Annotation:Duke of Gordon's Rant (The)

Back to 

 DUKE OF GORDON'S RANT, THE. AKA and see "Duke Gordon," "Duke of Gordon's Favourite (2) (The)," "Lord Gordon's Reel," "The Pride of Kildare [3]," etc. Scottish, Strathspey. See discussion of tune in note for "Lord Gordon's Reel." John Glen (1891) finds the earliest appearance of this tune in print in Alexander McGlashan's 1786 collection. Others cite that the melody was published in Glasgow, Scotland, in 1778 as "The Duke of Gordon's Rant." However, an older title for the reel is "Bod 'na Sheasamh," published some twenty years earlier. Uilleann piper Seamus Ennis played a reel version of the tune (as "Duke Gordon"), says Neil Mulligan, which he had from his father, who learned it from the famous piper and reed-maker, Pat Ward of the Black Bill, Drogheda. Alan Jabbour finds this tune printed in America by George P. Knauff as "Scott's Favorite" in Virginia Reels, volume III (Baltimore, 1839). See also the Irish version "Lord Gordon" and the American variant "Scott's Return." Cape Breton fiddlers play variants under the titles "Taste of Gaelic (A)" and "Scotch Patriot's Reel (The)" (a title from Ryan's/Coles).  Source for notated version:  Printed sources: McGlashan (Collection of Strathspey Reels), 1786, vol. 3; p. 7.  Recorded sources:

Back to