Annotation:Forneth House

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 FORNETH HOUSE. AKA - "Forneith House." AKA and see "Mrs. Crawford's Favorite." Scottish, Slow Air or Strathspey. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. The tune was first published twice by Robert Petrie, originally in his First Collection (1790) under the title "Forneth House," and again, this time claimed as his own composition in the Third Collection (1800). This was perhaps due to its appearance the same year in Nathaniel Gow's Fourth Collection (1800) where the melody appeared in a slightly different setting as "Mrs. Crawford's Favourite Strathspey," with no attribution. The Gows must have known it was composed by Petrie, for the London branch of the Gow publishing family (Nathaniel's brothers Andrew and John) used the "Forneth House" title earlier in their Collection of Slow Airs (c. 1795). Poet Robert Tannahill (1774-1810) composed a song to the ("Forneth House") melody, beginning "Now Winter, wi' his cloudy brow, is far ayont yon mountains."  Source for notated version:  Printed sources: Lerwick (The Kilted Fiddler), 1985; pp. 70-71. Petrie (Third Collection of Strathspey Reels and Country Dances), 1790; p. 7.  Recorded sources: Redwing Music RWMCD 5410, Abby Newton - "Castles, Kirks and Caves" (2001. Learned from Angus Grant).  See also listings at: Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources

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