Annotation:Mrs. J. Forbes

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MRS. J. FORBES. Scottish, Canadian; Reel. Canada; Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island. E Minor (Walker): E Dorian (Cranford, Perlman). Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB (Cranford): AA’B (Perlman): AABB (Walker). Composed by the Scottish fiddler and composer Alexander Walker for Mrs. J. Forbes of Banff. Mrs. Forbes was the former Eliza Young, spouse of solicitor and bank agent John Forbes (for whom Walker also composed a reel). It is a popular reel among Cape Breton/PEI fiddlers, often recorded.

Sources for notated versions: Kevin Chaisson (Bear River, North-East Kings County, Prince Edward Island) [Perlman]; Winston Fitzgerald (1914-1987, Cape Breton) [Cranford].

Printed sources: Cranford (Winston Fitzgerald), 1997; No. 142, p. 57. Perlman (The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; p. 110. Walker (A Collection of Strathspeys, Reels, Marches, &c.), 1866; No. 137, p. 47.

Recorded sources: Breton Books and Records BOC 1HO, Winston “Scotty” Fitzgerald - “Classic Cuts” (reissue of Celtic Records CX 40, appears as “Mrs. James Forbes”). Tartan Tapes CDTT1004, Karen Steven – “Heat the Hoose” (1998).

See also listing at:
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recordings Index [1]

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