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Annotation:Mrs. Falconer's Reel—Craigellachie
X:1 T:Mrs. Falconer’s Reel—Craigellachie L:1/8 M:C S:Marhsall – 1845 Collection Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G ~g2 dB ~g2dB|AGAB A/A/A A2|~g2 dB ~g2 dB|AGAB G/G/G G2:| (~g2 b)g afge|dBgB A/A/A A2|~g2 bg afge|dBcA G/G/G G2:| |:GBdB gBdB|GBdB A/A/A A2|GBdB gBdB|AGAB G/G/G G2:| |:bgaf ~g2 (eg)|dBgB A/A/A A2|1 bgaf ~g2 eg|dBgB G/G/G G2:|2 gbab gaeg|dBgB G/G/G G2||
MRS. FALCONER'S REEL--CRAIGELLACHIE. AKA and see "Buff and Blue (1)," "Jumping Geordie," "Pope's Toe (2) (The)," "Sir Harry Flutter." Scottish, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCCDD'. The composition has been attributed to biography:William Marshall (1748-1833). A Scottish fiddler and composer, Marshall is most famous for his many fine strathspeys. Marshall worked for much of his life for the Duke of Gordon as the Steward of his Household, and it is fortunate that the Duke was an enthusiastic supporter and patron of Marshall’s music.
"Mrs. Falconer's Reel--Craigellachie" was printed in Marshall's posthumous 1845 collection, however, it is almost identical to a country dance composed by the remarkable former African slave Ignatius Sancho, who published his collection in London in 1769. Sancho's name for his tune was "Sir Harry Flutter." While a good many of Marshall's tunes were in aural circulation during his lifetime, it is something of a stretch to believe that this is a Marshall composition; it also does not seem in his style. Variants can be found as "Buff and Blue (1)" in William Litten's c. 1800-1802 music manuscript collection, as "Pope's Toe (2) (The)" in the mid-19th century large music manuscript of Manchester, England, musician William Roose, and printed as "Jumping Geordie" by Kerr in the latter 19th century.
