Annotation:My Lady Balclughe's Ayre

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MY LADY BALCLUGHE'S (BUCCLEUCH'S) AYRE. Scottish. From the Panmure Manuscript', #9454, Seventy Seven Dances, Songs and Scots Airs for Violin, c. 1675. Robin Williamson relates in his liner notes to the tune that the most famous exploit of the Buccleuch's, a prominent Border family, was the daring rescue of Kinmont Willie from Carlisle Castle by Walter Scott of Branxholme, Laird of Buccleuch, in 1596. This latter bold man, later captured and sent to England, appeared before Queen Elizabeth, who asked him, "How dared you undertake such a dangerous and presumptuous venture?" Whereupon Buccleuch replied, "What does a man not dare to do?" Finding merit in this response Elizabeth is reported to have said, "With ten thousand such men, our brother of Scotland might shake the firmest throne of Europe." She followed up by soon returning him unharmed to Scotland.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources:

Recorded sources: Flying Fish, Robin Williamson - "Legacy of the Scottish Harpers, vol. 2."




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