AYRSHIRE LASSES [2]. Scottish, Strathspey. C Major. Standard. AAB. Composed by Hugh Montgomerie, the twelfth Earl of Eglinton, who added yet another tune title extolling the "beauties" of one region or another. Perhaps there was some merit to his particular affection, however, for Robert Burns mentioned the town of Ayr in "Tam o'Shanter:"
(Auld Ayr, wham ne'er a town surpasses
For honest men and bonny lasses.)
Montgomerie fought in the American wars of the latter 18th century and was a Member of Parliament for Ayrshire, besides being a fine fiddler and exponent of the national music (Emmerson, 1971). Gow (Complete Repository), Part 4, 1817; pg. 31. Kerr (Merry Melodies), Vol. 2; No. 74, pg. 11. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; pg. 112. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection).
T:Ayrshire Lasses
L:1/8
M:C|
R:Strathspey
B:The Athole Collection
K:C
c|G<c E>c d>c d<e|c<c e>d c<A A>c|G>cE>c d>c d<e|c>A G<c E<CC:|
f|g>ec>g e<g c>g|f>ec>g d<D D>f|gece d<f e>d|c<AG>F E<C C>f|
g>e c<g e<g c>g|g>ec>g d<D De/f/|g>ef>d e>cd>B|c<A G>c E<CC||
CLYDESDALE LASSES. Scottish, Reel or Country Dance. F Major. Standard. AAB. Another tune in honor of some Scottish local girls (like "Lothian Lasses," "Ayrshire Lasses," "Lasses of Duns," "Lasses of Stewarton," etc.), published by Nathaniel Gow in 1822. In ancient times the River Clyde marked the frontier of the old Celtic British kingdom in the north with the Picts. The name Clyde comes from the Brittonic Cluth. MacDonald says the melody can be played as a reel or a strathspey. Kerr (Merry Melodies), Vol. 1; Set 22, No. 2, pg. 14. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; pg. 139. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; pg. 204. Celestial Entertainment CECS001, Brenda Stubbert (Cape Breton, N.S.) - "In Jig Time!" (1995).
T:Clydesdale Lasses
L:1/8
M:C|
R:Reel
B:The Athole Collection
K:F Major
c|:AFcF dFcF|AFcF ABcB|AFcF dFcA|1 BAGA BcdB:|2 BAGA Bcde||
fgag f2 cf|gfga baga|fgag fcAc|BAGA Bcde|fgag f2 cf|gfga baga|fgaf gefc|
BAGA BcdB||
DUKE OF PERTH. AKA and see "Love in a Village" [3], "Da Fashion o da Delting Lasses" (Shetland). Scottish, Reel. G Major. Standard. AAB (Athole, Gow): AABB (Emmerson, Johnson, Kerr, Sweet). Johnson (1983) finds an early version of this famous piece in Stewart's Reels (1761) and believed it to have been written in the mid-18th century. Glen (1891) states the earliest printing to be in Robert Bremner's 1757 collection, however, Emmerson (1971) finds the earliest written record in David Young's 1734 Drummond Castle Manuscript (also called the "Duke of Perth Manuscript"). Another early version is to be found in the 1768 Gillespie Manuscript of Perth. Although called a reel the tune meets the criteria for a rant, however, it is now mostly played at a condisderably slower tempo as a Scottish measure or country dance in 2/4 time. The Scottish country dance performed to the tune was also called Duke of Perth and was very popular around Angus, East Fife and Perthshire, note Flett & Flett (1964), to the extent that it was a feature at various hunt balls in the region. The dance The Duke of Perth is also called Brown's Reel and both these names were used in Perthshire, East Fife and Angus. The same steps went by different names elsewhere in Scotland, to which other tunes were played; in the upper parts of Ettrick it was called Keep the Country, Bonny Lassie, and in Lanarkshire, Ayrshire, Arran and Galloway it was known as Pease Strae. Source for notated version: Stewart's Reels (c. 1761-5) [Johnson]. Emmerson (Rantin' Pipe and Tremblin' String), 1971; No. 41, pg. 136. Gow (Complete Repository), Part 1, 1799; pg. 15. Johnson (Scottish Fiddle Music in the 18th Century), 1984; No. 72, pg. 223. Kerr (Merry Melodies), Vol. 1; Set 16, No. 4, pg. 11. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; pg. 171. Sweet (Fifer's Delight), 1964/1981; pg. 56. Tradition 2118, Jim MacLeod & His Band - "Scottish Dances: Jigs, Waltzes and Reels" (1979).
