This morning I was up in Glasgow University Library Special Collections for a bit, looking at Abraham MacIntosh’s 1796 book of tunes with its basses ‘corrected by P[ietro] Urbani’. I’ve found three fiddle books now which Urbani saw fit to ‘correct’, and tomorrow I’ll be in the National Library looking at the first edition to see just what it was that he thought he had to fix. The rare books and manuscripts room at the NLS has a fantastic view of Arthur’s Seat, but the view here today isn’t bad either.

On Saturday and Sunday night Alasdair and I were recording ballads with Neil McDermott wielding microphones. It was very satisfying to finally get the piano parts down that have been gestating for the last year or two, and the pianos (and dulcitone) are all sounding great. The Broadwood seems to be coming more to life all the time, and the McNulty Walter piano is discovering its inner Jerry Lee Lewis.

Grayson Perry’s Reith Lectures are at least as terrific as everyone says they are. Make sure you listen if you haven’t already.

And ... also this: