CAMERON HIGHLANDERS, THE. Scottish, March. A Major. Standard. AABB (Brody): AABBCCD (Hunter). A well-known march composed by J. Scott Skinner, first printed in his Logie Collection. Skinner titled the piece after the famous Highland regiment in which his brother Sandy served for eleven years in the middle of the Victorian era. Sandy survived this experience and became a dancing master patroned by Sir Charles Forbes of New Strathdon. Noted as having been played by him in 1921 concert turs as one of the tunes in the romantically named set "Spey's Fury's" (Alburger). Source for notated version: Boys of the Lough (Scotland/Ireland) [Brody]. Brody (Fiddler's Fakebook), 1983; pg. 61. Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 347. Skinner (The Scottish Violinist); pg. 30. Philo 1026, The Boys of the Lough- "First Album;" Topic 12T280, J. Scott Skinner- "The Strathspey King."
T:Cameron Highlanders, The
R:Pipe march
C:J. Scott Skinner
M:4/4
K:Hp
|:A2ecA2eA| f2e2e2a2| A2ecA2eA| c2B2B2c2|A2ecA2eA| f2e2e2a2| fa ea ca Ba| c2A2A2 :|*|:a2 | f2 ea c2 Aa| c2A2A2a2 |f2 ea c2 Aa|c2B2B2A2|f2 ea c2 Aa| ec ac e2a2| fa ea ca Ba| c2A2A2:|*|:ec| A<A ec Ae cA|f2e2e2a2| A<A ec Ae cA| c2B2B2 ec|A<A ec Ae cA |f2e2e2a2| fa ea ca Ba| c2A2A2:|*a2| fa ea ca Ba| c2A2A2a2|fa ea ca Aa| c2B2B2a2|fa ea ca Aa|ec ac ef ga| fa ea ca Ba| c2A2A2a2|\ fa ea ca Ba|Aa Ba ca Aa |fa ea ca Aa| c2B2B2ec|\A<A cA eA cA| eA fA gA aA|fa ea ca Ba|c2A2A2||**
FERINTOSH WHISKEY (An Toiseachd). Scottish, Strathspey. D Major. Standard. AB (Fraser, Hunter): AA'BB' (Athole). Ferintosh was once a very popular Scotch whiskey, especially in the 18th century, though it apparently is not made in modern times. "This air celebrates the district of Ferintosh, so famous for the production of the genuine Highland beverage, called whisky. The superiority of the quality produced arose from the privilege of distilling duty free,--a privilege which the government found it necessary to purchase from Mr. Forbes of Culloden, the proprietor, when the revenue from excise became of such immense importance" (Fraser). Ferintosh is between Culbokie and Muir of Ord on the Black Isle, just north of Inverness. Charles Gore reports that Johnston's Gazetteer of Scotland describes Ferintosh as: "A Hamlet 3 m. NE of Conon Bridge, Ross & Cromarty," and points out this is only six or seven miles from the world-famous Glenmorangie Distillery. There is still a distillery in Muir of Ord. Fraser (The Airs and Melodies Peculiar to the Highlands of Scotland and the Isles), 1874; No. 91, pg. 35. Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 98. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; pg. 49 (appears as "Ferrintosh"). Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; pg. 103.
T:Ferintosh
L:1/8
M:C
R:Strathspey
B:The Athole Collection
K:D
A,<D D/D/D F>DD>F|G>EC>A, =C/D/E G2|1 A,<D D/D/D F>DD>c|
d>AF>D F/G/A d2:|2 f>d c/d/e B>G F/G/A|G>EC>A, D2D||
g|:f>d f/g/a f<d d>f|g>ec>A =c/d/e g2|1 f>d f/g/a f<d d>g|f>da>f b>g a2:|2
f>d c/d/e B>G F/G/A|G>EC>A, D2D||
FORBES LEITH. Scottish, Reel. B Flat Major. Standard. AABB. One of the six hundred or so compositions by J. Scott Skinner. Bain (50 Fiddle Solos), 1989; pg. 44.
