Annotation:Short Life to all Stepmothers

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X:1 T:Short Life to all Stepmothers M:C L:1/8 R:Strathspey S:MacDonald – 4th Collection of Strathspey Reels (1797) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:D Minor D | A,<D D>F D>A,DF | E>CE>F G/F/E/D/ C>E | A,<D D>E F>G A<d | Tc>AcE D/D/D D :| ^c | Td>edA Td>edA | c>de>f g/f/e/d/ ce | d>edA d>ef>e | e<c Tg>e d/d/d d2 | d>edA d>edA | c>de>f g/f/e/d/ cg | a/g/f/a/ g/f/e/g/ f/e/d/f/ e/d/^c/e/ | {^c}d>A c>E D/D/D D ||

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SHORT LIFE TO ALL STEPMOTHERS. Scottish, Strathspey (whole time). D Minor. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. The melody appears in the 4th collection of Malcolm MacDonald of Dunkeld, dedicated to the Countess of Breadalbane. Niel Gow's son, Nathaniel Gow (1763-1831), produced an answer of sorts to MacDonald’s tune a few years later with his strathspey “Long Life to Stepmothers” (Fourth Collection of Strathspey Dances, 1800). He had the fortune to benefit from the entry of his father's second wife into the family, and they were said to have had a cordial relationship. One surmises that MacDonald was not so fortunate.