Annotation:Mr. Michie (1)
X: 1 T: Mr. Michie [1] C: Angus Fitchet R: march B: Hugh Foss, "The ANGUS FITCHET Album" 1954 Z: 2010 John Chambers <jc:trillian.mit.edu> M: C| L: 1/16 K: F C2 \ | "F"F4 kA2F2 kc2A2 kf2d2 | "F"c2A2 BAGF "C7"E2G2 G2A2 \ | "F"{E}F4 C2F2 "Bb"B,2D2 "Gm"G,2d2 | "F"c2A2 "C7"BGEc "F"A2F2 F2 :| c2 \ | "F"f3g a2f2 c2f2 c2f2 | "F"c2F2 dcBA "C7"B2G2 G2c2 \ | "F"f3g a2f2 c2f2 A2c2 | "C7"B2G2 cdcB "F"A2F2 F2 |] c2 \ | "F"a3f c2A2 f3d c2A2 | "F"c2F2 dcBA "C7"B2G2 G2A2 \ | "F"{E}F4 C2F2 "Bb"B,2D2 "Gm"G,2d2 | "F"c2A2 "C7"BGEc "F"A2F2 F2 |]
MR. MICHIE [1]. Scottish, March (4/4 time). F Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABCCD. Composed by Angus Fitchet [1], born in Dundee in 1910 and a leading country dance band leader and fiddler during the mid 20th century in Scotland. Fitchet died in 1998. The tune, his first, written at the age of 16 in 1926, is well ensconced in traditional repertoire.
Fitchet's title honors John D. Michie (1884-1960), a musician, inventor, composer, teacher, poet and craftsman, who resided and kept a music shop in Brechin. According to Hunter (1979), he was an excellent fiddler until he lost the power of some fingers in World War I. Upon his return he became the owner of a music shop in Brechin and became and expert fiddle repairer. His injury did not stop him from teaching, playing and composing, however, and among his output is a hornpipe suite in the key of Eb (published in 1933) that consisted of "Autocrat (The)," "Jester (The)," and "Optimist (The)." A second hornpipe suite was preceded by a slow air ("Dying Year (The)" (dedicated to fiddler Angus Fitchet, who responded with his march, "Mr. Michie"), followed by "Cynic (The)," "Desclaimer (The)," and "Recluse Hornpipe."
