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Annotation:Lord Moira
X:1 T:Lord Moira M:C L:1/8 B:Wilson - Companion to the Ball Room (1816, p. 42) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:F F>FF>F A<c c2|B>GA>F G>FE>C|F>FF>F A<c c2|d<f e/f/g/e/ f/g/a/g/ f<a|| f<f a>f g>fe>c|d<d f>d c>BA>F|f<f a>f g>fec|d>f e/f/g/e/ f2 fga/| b>ga>f g>fdf|d/c/B/A/ fA B/A/G/F/ G>A|F>FF>F B<d d2|c>f e/f/g/e/ f/g/a/g/ f<a||
LORD MOIRA('S WELCOME TO SCOTLAND). AKA and see "Bonnie Scotland (1)," "Bundoran Highland (The)," "Cluck Old Hen (3)," "Earl of Moira (The)," "Earl Moira's Strathspey (1)," "Earl of Moira's Welcome to Scotland (The)," "Flintlock," "Jenny Put the Kettle On (2)," "Knocktoran Fair," "Lord Morrel's Return," "Marquis of Hastings (The)," "Louden's/"Loudon's Bonnie Woods/Louden's Bonnie Woods and Braes," "Old Highland Fling (The)." Scottish (originally), Canadian; Strathspey or Hornpipe. Canada, Cape Breton. G Major (Colclough, Kennedy, O'Farrell, Raven, White): F Major (Athole, Cole, Doyle, Howe, Hunter, Kerr, Lowe, Skye, Wilson). Standard tuning (fiddle). One part (Howe, Kerr): AB (White, Wilson): ABC (Cole): AABB (Plain Brown): AABB' (Raven, Kennedy): AABC (Hunter, Skye): ABCD (Lowe): AA'BCCD (Athole): AABBCC (O'Farrell): AABCDDE (Kerr, vol. 3). Ascribed to fiddler-composer Duncan MacIntyre by MacDonald in the Skye Collection (1887), although his original title was "Earl of Moira's Welcome to Scotland (The)." MacIntyre (c. 1765–1807) was a Scottish dancing master, musician and composer. Irish-born Francis Rawdon Hastings (1754-1826), Lord Moira, was an British officer at the Battle of Bunker Hill during the American War of Independance. Twenty-five years later he became the Commander-in-Chief in Scotland (which the tune title alludes to), and was bestowed the title Marquis of Hastings in 1816. Louden (see the alternate title) was his family seat. Later he was appointed Governor General of India (1813 to 1823).
A note in Doyle's Plain Brown Tune Book (1997), based on the Ellis Knowles manuscripts, says the tune is a "Scottish tune popular in Lancashire." Attesting to its popularity, the tune can also be found in other 19th century English tune books as well. For example, it appears (in a truncated version) in the Joseph Kershaw manuscript from the North West of England. Kershaw was a fiddler who lived in Slackcote, Saddleworth, in the 19th century, and his manuscript dates from around 1820 onwards, and (as "Lord Moires Return to Kettam") in British army fifer John Buttery of Lincoln's copybook, compiled during his twenty years' service. He joined the 34th Regiment in Lincoln around the turn of the 19th century.
See also notes for "Annotation:Marquis of Hastings (The)," the Irish variants "Boys of Knock (The)", "Bundoran Highland (The)," "Highland a' Choille", "Knocktoran Fair" and "Little Ark," and Sussex, England, concertina player Scan Tester's (1886–1972) related "Indian Polka," as well as the derivative English country dance tune "Flintlock" and the American "Jenny Put the Kettle On (2)."
