A tour de force
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John Purser's revised and updated book is sure to become the seminal work on this subject. Yes, it is written from his own point of view, but Purser has done so much to uncover the huge musical heritage of the Scottish Nation that he must be allowed the occasional foray into that state. Through his untiring advocacy, the works of notable composers such as Carver and Thomson have received a new lease of life. There is no other source book on this subject, and I can wholly recommend it.
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Excellent study of the music of Scotland
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This book is both an indispensable textbook for students of music who are studying the music of Scotland and a fascinating, vivid and enjoyable book to dip into. It charts music in Scotland from the earliest musical instruments discovered by archaeologists to present day music, encompassing the traditional, the sacred, the secular and the more 'classical' styles through the ages.
My only reason for witholding a star is that it is written very much from the author's point of view, which is great if you are reading for pleasure but less than ideal if you are using it as a research textbook. Perhaps it was not written with such a use in mind, however, there are not many in texts on this subject and therefore this is often recommended as essential reading for students. It is great to see this book being reprinted as it was difficult to obtain for many years.
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