Annotation:Fingal's Dirk

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 FINGAL'S DIRK. Scottish, Pipe Quickstep (4/4 time). A Mixolydian. Standard tuning. AABBCCDD. Composed by Scots fiddler-composer J. Scott Skinner (1843-1927). In his hand-written manuscript of the tune there is a note: 'To Angus Macrae Callander, is it dedicated.' 'note [sic] Had I been a forger of arms Fingal said: - "Well would I form Knives; I would temper their blades with steel and their points with the hardest steel; their shafts of heather with their yellow heads, I ''would fix in the thick backs of the/ thin edges." This true poetical description of Dirks is thought to be the first invention of that weapon. See Poems of "Ossian" Hugh & John McCallum Montrose 1816 -'. ''  Source for notated version:  Printed sources: Skinner (Harp and Claymore), 1904; p. 49.  Recorded sources:

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