Annotation:Braes of Balquhither (The)
X:1 T:Braes of Balquhither, The C:Alexander Mackay M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel B:Alexander Mackay – A Collection of Reels, Strathspeys and Slow Tunes… B:Chiefly composed by Alexander Mackay, Musician Islay (c. 1822, p. 14) B: https://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/104487947 N:Dedicated to the Right Hon. Lady Elinor Campbell of Islay and Shawfield. N:Mackay was born c. 1775 and was a fiddler-composer from Islay. Many of his N:tune titles are reflect Islay settings. N:Printed in Glasgow by J. MacFadyen, 30 Wilson St. Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:Edor d|BEBA F2 (Fd)|BEBd AFDd|BEBA F2 (AB)|(de)dB AFD:| |:g|fdfd efge|fdfd eBBg|fdfd efge|dedB AFD:|]
BRAES OF BALQUHITHER, THE. Scottish, Reel (cut time). E Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The reel "Braes of Balquhither" was included by Islay fiddler-composer Alexander Mackay in his Collection of Reels, Strathspeys and Slow Tunes (c. 1822) which contained a number of Mackay's own compositions, which he identified clearly. "Balquhither" was not one, however, nor was it labelled "old" or "very old" as were some other tunes in the collection. Mackay's reel is distantly related, if indeed at all, to "Braes of Balquidder (The)" AKA "Braes of Balquhither" which exists in air and reel settings.
