Annotation:Miss Stewart of Grantully (1)

Back to 

 MISS STEWART OF GRANTULLY [1]. Scottish, Strathspey. A Mixolydian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. A double-tonic tune composed by Niel Gow (1727-1806), in pipe style (range of nine notes, double tonic). Pulver (1992) says it “can be said to represent the quintessence of Scottish dance melodies.” Grandtully (pronounced ‘Grantly’) is situated on the River Tay in Perth and Kinross, Scotland. Grandtully Castle was a stronghold of the Stewarts and dates from the 16th century. The tune is a strathspey setting of Gow’s “Miss Stewart (1)/Miss Stewart of Grantully (2)" and the title perhaps refers to Clementina or Grizel Stewart, daughters of Sir John Stewart, 4th Bart of Grandtully (d. 1797) and his wife Clementina Stewart (daughter of Charles Stewart of Ballechin), whom he married in 1749. Grizel became a minister’s wife, while Clementina (born around 1759) married in 1782 Alexander Moray, 14th of Abercairny.   Source for notated version:   Printed sources: Alburger (Scottish Fiddlers and Their Music), 1983; Ex. 70, pp. 108 109. Carlin (Gow Collection), 1986; No. 156. Gow, First Book of Niel Gow’s Reels (2nd ed.), 1784/1801; p. 8. Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 143. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; p. 7. Purser (Scotland’s Music), 1992; Ex. 6, p. 204. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; p. 2.  Recorded sources:

Back to