Annotation:Bridge of Dee (2) (The)

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X:1 T:Bridge of Dee [2] C:James Young M:C| L:1/8 B:Joseph Lowe - Lowe's Collection of Reels, Strathspeys and Jigs, book 4 (1844–1845, p. 9) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:D A,|D2 FD A,-DFD|G>BAF E/E/E ~E2|D2 FD A,-DFD|G>BAF D/D/D D:| E|Ddcd BcdB|ABAF EFGE|Ddcd Bdeg|fdec d/d/d de| fedc BcdB|edcB ABcA|dcdA Bdeg|fdec d/d/d d||

BRIDGE OF DEE [2], THE. AKA - "Brig o' Dee (2)." Scottish, Reel. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB: AA'B (MacQuarrie). The companion reel to the strathspey of the same name (for which see "Brig o' Dee (1) (The)"), also composed by James Young (1815-1851). Young was born in Montrose, the son of a violin/fiddle maker. At the age of twenty-two, in 1837, he moved to Aberdeen to work as a teacher and leader of the orchestra in the Theatre Royal, Marischal Street, and gained considerable local fame as a violinist and composer. He was succeeded in this post by biography:Peter Milne, who honored his predecessor by including Young's "Brig o' Dee", strathspey and reel, in his 1870 volume. See also Young's composition "Dunnottar Castle."

James's older brother John Young (c. 1812-1884) was also a violin maker, well-known in Aberdeen. He repaired the J. Scott Skinner's father's violin "in order that he might learn again with the left hand having shot off some fingers at a marriage" (handwritten note accompanying Skinner's manuscript copy of "Brig o' Dee"). Another brother, David, was also a violinist and composer.

Additional notes

Source for notated version: - Joseph Lowe's Collection, Book 4 [Henderson].

Printed sources : - Henderson (Flowers of Scottish Melody), 1935. Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 207. Lowe (Lowe's Collection of Reels, Strathspeys and Jigs, book 4), 1845; p. 9. Milne (Middleton’s Selection of Strathspeys, Reels &c. for the Violin), 1870; p. 10. MacQuarrie (Cape Breton Collection of Scottish Melodies), 1940; p. 20.

Recorded sources: -