The 18th-century Perthshire fiddler and composer Niel Gow can have had no bigger champion in modern times than Pete Clark. A Fifer who years ago settled not far from Gow’s home in Inver, near Dunkeld, Clark has devoted albums to Gow’s music, leads an ensemble named after him and for the past 15 years has directed an annual festival in Gow’s honour.
Here he plays a fiddle that genuinely once belonged to his hero and if it’s not too fanciful to say this, these recordings are probably as close as we’re likely to get to being in the great man’s presence. Clark has completely immersed himself in the tunes of Gow and his son Nathaniel and he and pianist Muriel Johnstone allow the melodies to speak for themselves to the extent that while listening to Clark, you can get a real sense of the personalities that inspired these strathspeys, reels and heartfelt laments.
As solo examples such as Watson’s Class emphasise, Clark’s playing can stand alone, with both rhythmical momentum and attention to melodic detail, but the balance and understanding in the duo tracks conspire to present a beautifully rounded programme.
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