Annotation:Girvan Water

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GIRVAN WATER. Scottish, Jig (6/8 time). D Mixolydian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. Composed by fiddler-composer biography:John French (1752–1803). It appears in his A Collection of New Strathspeys, Reels &c. (c. 1801), dedicated to Mrs. Boswell of Auchinleck, and published by Gow & Shepherd, “for behoof of Mr. French’s widow and children.” The phrase may indicate that French was incapacitated, or perhaps dead, in which case either the dates of publication of the dates of his death are faulty.

The Water of Girvan is a river in South Ayrshire, rising in Loch Girvan Eye in South Ayrshire and emptying into the Firth of Clyde at Girvan. Several country estates were located on or near Girvan Water.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: French (A Collection of New Strathspey Reels &c.), 1801.

Recorded sources:




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