T:Duke of Perth
L:1/8
M:C|
R:Reel
B:The Athole Collection
K:G
B|G>B dB gBdB|gBdB aAAB|G>B dB gBdB|cAdc BGG:|
f|gage abaf|gage beef|gage abaf|gdec BGGf|gage abaf|
gage beef|gage abaf|gdec BGG||
HADDINGTON LASSES. Scottish. Yet another tune composed in honor of someone's local lasses, like "Lothian Lasses," "Clydeside Lasses," "Lasses of Duns," "Lasses of Stewarton," "Ayrshire Lasses," etc. John Glen (1891) finds the earliest printing of the tune in Robert Ross's 1780 collection, pg. 25.
LADS OF DUNSE, THE (Buacailli Duinse). AKA - "The Lasses of Dunse," "Lassies of Duns." Scottish, Jig or Country Dance. D Major. Standard. AAB. Directions for the dance to this tune were written down in 1752 by John McGill, dancing master in Girvan (Ayrshire), for his students. McGill sometimes credited with the tune, although it has sometimes been claimed as an Irish air. First publication of the melody was in Daniel Wright's collection, 1735. See note for "Duns Dings A" for more information on the Berwickshire town of Duns. Kerr (Merry Melodies), Vol. 1; No. 28, pg. 33. Neil (The Scots Fiddle), 1991; No. 28, pg. 36. O'Neill (1001 Gems), 1907/1986; No. 354, pg. 73. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; pg. 136.
X:1
T:Lads of Duns
L:1/8
M:6/8
R:Jig
B:The Athole Collection
K:D Major
B|A2(D D)ED|DED B2A|Bcd AFA|BGE E2d|A2D DED|DED B2A|
Bcd AFd|AFD D2:|
g|fef d2e|fga B2A|Bcd AFA|BGE E2g|fef d2e|fga B2A|Bcd Afd|
AFD D2g|fef d2e|fga B2A|Bcd AFA|BGE E2 f/g/|afa geg|fdf ece|
DcB AFd|AFD D2||
X:2
T:Lads of Duns
L:1/8
M:6/8
R:Jig
B:O'Neill - 1001 Gems (354)
K:D Major
B|AFD DFD|DFD B2A|Bcd AFA|BEE E2 d/B/|AFD DFD|DFD B2A|Bcd AFA|FDD D2:|
|:g|fef d2e|fga B2A|Bcd AFA|BEE E2g|fef d2e|fga B2A|Bcd AFA|FDD D2g:|
|:fef d2e|fga B2A|Bcd AFA|BEE E2g|fga efg|fea B2A|Bcd F2E|FDD D2:|
LOTHIAN LASSES. Scottish, Reel. E Minor. Standard. AA'B. Another ode to some composer's local womenfolk, like "Ayrshire Lasses," "Lasses of Irvine," "Lasses of Duns," "Clydeside Lasses," etc. Lothian is a district in Scotland. John Glen (1891) finds the earliest appearance of the tune in print in Robert Ross's 1780 collection (pg. 17). Source for notated version: Ross's Collection [Skye]. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; pg. 101.
T:Lothian Lasses
L:1/8
M:C|
K:E Minor
D|B,(EE)F GABG|FDAF dFAF|1 GFDF GABe|dBAF E/E/E E:|2
GFEF GABg|fe^df e/e/e e||f|gfef gabg|fedg fgaf|gfef gabg|fdaf e/e/e (ef)|
gfef gabg|fedg fgaf|gef^d egfe|dBAF E/E/E E||
STEWARTON LASSES. Scottish, Reel. Scotland, Ayrshire. D Major (C Major). Standard. The melody is thought to be one of the most outstanding compositions credited to John Riddell, the amateur fiddle composer of Ayr (1718-1795), and was early attributed to him in a work called "Introduction to the Ballads and Songs of Ayrshire" (1846). Robert Burns called the melody "the oldest Ayrshire reel," however, and he attributed it to Captain Alexander Cuningham of Kirktonholm (d. 1770). Collinson (1966) remarks that the tune is "an interesting study in the so-called double-tonic." Collinson (The Traditional and National Music of Scotland), 1966; pg. 208.