Annotation:Lieutenant Dunbar 22nd Regiment's Waltz
X:1 T:Lieut. Dunbar 22nd Regiment’s Waltz C:”By a Lady” M:3/4 L:1/8 R:Waltz B:James Taylor – A Collection of Strathspeys & Reels, together with a Set of Scots Quadrilles (Elgin, c. 1835, p. 12) N:”Most respectfully dedicated to Lady Dunbar of Northfield.” Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:F AB|[A2c2][Ac]f AB|[A2c2][Ac]f Ac|[G2B2][GB]e Gc|[G2B2][GB]e GB| [A2c2][Ac]f Ac|[A2c2][Ac]f Ac|[G2B2][GB]e [GB]e|f3z:| c2|af cA FA|cA cf af|[e2g2][eg]c [eg]c|a3 f2z| {fg}af cA FA|[c2A2] cf af|g2{a}gf ga|f3z:||
LIEUT. DUNBAR 22nd REGIMENT'S WALTZ. Scottish, Waltz (3/4 time). F Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The composition "Lieut. Dunbar 22nd Regiment's Waltz" was credited "By a Lady" fiddler, composer and music teacher James Taylor of Elgin's first collection, c. 1835. The Dunbar family or Northfield, Elgin, is well represented in the collection. The first twelve tunes were composed by Archibald Dunbar or Northfield, Bart., while the entire collection was dedicated to his spouse Lady Dunbar. Various other titles reference family members, relatives or Dunbar places.
The honors the eldest son and namesake of Sir Archibald and his first wife, Helen Cumming-Gordon of Altyre. Archibald Jr. (who became the 7th Bart.) was a Lieutenant with the 22nd Cheshire Regiment. The composition may be the work of his mother, or perhaps one of his sisters. Given the simplicity of the waltz melody it is tempting to speculate that it was the work of a younger, unsophisticated, hand who may have been one of music teacher Taylor's pupils.
