Annotation:Miss Shepherd

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MISS SHEPHERD. Scottish, Reel. A Dorian. Standard tuning. AAB (Hunter, Martin, Martin & Hughes, Perlman, Skinner): AABB (Songer). Composed by renowned Scottish fiddler-composer J. Scott Skinner (1843-1927), first published in his Harp and Claymore Collection (1904). Hunter (1988) reports that Miss Shepherd was a clerk in Strachan's music shop on Belmont Street in Aberdeen, at one time a favorite meeting place on Saturday nights for fiddlers. The Univ. of Aberdeen's J. Scott Skinner site give that Miss Shepherd was John Marshall's assistant. Skinner, in the margins of his manuscript version [1] writes that Marshall was a "Violin Maker, Aberdeen, & restorer of author's violin". According to Alan Sim ("200 years of making North-east fiddles", Leopard, June, 2005) Strachan first set up his business in the premises previously occupied by John Marshall, "so it is reasonable to suppose that he was trained by him and succeeded him in the business." John Marshall was born in 1844 and died in Aberdeen in 1919. He was a contemporary and close friend of Skinner, made quality instruments, and was an experienced repairer (Hill & Sons of London sent him work).

Source for notated version: Paul MacDonald (b. 1974, Charlottetown, Queens County, Prince Edward Island) [Perlman].

Printed sources: Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 192. Martin (Traditional Scottish Fiddling), 2002; p. 120. Martin & Hughes (Ho-ro-gheallaidh), 1990; p. 25. Perlman (Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; p. 98. Skinner (The Scottish Violinist), 1900; p. 27. Skinner (Harp and Claymore), 1904; p. 67. Songer (Portland Collection), 1997; p. 137 (appears as “Miss Shepherd’s Reel”).

Recorded sources: Green Linnet SIF 3037, Silly Wizard - "Golden, Golden" (1985). Maggie’s Music MMCD222, Bonnie Rideout – “Scottish Fire” (2000).