Annotation:Dairymaid (3) (The)

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 DAIRY MAID [3], THE (Bhanarach dhonn a'chruidh). AKA and see "The Brown Milkmaid." Scottish, Slow Air (3/8 time). G Minor (Fraser): A Minor (Johnson). Standard tuning (fiddle). ABB' (Fraser): AABB' (Johnson). "A very imperfect set, indeed, of this melody pervades a good part of the country. In Burns' Reliques, published by Mr. Cromek, there is a song, called 'The Banks of the Devon,' said to be to this air, of which the editor was ignorant; but it is observed that Burns acquired the air from a young lady in Inverness,--doubtless from one who had similar access with the editor to the compilations of his progenitor and Mr. Fraser of Culduthel" (Fraser).  Source for notated version:  Printed sources: Fraser (The Airs and Melodies Peculiar to the Highlands of Scotland and the Isles), 1816/1874; No. 55, p. 19. Johnson (The Kitchen Musician's No. 10: Airs & Melodies of Scotland's Past), vol. 10, 1992 (revised 2001); p. 5. MacDonald (Patrick), Patrick MacDonald's Collection of Highland Vocal Airs (Edinburgh, 1784).  Recorded sources: Topic 12TS381, The Battlefield Band - "At the Front" (1978).

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