FORBES MORRISON. Scottish, Strathspey. A Major. Standard. AB (Hardie, Hunter): AAB (Skinner). Composed by J. Scott Skinner, it appears in his Logie Collection. It was included as one of the tunes Skinner used in 1921 concert tours in the romantically entitled set "Spey's Fury's." Forbes Morrison (1833-1906), according to Hunter (1979), was a fiddler and dancing master in Tarves, Aberdeenshire, expert in the use of the Scottish fiddle ornaments of short snap bow and syncopated triplets. Purser (1992) states the tune "gives a good idea of the rhythmic vigour characteristic of the Scotch fiddle style (Skinner) so loved, and which was carried on by fiddlers such as James Dickie and John Murdoch Henderson..." Hardie (Caledonian Companion), 1992; pg. 55. Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 123. Purser (Scotland's Music), 1992; Ex. 15, pg. 238. Skinner (The Scottish Violinist), pg. 10.
LADY FORBES (Beantigearna Forbasac). AKA and see "Lady Harriet Hope," "Miss McDonald" [2], "Monday Morning," "Victory Reel." Irish, Reel. D Major. Standard. AB. John Glen (1891) finds the earliest printing of a tune by this name in Daniel Dow's c. 1775 collection (pg. 2). Cole (1001 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; pg. 13. O'Neill (Krassen), 1976; pg. 133. O'Neill (1850), 1903/1979; No. 1411, pg. 262. Ryan's Mammoth Collection, 1883.
LORD FORBES MARCH. AKA and see "Piobaireachd Dhomhnaill." Scottish. The tune appears in the David Young's fiddle book, the McFarlane MS. (Vol. 2, No. 7), and is an earlier version of "Piobaireached Dhomhnaill."
MISS ADMIRAL GORDON'S REEL/STRATHSPEY. AKA and see "Glasgow Flourish," "Of a' the airts the wind can blaw." Scottish, Slow Strathspey ("Slow when not danced"). A Major. Standard. AB (most versions): ABCD (McGlashan). One of the first composed and most famous tunes (c. 1775) by Scots fiddler William Marshall (1748-1833) in honor of Margaret Gordon, daughter and only surviving child of Admiral William Gordon (d. 1769), Carmelite House, Banff; four other children died before adulthood. Margaret survived to marry Mr. Forbes-Seton of Aberdeen, and their daughter married Lord James Hay. Moyra Cowie (1999) points out that Banff was a social hub for the well-to-do of North East Scotland in the 18th century, many of whom retained town-houses there and who spent the season socializing. Cowie believes Marshall would have met many through his position as the 4th Duke of Gordon's Steward of the Household. The Admiral's Carmelite house, which he built, survives today and has been converted into a small hotel.
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"Miss Admiral Gordon" was first published in Marshall's Strathspey Reels (1781, pg. 3). As was not uncommon, it was republished afterwards by Joshua Campbell, although unattributed and renamed "Glasgow Flourish" after that city's motto (Alburger, 1983). Niel Gow wrote a tune called "Major Graham (of Inchbrakie)," which has a similar motif, and there have been accusations by some (e.g. John Glen) of plagerism; it appears derivative in any case (as is the Gows' "Sir John Whitefoord's Strathspey," both published in their 1784 First Collection). Its popularity is due in part to the fact that Robert Burns wrote one of his best songs to it which begins: "Of a' the airts the wind can blaw." Burns' manuscript notes for the Scots Musical Museum contain the following -- "I have been told by somebody who had it from Marshall himself, that he took the idea of his three most celebrated pieces, 'The Marquis of Huntley's Reel,' 'His Farewell,' and 'Miss Admiral Gordon's Reel' from the old air, 'The German Lairdie'" (Emmerson, 1971). William Stenhouse maintains that Marshall fashioned the tune from the old melody of "The Lowlands of Holland" (by adding a second part), but John Glen (1891 & 1895) disputes this, saying that Stenhouse was in error and that "The Lowlands of Holland," especially as published by James Oswald in the Caledonian Pocket Companion, bears no resemblance. Nor does Glen credit Johnson (Scots Musical Museum) or Urbani (2nd Volume, 1794) who also published "The Lowlands of Holland" with originating "Miss Adimiral" for they were both published after Marshall published his tune. Burns wrote his lyric in honor of his bride-to-be, Jean Armour, while he was at Ellisland awaiting her arrival from Mauchline in Ayrshire, where he had first met her.
***
O a' the airts the wind can blaw,
I dearly lo'e the west
For there the bonnie lassie lives,
The lass that I lo'e best.
Tho' wild woods grow an' rivers tow,
Wi' mony a hill between,
Baith day and nicht, my fancy's flicht,
Is ever wi' my Jean.
***
The melody has been used for other songs, including a Canadian folksong, "The Scarborough Settlers' Lament" and a Scottish song "The Scottish Settlers' Lament" (see Stan Rogers' album "For the Family" and the Tannahill Weavers' album "Land of Light,", respectively.
