Annotation:Harlequin Reel
X:1 T:Harlequin Reel M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel B:David Young - The Drummond Castle Manuscript, Part 2 (1734, No. 36) B:https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/musicfiles/manuscripts/drummond2.pdf Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:F c|FFFF cA f2|FFAF E/F/ G2A|FFFF cA (f/e/d/c/)|(=B/c/d) G=B c2:| |:g|cccc ge c'2|(c/d/e/f/) ga gccf|dBfA BGcF|(E/F/G) CE F3:|
HARLEQUIN REEL. Scottish, Reel (cut time). F Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The melody is contained in the Drummond Castle Manuscript, Part 2 (1734, No. 37), inscribed "A Collection of the best Highland Reels written by David Young, W.M. & Accomptant." The MS. is sometimes called the "Duke of Perth Manuscript" because of Young's dedication. An identical version of "Harlequin's Reel" was also entered into Young's MacFarlane Manuscript Part 2 (c. 1741, No. 193, p. 237[1]), compiled for his patron at the time, Walter MacFarlane of MacFarlane.
wikipedia:Harlequin was one of the principal stock characters of Italian Commedia dell'arte, often a facile and witty gentleman's valet and a capricious swain of the serving maid. A whole theater genre, the Harlequinade, developed around the character in England in the early 18th century.
