Annotation:Buckingham House (1)

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BUCKINGHAM HOUSE. AKA and see "Athole Brose," "Niel Gow's Favorite." Scottish, Strathspey. A Mixolydian (Hardie, Skinner) {Skinner reports the original key was D Mixolydian}: D Minor (Gatherer, Glen). Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB (Glen): AABB (Gatherer, Hardie, Skinner). The melody was composed by either Abraham Mackintosh (1769-c. 1807) or his father Robert 'Red Rob' Mackintosh (c. 1745-1807). Glen (1891) maintains the elder Mackintosh set the music to a song called "Athol Brose" in 1796, though it is credited to Abraham in Robert Mackintosh's 3rd Collection (1796). David Baptie (in Musical Scotland, 1895) also records Abraham as the composer, pointing out the strathspey "Buckingham House" was first published in his father's collection, clearly attributed to "Macintosh, Junior" in print.

Buckingham is an Anglo-Saxon name, probably stemming from the early years of their invasion of England, meaning 'the homestead of Bucca's people.' Buckingham House developed from a country mansion into Buckingham Palace, the residence of the Queen of England. King George III bought Buckingham House in 1761 for his wife Queen Charlotte to use as a comfortable family home close to St James's Palace, where many court functions were held. Buckingham House became known as the Queen's House, and 14 of George III's 15 children were born there. In 1762 work began on remodelling the house to the King's requirements, to designs by Sir William Chambers, at a cost of £73,000. Still later developments and improvements extended the mansion to the present-day palace. See also the Irish reel "Dogs Among the Bushes (The)," a variant.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Gatherer (Gatherer's Musical Museum), 1987; p. 37. Glen (The Glen Collection of Scottish Dance Music), vol. 2, 1895; p. 41. Hardie (Caledonian Companion), 1992; p. 116. Skinner (The Scottish Violinist), 1900; p. 10 (includes a variation).

Recorded sources:

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