Annotation:John MacEachinn's Big Tune
X:1 T:Port mor Iain I’c Eachinn T:John MacEachinn’s Favorite T:John MacKay of Skerray’s Favorite M:C L:1/8 R:Reel B:William Gunn - The Caledonian Repository of Music B:Adapted for the Bagpipes (Glasgow, 1848, p. 36) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:Amix a|A<AeA cAAe|dBcA BGGB|A<AeA cafe|dGB<B e2A:| |:a|eA c2 eAcA|dGB<B dGBG|eA c2 eAcA|dGB<B e2A:| d|c2a2 c<cae|g2 ef B<BdB|A<A a2 cAec|g2 dB e2 Ad| c2a2 c<cae|g2 ef B<BdB|a<cc>a c>cec|g2 dB e2A|| |:a|e2 Ae cAAB|d2 Gd BGGB|e2 Aa cAec|dGB<B e2A:| |:a|A<AcA dBcA|B<BcA dGGB|A<AcA dBcA|B<Bed cAA:| e|A<AeA g2 e<a|c<cge dGGB|A<AeA g2 e<a|c<cac e2 g2| agfe g2 e<a|c<cge dGGB|g2 ea cAea|gedB e2A||
JOHN MACEACHINN'S BIG TUNE (Porst mohr Iain Ic Eachinn). AKA - "John Mackay of Skerray's Favourite." Scottish, Reel. A Mixolydian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCDDEEF (Gunn): AABBCDCDE (Skye). "Pipe tune. Probably so named in an ironical sense and usually applied to indifferent performers. May be played as a Reel or Strathspey" (Skye). The tune is considerably older than Keith Norman MacDonald's The Skye Collection (1887), however, and first appeared in Joseph MacDonald's Manuscript in 1760, followed by a printing as an untitled tune in Rev. Patrick MacDonald's Collection of Highland Vocal Airs (1784, No. 15, p. 35). It is considered to have been composed for the Highland bagpipe, and not an adaptation of a dance tune for another instrument.
The tune title is said to commemorate a famous businessman-farmer or tacksman of 18th century Sutherland, otherwise known as John Mackay of Skerray. The alternate titles are given in Gunn's Caledonian Repository (1848).
