COILSFIELD HOUSE. Scottish, Strathspey ("Slowly") or "Pastoral" Air (4/4 time). G Major. Standard. AAB. The air was composed by Nathaneil Gow (1763-1831), named after Colonel Hugh Montgomery's (1749-1819), Earl of Eglinton's, Ayershire home in the parish of Tarbolton. Neil (1991) explains the name "Coilsfield" apparently derives from the grave of King Coil, reputed to lie somewhere near the mansion house. Coil, or sometimes Coilus or Coel, was a British king in the Roman or post-Roman era who was linked to the Strathclyde area. The property was once known as "Quillisfield" and was so named in the charter of John De Graham, who assigned the property to the monks of Melrose. Around 1640 it was acquired by James Mongomery, 4th son of Alexander, 6th Earl of Eglinton, and remained in the family for 250 years. His descendent Colonel Hugh Montgomery (or Montgomerie) was himself an amateur fiddler and Scottish music enthusiast and also was honored as the dedicatee of Niel Gow's Fourth Collection. The mansion was well-known to the poet Robert Burns when he dwelt at Lochlea, for it was where he went to meet his Highland Mary, Mary Campbell, then residing as a dairymaid at Coilsfield Housse. It is where "Summer first unfaulds her robes," and where "they langest tarry," said he. His romance was short-lived however, for while they were lovers in the Spring, by October, 1786, Mary had died of a fever caught while waiting on a sick boy, her brother. Sources for notated versions: Cape Breton style fiddler Harvey Tolman (Nelson, N.H.) [Little]; Peter Chaisson, Jr. (b. 1942, Bear River, North-East Kings County, Prince Edward Island) [Perlman]. Alburger (Scottish Fiddlers and Their Music), 1983; Ex. 82, pg. 133. Carlin (The Gow Collection), 1986; No. 23. Gow (Collection). Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 5. Johnson (The Kitchen Musician's No. 10: Airs and Melodies of Scotland's Past), Vol. 10, 1992; pg. 4. Little (Scottish and Cape Breton Music in New Hampshire), 1984; pg. 30. Neil (The Scots Fiddle), 1991; No. 100, pg. 135. Perlman (The Fiddle Music of Prince Edwards Island), 1996; pg. 205. Iona Records IR002, Ossian - "Seal Song" (1981).
T:Coilsfield House
M:4/4
L:1/8
C:Nath. Gow
Z:Transcribed by Toby Rider
R:Slow Air
K:G
(G/2A/2)| BD GB, G,3 (A/2B/2)| c>A BG F<A D>c| c/2B/2A/2G/2 G/2F/2E/2D/2
G2 EC| B,G A,F GG, G,:|!
(B/2c/2)|d>B dB {cd}e2 AB/2c/2| dGFG A/2G/2F/2E/2 DB/2c/2| d>edB (c/2d/2
e) (e/2f/2g)| f/2g/2a/2g/2 f/2d/2e/2f/2 g2 G g/2a/2|!
bgdB (c/2d/2e) AB/2c/2|dGFG A/2G/2F/2E/2 Dc| BGDB, CD/2E/2 A, D/2C/2| B,
G A,F GG, G,||
GRANT OF SHEUGLIE'S CONTEST BETWEEN HIS VIOLIN, PIPE AND HARP. AKA - "Mairi nighean Dheorsa." Scottish, Slow Air (2/4 time). A Major. Standard. AB. "Grant of Sheugly, in Glen Urquhart, supposed composer of the verses to this beautiful ancient air, was himself a performer on the violin, pipe, and harp, and, it would appear, a poet, in the like manner. In appreciating the qualities of each instrument, he supposes they had quarrelled, and that he was called upon to decide the contest. In addressing a verse to his pipe, he observes 'how it would delight him, on hearing the sound of war, to listen to her notes, in striking up the gathering, to rally round the chief, on a frsoty spring morning, whilst the hard earth reverberated all lher notes, so as to be heard by the most distant person interested.' To the harp he says, --'The pleasure which thy tones afford are doubled, whilst accompanying a sweet female voice, or round the festive board, inspired by love or wine, I reach beyond my ordinary capacity, and feel the pleasure of pleasing.' But to his violin, which he calls by the literal name of the air, 'Mary, George's Daughter,' and seems to have been his favourite, though held cheap by the other combatants, he says,--'I love thee, for the sake of those who do,--the sprightly youth and bonny lasses.--all of whom declare, that, at a wedding, dance, or ball, thou, with thy bass in attendance, can have no competitor,--thy music having the effect of electricity on those who listen to it,'--and on thus receiving their due share of praise, their reconciliation is convivially celebrated. The editor's grandfather acquired this air from a successor of the composer, who was his contemporary" (Fraser).
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Sanger & Kinnaird (Tree of Strings, 1992) report that Sheuglie, or Shewglie as they give his name, was Alexander Grant of Shewglie, born around 1675 who died in captivity in London in July, 1746. Shewglie's branch of the family were supporters of Bonnie Prince Charlie, and though he did not take part in the battle of Culloden, Shewglie did write verses in support of the rebellion. Denounced by loyal members of the Grant clan, Shewglie was arrested along with his eldest son and the Rev. Mr. John Grant. Although the son and the minister were later released to return to their homes, the reprieve came too late for Shewglie, who, being elderly and having undergone great hardship in prison, contracted a fever and died. In addition to being a poet, Alexander was a skilled musician on some combination of the harp, bagpipe and fiddle; when he could find time, that is, as he reputedly fathered 14 sons and six daughters! The original Gaelic words to the song have been lost. Fraser (The Airs and Melodies Peculiar to the Highlands of Scotland and the Isles), 1814; No. 3, pg. 2.
T:Grant of Sheuglie's contest betwixt his Violin, Pipe and Harp
T:Mairi nighean Dheorsa
L:1/8
M:2/4
S:Fraser Collection
K:A
A>B c2|c>d e2|f>d e2|B2 AF|A2 a2|(e2 e/)d/c/B/|A2 A>B|A2 FE|
c>c c2|c>c e2|f>c e2|B2 AF|A2 a2|(e2 e/)d/c/B/|A2 A>B|A2 FE||
f>f a2|f>f a2|a>g a2|f>e e2|c>d e2|fe e2|A/B/c/d/ e/f/g/a/|f2 e2|
a>g f2|e<c e2|f<c a2|B2 AF|A2 a2|(e2 e/)d/c/B/|A2 AB|A2 FE||