Annotation:Lord Dalhousie
X:1 T:Lord Dalhousie M:C L:1/8 R:Reel B: Joseph Lowe - Lowe's Collection of Reels, Strathspeys and Jigs, B:book 3 (1844–1845, p. 5) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:D A|d2 (fd) A/A/A (fd)|egfe dBBc|d2 (fd) egfe|dBAF D/D/D D:| B|ADFA B2 Bd|(Ad)FA BEEB|ADFA BcdA|BdAF D/D/D (DB)| ADFA B2 Bd|(Ad)FA BEEB|AFGA Bcde|fdef d/d/d d||
LORD DALHOUSIE('S). AKA and see "Earl of Dalhousie's Reel (2)," "Earl of Dalkeith's Reel (2)," "Lady Johnston's Reel (2)," "Virginia Reel (9)." Scottish, Reel. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Cole, Ryan, Surenne): AAB (Athole, Kennedy, Lowe, Martin, Skye): AABB' (Kerr). The composition was the product of Biography:Nathaniel Gow (1763-1831), under the title "Earl of Dalhousie's Reel (2)." David Baptie (Musical Scotland, 1894) says that the composer was "...undoubtedly the best musician and most prolific composer belonging to this family, a man of whose abilities his country may feel proud." George Ramsay, 9th Earl of Dalhousie, was a long-time patron of Nathaniel Gow, and employed him in 1822 to play before King George IV at a banquet at Dalkeith Palace. When Gow became infirm toward the end of his life, it was Dalhousie who supported him. See also Annotation:Earl of Dalhousie's Reel (2) for more on Ramsay. Duncan MacKerracher's "Miss Stewart of Foss's Reel" (from his Collection of Strathspeys, Reel, etc., c. 1830) has melodic and harmonic similarities, but is probably not cognate.
Researcher Conor Ward finds the Irish reel "Maid of Holywell (The)" (Breathnach, "Ceol Rince na hÉireann vol. III"), to be a version of "Lord Dalhousie," with the parts reversed. Fr. John Quinn finds Elias Howe's "Virginia Reel (9)" to be cognate.
