Countess of Crawford (The)

 COUNTESS OF CRAWFORD, THE. AKA and see "Dunecht House." Scottish, Slow Strathspey or Air. A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. One of the most famous compositions of Peter Milne (1824-1908), a Scottish fiddler, one of J. Scott Skinner's teachers and, later, fiddling partner. Milne was renowned for his ability to improvise numerous variation sets as he played. He managed to make a living playing theater venues all over Scotland, but became addicted to opium in the drug laudenaum, which he originally took as a pain-killer. Milne ended his life in reduced circumstances, busking on the ferry which crossed the Firth of Forth until the Forth Bridge was built in 1908. He died in an insane asylum. The "Countess of Crawford" is considered to be among those of Milne's better compositions. See also Milne's companion reel, "The Earl of Crawford's Reel." Dunecht House is a mansion constructed in 1820 as the seat of Earl of Crawford and Balcarres. It features a grand ballroom, chapel and observatory and is surrounded by extensive gardens. The observatory was added by James Ludovic Lindsay (1847–1913), the 26th Earl of Crawford, a politician and amateur astronomer. Sources for notated versions: Arthur S. Robertson (Shetland) [Hunter]; Winston Fitzgerald (1914-1987, Cape Breton) [Cranford]; Hector MacAndrew [Martin]. Printed sources: Cranford (Winston Fitzgerald), 1997; No. 88, p. 38. Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 121. Martin (Traditional Scottish Fiddling), 2002; p. 138. Middleton (Selection of Strathspeys & Reels, etc.). Recorded source: Olympic 6151, Arthur Robertson - "Scottish Traditional Fiddle Music" (1978).

X: 1 T: The Countess of Crawford C:Peter Milne R:Strathspey Z:http://www.math.mun.ca/~bshawyer/straths/CountessOfCrawford.abc Q: 128 K:A M:4/4 L:1/16 e3c A3E FA3 EC3|A,3B, C3D E6G2|((3A2c2e2) ((3c2A2E2) ((3F2A2d2) ((3c2A2E2) |((3C2E2A2) ((3G2B2d2) A4-A2:| ((3f2b2f2) ((3e2a2e2) ((3d2e2d2) c3e|d3B dcBA GB3 GE3|CE3 E3A DF3 F3A|((3G2A2B2) ((3G2B2e2) cA3 A2:|
 * "aka Dunecht House"E2|A3c BAGF EC3 C3B,|A,3B, C3D E6E2|A4 BAGF EC3 CE3|A3E A3B c6d2|
 * e2|dcBA d3B e3c f3d|e3c a3c dcBA G3d|dcBA d3B e3c f3e|ge3 b3g a6e2|

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