|
Thomas Todd (c.1827 - 1903) was a noted player of the Northumbrian smallpipes, considered by William Cocks to be 'of highest rank'. Census records show that he was a miner, from Choppington, Northumberland, and it is known that he taught the pipers Richard Mowat and Tom Clough to play .〔The Clough Family of Newsham'', Northumbrian Pipers' Society, ed. Chris Ormston and Julia Say (2000)〕 William Cocks noted that he was a favourite piper of Dr J. Collingwood Bruce, one of the editors of ''The Northumbrian Minstrelsy'', and that he played at Bruce’s lectures. He also played at the Crystal Palace, in London, and, late in his life, at the Riding of the Bounds, in Morpeth, in 1889; two photographs, one taken on this occasion, are in the Cocks Collection, and may be viewed at the Woodhorn Museum website,〔(Woodhorn Museum )〕 and.〔(Woodhorn Museum )〕 He played quite far afield in Northumberland; Cocks records a story that 'Todd once was to play a concert at Allendale and lost his way on the fells. He played his pipes “for company”, was heard by a shepherd and rescued.' On several occasions, Todd is recorded as having played at benefit concerts; one, in Blyth, was for the widow of Mr. William Beadon, a fellow miner who had "distinguished himself at the Hartley Calamity in trying to rescue the miners",〔Morpeth Herald, 26th December, 1885, from British Newspaper Archive.〕 one, in Sleekburn, was for the Teachers' Orphan and Orphanage Fund,〔Morpeth Herald 18th November 1882, from British Newspaper Archive.〕 and another in Cambois, for the widow and family of another miner, Mr. Forster.〔Morpeth Herald, 21st April 1888, from British Newspaper Archive.〕 From these and other reports, as well as competition records, we see that Todd's repertoire included Northumbrian pipe variation sets, such as ''I saw my love come passing by me'', ''Wylam Away'', ''New Highland Laddie'', ''The Keel Row'', ''Meggy's Foot'' and ''Felton Lonnen'', as well as other pieces such as ''Auld Land Syne'', ''Last Rose of Summer'', ''Carnival of Venice'', and an aria, ''Sweet Spirit, Hear my Prayer'', from the opera Lurline. He entered the competitions organised by the Newcastle Society of Antiquaries from 1877 onwards, which were won for three years by 'Old' Thomas Clough (II), the father of Henry Clough - Todd was placed second in 1877 and the next two years. He was later a judge at the Northumbrian Smallpipes Society's Third Annual Contest, 1896, sitting with G H Thompson and Charles F Bowes. He also composed - ''The Barrington Hornpipe'', which requires fluent use of every key on a 7-keyed chanter, is his, and remains popular today. It is unusual for pipe tunes in G to require all seven keys, including c sharp and d sharp, so it may well have been composed as a test piece. Forster Charlton, who knew Tom Clough, wrote that when learning from Todd, Tom had the ambition to play ''The Barrington Hornpipe'', but at first was forbidden to try it, instead being given exercises to practice on. After mastering these, he was allowed to tackle the hornpipe, and found "he could play'd straight away". Clough wrote that when he was a youngster, "an old piper ... and splendid performer", presumably Todd, his teacher, gave him the advice "If you want to be a good piper, listen to a linnet, and make your chanter as clear and as distinct. A linnet never choytes, and neither should a good piper". Choyting refers to open-fingered ornamentation as in Highland piping. In Tom Clough's manuscripts, the last two variations to ''Corn Rigs'', moving in triplets, are attributed to Thomas Todd, and the setting of ''The Suttors of Selkirk'' is described as the "favourite tune of Thomas Todd". A setting in E minor of the jig ''The Laird of Cockpen'', suitable for smallpipes, is believed to be by Todd.〔The Yellow Pipers' Pocket Book, Matt Seattle, 2nd ed., Dragonfly Music (1999), ISBN 1-872277-14-4.〕 Towards the end of his life, after 1891, he moved to Longframlington. He died July 1903 aged 76, and is buried at Choppington. His pipes, a fine silver-mounted set in ivory, are in the Cocks Collection, and may also be seen at the Woodhorn museum website,.〔(Woodhorn Museum )〕 ==References== 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Thomas Todd (piper)」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|