Violins are apt to bring tears to the eyes.
En masse, in the hands of young people, these will not always be tears of joy. The inexpert sawing of bows on strings, the struggle to stay in tune let alone in time, has defeated many a young string ensemble. But things seem to be different in Scotland. Last June I sat in a humble hall in the Scottish highland town of Dingwall. Tears welled in many an eye as dozens of local children joined together to play several sets of traditional Scottish fiddle tunes.