Annotation:Dorrington Lads (1)

Find traditional instrumental music

Back to Dorrington Lads (1)


DORRINGTON LADS [1]. AKA and see "Willy Allan's Favourite." English, Jig (9/8 time). England, Northumberland. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. "'Dorrington Lads' has always been a great favourite with each successive generation of small-pipe players; notably, the celebrated Willy Allan (after whom it is sometimes named 'Willy Allan's Favourite'). It is stated that in his last moments, when exhorted by the bystanders to think of the solemn circumstances in which he was placed, he exclaimed, with some degree of peevishness, 'Hand me the pipes, an' I'll gie ye 'Dorrington Lads' yet,' and expended his failing strength in attempting to sound the bagpipes. This was about 1760." [Bruce & Stokoe].

"Dorrington Lads" is nearly identical to "My Dearie Sits Ower Late Up." The first strain was employed for Swarbrick/McCarthy's "Drunken Piper (3)".

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Northumbrian Pipers' Tune Book, vol. 2; p. 71. Bruce & Stokoe (Northumbrian Minstrelsy), 1882; p. 151.

Recorded sources:




Back to Dorrington Lads (1)