of what constitutes ‘traditional’ music today.

Scottish traditional music has been through a successful revival in the mid-twentieth century and has now entered a professionalised and public space. Devolution in the UK and the surge of political debate surrounding the independence referendum in Scotland in 2014 led to a greater scrutiny of regional and national identities within the UK, set within the wider context of cultural globalisation. This volume brings together a range of authors that sets out to explore the increasingly plural and complex notions of Scotland, as performed in and through traditional music. Traditional music has played an increasingly prominent role in the public life of Scotland, mirrored in other Anglo-American traditions. This collection principally explores this movement from historically text-bound musical authenticity towards more transient sonic identities that are blurring established musical genres and the meaning of what constitutes ‘traditional’ music today. The volume therefore provides a cohesive set of perspectives on how traditional music performs Scottishness at this crucial moment in the public life of an increasingly (dis)United Kingdom.