Thomas Todd (piper)
Encyclopedia
Thomas Todd was a noted player of the Northumbrian smallpipes.
He was a miner, from Choppington, Northumberland, and taught the pipers Richard Mowat
and Tom Clough
to play
.
He entered the competitions organised by the Newcastle Society of Antiquaries from 1877 onwards, which were won for three years by Thomas Clough (II), the father of Henry Clough
- Todd was placed second in 1877 and the next two years.
He also composed - The Barrington Hornpipe, using the full range and the agility of a 7-keyed chanter, is his, and remains current today.
Forster Charlton, who knew Tom Clough, wrote that when learning from Todd, Tom had the ambition to play this, but at first was forbidden to try, 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.
Two photographs of Todd survive in the Cocks collection and may be viewed in the FARNE archive http://www.asaplive.com/archive/index.asp.
He was a miner, from Choppington, Northumberland, and taught the pipers Richard Mowat
Richard Mowat
Richard Mowat or Mowatt was a renowned and award-winning player of the Northumbrian smallpipes.-Biography:A miner, born in Backworth in 1865, Mowat won the Northumbrian Smallpipes Society's piping competitions for three successive years 1894-6, and was subsequently barred from competitions. That...
and Tom Clough
Tom Clough
Tom Clough , known as 'The Prince of Pipers', was an English player of the Northumbrian pipes, or Northumbrian smallpipes. He had studied the instrument with the noted piper Thomas Todd, and from his own father Henry Clough...
to play
.
He entered the competitions organised by the Newcastle Society of Antiquaries from 1877 onwards, which were won for three years by Thomas Clough (II), the father of Henry Clough
Henry Clough
Henry Clough , was a player of the Northumbrian pipes, or Northumbrian smallpipes. He was a miner, living in Newsham, in south-eastern Northumberland. He was the father of Tom Clough, 'The Prince of Pipers'. Several previous generations of the family had also been pipers, Henry's father, 'Old Tom'...
- Todd was placed second in 1877 and the next two years.
He also composed - The Barrington Hornpipe, using the full range and the agility of a 7-keyed chanter, is his, and remains current today.
Forster Charlton, who knew Tom Clough, wrote that when learning from Todd, Tom had the ambition to play this, but at first was forbidden to try, 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.
Two photographs of Todd survive in the Cocks collection and may be viewed in the FARNE archive http://www.asaplive.com/archive/index.asp.