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Source for notated version: Marshall's Strathspey Reels, 1781; pg. 3 [Johnson]. Alburger (Scottish Fiddlers and Their Music), 1983; Ex. 64, pgs. 104-105. Emmerson (Rantin' Pipe and Tremblin' String), 1971; No. 61, pg. 150. Gow (Complete Repository), Part 1, 1799; pg. 5. Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 147. Johnson (Scottish Fiddle Music in the 18th Century), 1984; No. 80, pg. 227. Marshall, Fiddlecase Edition, 1978; 1781 Collection, pg. 3. Marshall, Fiddlecase Edition, 1978; 1822 Collection, pg. 16. McGlashan (A Collection of Reels), c. 1786; pg. 4. Neil (The Scots Fiddle), 1991; No. 62, pg. 86.
T:Miss Admiral Gordon's Reel
L:1/8
M:C|
S:McGlashan - Reels
K:A
E|A/A/A A<A A>E A<f|e<c B>A F2 F2|A/A/A A<A A>E A<f|
e>f a<c (e2 e>)f|e>f a<c e<cB<A|Bc d/c/B/A/ F2 F2|A/A/A A<A AE A<f|
e<c B>c A2 A||E|C>E A<E F<EA<E|c>e d/c/B/A/ F2 FE|C>E A<E F<EA<E|
c>d e/f/g/a/ (e2 e>)g|a>g f<e f<e d<c|B>c d/c/B/A/ F2 F2|A/A/A A<A A>E A<f|
e<c B>c A2 A||E|A/A/A A/A/A A<E A<f|f/e/d/c/ d/c/B/A/ F2 F2|
A/A/A A/A/A AE A<f|e>f a<c e2 e>f|e>fa>b e<cB<A|B/A/B/c/ d/c/B/A/ F2F2|
A/A/A A/A/A A<E A<f|e<c B>c A2A||E|C/E/D/E/ A/E/D/E/ F/E/D/E/ A/E/D/E/|
c/B/c/e/ d/c/B/A/ F2 F>E|C/E/D/E/ A/E/D/E/ F/E/D/E/ A/E/D/E/|
c/B/c/d/ e/f/g/a/ e2 df/g/|a<gf<e fed<c|B>c d/c/B/A/ F2F2|A/A/A A/A/A A>E A<f|
e<cBc A2 AE|C/E/D/E/ A/E/D/E/ F/E/D/E/ A/E/D/E/|c/B/c/e/ d/c/B/A/ F2 FE|
C/E/D/E/ A/E/D/E/ F/E/D/E/ A/E/D/E/|c/B/c/d/ e/f/g/a/ e2 e>g|
(3agf (3gfe (3fed (3edc|(3dcB (3cBA F2 F2|A/A/A A<A AE a<f|e<cB<c A2A2||
MISS HORGAN'S. AKA and see "Miss Forbes." Irish, Reel. C Major. Standard. AABB. The "B" part of the tune is the same as that of the more famous "Money Musk," though in a different key. Cole (1001 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; pg. 29.
MRS. FORBES LEITH. Scottish, Reel. B Flat Major. Standard. AB (Hardie): AA'BB' (Perlman). Composed by the great Scottish fiddler, composer and dancing master J. Scott Skinner (1842-1927). Source for notated version: Kenny Chaisson (b. c. 1947, Bear River, North-East Kings County, Prince Edward Island; now resident of Rollo Bay) [Perlman]. Hardie (Caledonian Companion), 1992; pg. 60. Henderson, Flowers of Scottish Melody. Perlman (The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; pg. 114. Skinner, Thirty New Strathspeys and Reels, 1868. Skinner, Miller o' Hirn Collection.
MRS. J. FORBES. Scottish, Canadian; Reel. Canada; Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island. E Minor (Walker): E Dorian (Cranford, Perlman). Standard. AAB (Cranford): AA'B (Perlman): AABB (Walker). Composed by the Scottish fiddler and composer Alexander Walker for Mrs. J. Forbes of Banff. Sources for notated versions: Kevin Chaisson (Bear River, North-East Kings County, Prince Edward Island) [Perlman]; Winston Fitzgerald (1914-1987, Cape Breton) [Cranford]. Cranford (Winston Fitzgerald), 1997; No. 142, pg. 57. Perlman (The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; pg. 110. Walker (A Collection of Strathspeys, Reels, Marches, &c.), 1866; No. 137, pg. 47. Breton Books and Records BOC 1HO, Winston "Scotty" Fitzgerald - "Classic Cuts" (reissue of Celtic Records CX 40, appears as "Mrs. James Forbes"). Tartan Tapes CDTT1004, Karen Steven - "Heat the Hoose" (1998).
