Annotation:Miss Agnes Ross’s Reel

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MISS AGNES ROSS'S REEL. AKA and see "Miss Ross’ Strathspey—of Elgin (1)," "Lassie Look Before Ye," "Look Before You." Scottish, Reel. D Mixolydian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. Composed by William Marshall (1748-1833), first published in his 1781 collection (p. 12), but re-titled by the Gows ("Look Before You") when they published the tune. It is a reel version of his "Miss Ross' Strathspey--Elgin." Miss Agnes has been identified as the daughter of James Ross, the secretary/factor at Gordon Castle, Fochabers, who was a colleague of Marshall’s in his position of Steward of the Household at the castle (Moyra Cowie, The Life and Times of William Marshall, 1999).

William Marshall



Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Marshall, Fiddlecase Edition, 1978; 1781 Collection, p. 12 and the 1822 Collection, p. 33 (appears as "Miss Ross' Strathspey Elgin"). McGlashan (A Collection of Reels), c. 1786; p. 21.

Recorded sources:




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