Annotation:Duchess of Athole's Favourite

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 DUCHESS OF ATHOLE'S FAVOURITE. Scottish, Slow Air (6/8 time). A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AA'BBCC. The composition has been credited to the famous Perthshire fiddler-composer Niel Gow (1727-1807), although his name does not appear with the tune when it was printed in the Gow's 2nd Collection (1788). Cape Breton fiddler Bill Lamey (1914-1991) played the tune as a waltz, although waltzes did not come into vogue until after Niel Gow died and it is doubtful he wrote it as a vehicle for that dance. The tune was also recorded by Cape Breton fiddler Dan R. MacDonald on and early LP with accompanist Lila Hashem, according to Paul Cranford.  Source for notated version:  Printed sources: Gow (Second Collection of Niel Gow's Reels), 1788; pp. 20-21 (3rd ed.). MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; p. 154.  Recorded sources: Rounder 82161-7032-2, Bill Lamey - "From Cape Breton to Boston and Back: Classic House Sessions of Traditional Cape Breton Music 1956-1977" (2000).

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