The Piper's Weird/The Gay Gordons/The Marchioness of Huntly/Speed the Plough, 1960
This is the slow air 'The Piper's Weird', followed by 'The Gay Gordons' march, the strathspey 'The Marchioness of Huntly' and the reel 'Speed the Plough'. The tunes are played on the fiddle with piano accompaniment.
Ned Stewart picked up fiddle tunes by listening to Scott Ski..., 1960
Ned Stewart picked up fiddle tunes by listening to Scott Skinner and from his family.
Ned Stewart picked up fiddle tunes by listening to Scott Skinner. He went to hear his concerts.
Jessie Smith, 1960
This is the strathspey 'Jessie Smith' played on the fiddle with piano accompaniment. Ned Stewart points out that this tune has a typical Neil Gow lilt.

Lament for Abercairney, 1960
This is the tune 'Lament for Abercairney' played on the fiddle with piano accompaniment.
The Smith's a Gallant Fireman, 1960
This is the strathspey 'The Smith's a Gallant Fireman' played on the fiddle with piano accompaniment.
Ned Stewart learned it from his family. He emphasises that he plays it in a very old-fashioned way.
The Duchess of Edinburgh, 1960
This is the march 'The Duchess of Edinburgh' played on the fiddle with piano accompaniment.
The Peterhead Polka, 1960
This is the tune 'The Peterhead Polka' played on the fiddle with piano accompaniment.
Unknown, 1960
This is a waltz played on the fiddle with piano accompaniment. Ned Stewart says this is a really old waltz country dance.
MacPherson's Rant, 1960
This is the tune 'MacPherson's Rant' played as an air on the fiddle with piano accompaniment.
Maybe I'll Be Mairrit Yet, 1960
In this song, a young woman hopes to marry her sweetheart and be whisked away. Despite having been badly treated by those around her, she will be gracious to them when she is wealthy.
The Pap of Glencoe, 1960
Diddling was the means whereby pipers taught each other tunes before there was written music. 'The Pap of Glencoe' was composed by John MacDonald of Ballachulish. Ned Stewart diddles the tune.
Unknown, 1960
Diddling was the means of learning pipe tunes before there was written music. Ned Stewart diddles a strathspey
Diddling was how pipe tunes were kept alive, but it is hard..., 196o
Diddling was how pipe tunes were kept alive, but it is hard to diddle unless you are a piper
The Bridge o Perth
This is the strathspey 'The Bridge o Perth' played on the fiddle.
Ned learned the strathspey 'The Haughs of Cromdale' and 'The Peterhead Polka' from his father, and comments that his is a very ancient style of playing, and the Polka is an ancient tune going back to the 16th century.

'Ned wis a regular member o [Jean Stewart's] band for many years an of course the two o them played in the Strathspey an Reel Society thegither. He wis the lead fiddler, but he improvised in his fiddle playin an often he harmonised tae the other fiddlers as well. When the whole Society wis playin melody, he wis harmony. Then he wid play melody along wi mum an then he wid go back on the harmony line. Ned hid a style o his ain an his slow airs were incomparable at the time. He didn't get the recognition that he should hiv got, although he certainly wis weel-kent, an a beautiful player, passionate and tender.
'It's sad that Kenny [Goldstein] niver hid the opportunity tae publish or release mair o the recordins he made wi Ned, because he wis really a fine musician an a brilliant fiddler, wi a great understandin o the music. But he wis a quiet shy man an he niver really pit hisel forward He wid often diddle tunes for Kenny, an for ithers tae. I hiv one recordin o him explainin tae Peter Kennedy oboot how important diddlin wis in learnin the timin o the music.
'Without this unerstandin o timin, Ned said, ye couldna play properly. Tae play music is like tae read English or ony language. If ye hivna the grammer, then ye canna speik the language.
'Ned hated the wye some o the young musicians hid ruined the music by playin too fast an cut it so much as tae mak it like matchwood.' Elizabeth Stewart

Below are links to recordings by Ned in the Tobar An Dualchair website, copies of recordings, made by Goldstein in 1960 of Ned playing in Fetterangus.

NED STEWART, FIDDLE AND WHISTLE PLAYER, BROTHER OF LUCY AND JEAN