Dr Karen McAulay's Avatar

Dr Karen McAulay

@karenmca

Musicologist historian, RCS Fellow, @iashedinburgh.bsky.social alumna. Athenaeum award for research into Dundee's Leng Scots Song competition. 2x Routledge 'Music in C19th Britain' titles. https://karenmcaulaymusicologist.blog/ Wary of folk w/o profiles!

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Latest posts by Dr Karen McAulay @karenmca

I've undone my sock-knitting to where it was 2 days ago. Don't know if I'll bother again, though. Knitting socks is considered offensive in my house. It takes too much of my attention when I'm sitting relaxing in the lounge.
#GoingDownTheGardenToEatWorms, as the song goes.

10.03.2026 20:39 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

"Off the table". "Off of" is ungrammatical. "Of" is genitive - belonging to the table. The word "Off" does not BELONG to the table.
Enough of this ...

10.03.2026 19:25 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Knitting socks for first time. Went wrong. Today's efforts had to be pulled out.

Knitting socks for first time. Went wrong. Today's efforts had to be pulled out.

And ... I was concentrating very hard on my knitting after dinner.
Forced to look away, I dropped stitches and couldn't find them again.
Aw, shucks!

10.03.2026 18:59 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Made a casserole with ingredients chopped very small for invalid's delicate digestion. But when I mentioned this, I was asked if I was trying to make them feel guilty, and what my 'innuendo' was.
I'd just hoped for 'great, thanks.'
Was that unreasonable?
Today's nosedive continues.

10.03.2026 18:56 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Whilst the invalid languished upstairs, the kitchen was professionally tiled. Beautifully.
The recovering invalid, wanting to exert control and remind me I didn't manage it well enough, finds fault.
I'm not enjoying today πŸ˜•
@shadowsofcontrol.bsky.social

10.03.2026 12:59 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Halfway through a sentence (3-4 words), before ANY point has been made, I'm told to 'stop going on'. Also that I should not raise my voice to make a point - I should lower it.
I am NOT A TENOR. Never have been. I give up.
@shadowsofcontrol.bsky.social

10.03.2026 12:48 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

In a Tardis?

09.03.2026 23:33 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
IKEA green and blue wool rug.

IKEA green and blue wool rug.

Nice, eh? Room decorated to improve my mood whilst working!

09.03.2026 22:22 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Dining room - new green IKEA rug to tone with fern-patterned blinds.

Dining room - new green IKEA rug to tone with fern-patterned blinds.

Contentment (however brief, before my peace is shattered) is a new rug to finish off redecorated dining room (also my study!)

09.03.2026 21:59 πŸ‘ 6 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Eh? This is most odd!

09.03.2026 18:43 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Weird!

09.03.2026 16:35 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Birdsong. Taps running. A whole lot of new sounds for you!

09.03.2026 16:34 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

I've ordered a copy!

09.03.2026 16:15 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Well done!

09.03.2026 16:15 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Having done the 2 things I set out to do, I should head home.
But it's quite nice being out, having been a housebound carer last week. Grumpy invalid is on the mend, thankfully. Hasn't messaged me yet to find out where I am and when returning...

09.03.2026 15:38 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Such a good idea. I should travel. In the name of writing ...

09.03.2026 15:34 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
Call for Papers: Early history of teacher training - History of Education Society

🚨 CALL FOR PAPERS!

See below for the details of a conference in Liverpool on the early history of teacher training colleges in Britain, specifically between 1836 and 1914

πŸ“ Liverpool, 2 June 2026

historyofeducation.org.uk/call-for-pap...

09.03.2026 11:07 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 3 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
International Women’s Day: Rose Smith (and Marjory Kennedy-Fraser) Is this a two-post day? Surely not! But … well, it’s International Women’s Day. How can I not mention it? I decided I would play music by women this morning. Rose Smith (one of th…

And I got applause yesterday!
(Thank you 😊 - it wasn't me, it was the tune I played...)
#ChurchOrganist

karenmcaulaymusicologist.blog/2026/03/08/i...

09.03.2026 07:37 πŸ‘ 2 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Yes, it did go through my mind they must be pretty combustible.
Wonder if any journos will track down the business owners?

09.03.2026 06:54 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
International Women’s Day: Rose Smith (and MKF) Is this a two-post day? Surely not! But … well, it’s International Women’s Day. How can I not mention it? I decided I would play music by women this morning. Rose Smith (one of th…

Web of Science apparently found a bunch of scientific papers credited to me. Flattering! But McAuley is not me. Now corrected. I write about women's musical history karenmcaulaymusicologist.blog/2026/03/08/i..., social history & old national song books. karenmcaulaymusicologist.blog/2026/03/08/t...

08.03.2026 20:50 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

I play no games. Never have.
By inference, I'm nothing/nobody.
(shuffling off to play piano ...)

08.03.2026 20:20 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
International Women’s Day: Rose Smith (and MKF) Is this a two-post day? Surely not! But … well, it’s International Women’s Day. How can I not mention it? I decided I would play music by women this morning. Rose Smith (one of th…

#InternationalWomensDay: Rose Smith (and MKF) songs played in Neilston Parish Church today! karenmcaulaymusicologist.blog/2026/03/08/i...
#WomanOrganist #WomenComposers @royalmusical.bsky.social

08.03.2026 17:15 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Me wearing my mother's apron. 
She was a force to reckon with.

Me wearing my mother's apron. She was a force to reckon with.

Don't Mess With Me. I'm wearing my late mother's apron!
Because I said so.

08.03.2026 15:31 πŸ‘ 3 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

On #InternationalWomensDay, please remember many women who aren't celebrating today. Negative 'comments' do constitute criticism. #Gaslighting is #abuse. And a woman can hardly be considered hypersensitive, if other *men* witness and identify the unacceptable behaviour.
@shadowsofcontrol.bsky.social

08.03.2026 14:27 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0
Preview
The People’s Song Book No.2 (published by John Leng) It stands to reason. If I’m researching the John Leng Scots Song competitions, then I might also be interested in this firm’s publications. Not, of course, that there’s any direct…

I know it's #InternationalWomensDay - I'll come to that later today. But first, just a wee celebration of a successful bit of research treasure-hunting on eBay!
karenmcaulaymusicologist.blog/2026/03/08/t...
#NationalSongs #JohnLeng #Dundee

08.03.2026 14:09 πŸ‘ 4 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Lovely!

08.03.2026 10:38 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 0 πŸ“Œ 0

Sharp intake of breath. I don't recall any of that!!

07.03.2026 23:18 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

Gasp!!! I had No Idea!

07.03.2026 23:15 πŸ‘ 0 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 1 πŸ“Œ 0

To my astonishment this evening, I realised I had almost shelved my music in Dewey order. Organ anthologies, Organ single composers, Piano. Old habits die hard.

07.03.2026 23:13 πŸ‘ 1 πŸ” 0 πŸ’¬ 2 πŸ“Œ 0