Annotation:Black but Comely

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X:1 T:Black but Comely M:C L:1/8 R:Reel N:”Very Old” B:John McLachlan - Piper’s Assistant (1854, No. 106, p. 64) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:Amix B|d2 fe AAfe|d2 fd B2 AB|d2 fe AAfe|d2dB AAA:| B|Aaaf edef|daad B2 AB|Aaaf edef|d2 dB AAAB| Aaaf edef|daad B2 GB|d2 af e2 fe|d2 dB AAA||

BLACK BUT COMELY. AKA and see AKA and see "Black Laddie My Darling," "Bonny Black Laddie (2)," "For a' that and a' that," "Gille Dubh Mo Laochan (An)," "Lady Mackintosh (1)," "Lady Mackintosh's Reel (1)," "Mo loachan," "Strawberry Blossom (2)." Scottish, Reel. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Gow, Surenne): AAB (McLachlan): AABB'. The title is perhaps a biblical reference: the Shulamite woman in Song of Solomon (who some say was the Queen of Sheba) referred to herself as "black, but comely." However, if the alternate title "Bonny Black Laddie" is any indication, the tune name refers to a male. An air version of the tune is to be found in "Gille Dubh Mo Laochan (An)," employed by Robert Burns for his song "Man's a Man for a' That (A)."

Additional notes

Source for notated version: -

Printed sources : - Gow (Complete Repository, Part 3), 1806; p. 37. Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 2), c. 1880's; No. 152, p. 18. Köhlers’ Violin Repository, Book 2, 1881-1885, p. 126. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; p. 52. John McLachlan (Piper’s Assistant), 1854; No. 106, p. 64. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; p. 97. Surenne (Dance Music of Scotland), 1852; p. 159.

Recorded sources: -

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