Annotation:Lord Alexander Gordon
X:1 T:Lord Alexander Gordon’s Strathspey M:C L:1/8 R:Strathspey B:Joshua Campbell – A Collection of New Reels & Highland Strathspeys (Glasgow, 1789, p. 42) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:A A,(AA)c/d/ (eA) Tc2|ee f/e/d/c/ dBBc|A,(AA)c/d/ eAce|1 (3fga (3efd (cA) A2:|2 f/g/a/g/ a/f/e/d/ cA A2|| |:C(EE)F/G/ (AE) TE2|B,(BB)c (dc)T(BA)|(3cde (3fga (3fed (3cBA|(3Bcd (3efd T(c>A) A2:|| P:Gigg M:12/8 L:1/8 E/C/|A,>C/E/A/ EAc Ace aec|{c}ea/g/a/Tf/ edc dBB B2 T(c/B/)|AEC A,CE Ace aec|f/g/a/g/a/f/ e/a/g/f/e/d/ TcAA [A,2E2A2]:| |:E|TC<B,C EFG {G}A>cB/A/ GFE|B,Bd bge dbd cdB|TcA/B/c/d/ efg (a/b/)(g/a/)(f/g/) {f}edc|(B/c/)d/e/f/d/ (e/f/)e/d/c/B/ TcAA A2:|]
LORD ALEXANDER GORDON('S). AKA - "Lord Alexander Gordon’s Reel." AKA and see "Glenkindie." Scottish, Strathspey (whole time). A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Cole, McGlashan, Surenne): AAB (Gow, Lowe, Marshall): AABB (Athole, Kerr): AA'BB (Campbell): AABB' (Skye).
The melody was composed by Biography:William Marshall (1748-1833) and appears earliest in Alexander McGlashan's 1786 collection. It was republished by the Gows in Repository, Part First (1799), without composer credit. A Scottish fiddler and composer, Marshall is most famous for his many fine strathspeys. He worked for much of his life for the Alexander, the 4th Duke of Gordon as the Steward of his Household, and, later, Factor, and it is fortunate that the Duke was an enthusiastic supporter and patron of Marshall's music. Lord Alexander refers not to the 4th Duke, but rather his son and namesake, born in 1785, who lived only until the age of 23, when he died in Musselburgh Barracks on January 8th, 1808, "after a life of dissipation" (Cowie, The Life and Times of William Marshall, 1999). Glasgow-based musician Joshua Campbell included a jig setting (12/8 time) of the melody along with the strathspey in his 1789 collection.
