The Oban Times, 2 August, 1930
Glasgow, 19 July, 1930
Toarludh and Crunludh
Sir,–Once again Mr. John Grant returns to the attack in regard to Taorludh and Crunludh. His persistence has been the means of giving to readers of the Oban Times who are interested in bagpipe music the views of a great number of excellent pipers and authorities on piping that they otherwise would never have heard of.
As regards the “so-called superfluous A” may I respectfully say that Mr. Grant is quite correct in my opinion in saying that the MacCrimmons and Angus MacKay played three A’s in Taorludh, but, and here is the snag, the middle A was, as one might say, “smothered with embellishments,” viz., the gdg group of grace notes. Mr. Grant plays the note perfectly, but I am afraid he does not know it. I really think the whole trouble consists in not sounding the low G before playing the D grace note, or, as one famous piper told me once, “sliding over it.”
Mr. Grant mentions the Taorludh on C. I sincerely hope that some other authority will come forward and tackle the subject and explain where the three melody C’s come in and how.–I am, etc.,
Dunaluin