MY NANNY-O. AKA and see "When Bidden to the Wake." Scottish, Slow Air. G Major. Standard. AABBCCDDEEFF. The tune is from a 17th-century slow air to which Allan Ramsay wrote new words in 1718. In the McFarlane/Johnson version, variations were set as an air-jig suite by William Forbes of Disblair (c. 1662-1740). William Forbes lived on an estated in Aberdeenshire, according to Johnson (1984), and took up composing late in life after being rendered almost penniless "through paying extravagent sums of aliment to his ex-wife." Though he was somewhat isolated from mainstream contact as a composer, he mixed Scottish and Italian ideas in the same pieces; Johnson sees him as "quirky" but "original".
**
"My Nanny-O" proved to be a popular and durable melody which later appeared in James Oswald's Caledonian Pocket Companion (London, 1760) and was also printed in the McLean collection of 1772. Oswald again used part of the melody for the beginning theme of his 'Snowdrop' sonata . Under the title "When Bidden to the Wake" it was printed by Benjamin Carr in Evening Amusement (1796, pg. 20). The Scots Musical Museum of 1789 gives it under the incomplete title "While for Some Pawn Their...", and it was performed on the London stage in William Shield and Mrs. Brooke's play Rosina, in 1783, called "A Fair Scots Tune." The tune also appears in musicians manuscripts: in America, in the Shattuck Manuscript of 1801 as "Mananio" (obviously a condensation of the title "My Nanny-O"), and in the Commonplace Manuscript of 1797 as "When Night Her Sable Curtain Drew, or Sorrows of Werter." Source for notated version: the McFarlane MS., 1740 (vol. ii, no. 108) [Johnson]. Johnson (Scottish Fiddle Music in the 18th Century), 1984; No. 26, pg. 77.
PIOBAIREACHD DHOMHNAIL (The Pibroach of Donald). AKA and see "Donald's Pipes," "Lord Forbes' March." Scottish, March (6/8 time). A Mixolydian. AEAE. AABBCCDDEEFFGG. As "Lord Forbes' March," an earlier pipe version of the tune, it is still played by bagpipers today. The original air was a ceol mor (large music) piece called "Pilbaireachd Dhomhnaill Dhuibh" (The Pibroach of Black Donald), reworked into a ceol beag (small music) setting, a march. In scordatura tuning it was meant to be played with drones throughout. Source for notated version: Sharpe Manuscript, c.1790; pg. 44 [Johnson]. Johnson (Scottish Fiddle Music in the 18th Century), 1984; No. 53, pg. 130.
UP TAILS ALL. English, Scottish; Country Dance Tune (cut time). D Major (Johnson): G Major (Chappell, Sharp). Standard. One part (Chappell, Sharp): AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJKK, (Giga) LL {Johnson}. This once-popular sixteenth century tune English dance tune was published by Playford in his English Dancing Master (1650) and in the Fitzwilliam Virginal Book. The tune was mentioned in accounts from the early 17th century, but the original words are not known. Chappell (1859) finds it alluded to in Sharpham's Fleire of 1610:--"She every day sings 'John for the King', and at 'Up, tails all' she's perfect." He notes that several political songs of the Cavaliers were written to this air, "but none of them are suitable for republication." Johnson's version, an air-jig by William Forbes of Disblair, is highly ornate and a "far remove" from the simple 16th century tune. Forbes lived on an estate in Aberdeenshire, and apparently took up composing in his old age, perhaps to supplement his meagre income which had been depleted through alimony payments. Johnson says his compositions were "full of original methods of mixing Italian and Scottish ideas in the same piece" (pg. 37). Source for notated version: anonymous fiddle MS of c. 1770 [Johnson]. Chappell (Popular Music of the Olden Times), Vol. 1, 1859; pg. 149. Johnson (Scottish Fiddle Music in the 18th Century), 1984; No. 27, pgs. 78-79. Raven, (English Country Dance Tunes) 1984; pg. 47 (a facsimile copy of Playford's printing). Sharp (Country Dance Tunes), 1909/1994; pg. 28.