The Challenge of Playing for Scottish Country Dancing Katherine and Andrew Uren have been playing classical music professionally for the last 30 years in New Zealand. Ten years ago, they discovered Scottish country dancing through the Innes Club in Auckland, and it wasn’t long before they were asked to join a band. Musical Background Katherine is a full-time cellist in the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, which performs a different programme each week, including in their repertoire a wide range of eras and genres on stage, as well as accompanying operas, ballets, films and stories. The orchestra mentors and performs in schools and, in addition, Katherine teaches her own students at school and at home. Andrew specialises in reed parts (clarinets, saxophone, flutes etc), sometimes doubling or tripling for professional musicals. He plays in concerts for several professional orchestras, specialising in bass clarinet, and has a full-time itinerant role teaching clarinet and saxophone as well as directing bands. Many of you attending Katherine’s DSAH class were very appreciative of his playing!
Andrew and Katherine Uren
natural phrasing from players like Max and Marian who are so experienced in this genre: nothing felt rushed or hectic. At the Wairarapa Summer School NZ 2017-18, while Katherine studied for her Teachers’ Certificate, Andrew joined the Musicians’ Class, led by Ian and Judith Muir. It was thought-provoking to note how Ian and Judith took some liberties to keep the music fresh and alive, such as leaving an occasional beat silent or throwing in an emphasis on a weak beat (hemiola). After all, the excitement of a live band is something special for the dancers. We have such appreciation for SCD musicians, and how a truly experienced player can go beyond the notes on the page.
In this article they talk about their fascination with Scottish dance music, and the challenge of playing the tunes on a variety of different instruments.
The attraction of Scottish dance music We are trained to sightread many types of music, and to listen, tune in and blend to perform with minimal ensemble rehearsal, so we find the reading part of SCD music not too difficult. Within the huge range of styles in the orchestral repertoire, there are many subtle stylistic trends, handed down over the decades or centuries. When Trish Henley encouraged us to join her Aucklandbased band, Rose and Thistle, in rehearsing and playing for both Scottish and English dancing events, she helped us become aware of different playing styles for jigs, reels and strathspeys through sharing her CDs. She also organised a group masterclass with Marian Anderson and Max Ketchin when they were in NZ. What a wealth of spirited tunes! We were impressed by the
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Auckland Thistle Dancers, Katherine on the right.
Comparing SCD music to classical music Scottish dance music is very structural, with a lot of repeats, which provides a sense of familiarity and finality that fits the phrasing of the dancing. For a 3-couple dance in a 4-couple set,
