Annotation:Pearlin Peggie's Bonny
X:1
T:Pearlin Peggie's Bonny
T:Laird of Foveran, The
S:”Old”
N:Christie was a dancing master, fiddler
N:and composer from Cuminestown, Aberdeenshire.
M:3/2
L:1/8
Q:”Slow”
R:Air
D:Marquis Classics, David Greenberg – “Spring any day now” (2003)
B:Christie - Collection of Strathspeys, Reels, Hornpipes,
B:Waltzes &c. (Edinburgh, 1820, pp. 26-27)
Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion
K:Amin
e2A2 T(A>Bd>B) {B}A2G2|e2A2 (A>B)(d>e) {e}g4|e2 A2 ~(A>B)(d>B) {B}A2 (G>A/2B/4)|c2 ~(c>d) {cd}e2 (dB)A4:|
a2 {b}Ta>g e2 (dB) {cd}e2 (dB) {B}A2G2|{gb}a2 Ta>g e2 (g>a) {ga}b4|a2 {b}T(a>g) e2 (dB) {B}A2 G2{AB}|c2 ~(c>d) {cd}e2 (dB) A4|
a2 {b}(a>g) e2 (dB) {B}A2G2|{gb}a2 T(a>g) e2 (g>a) {ga}b4|(a>b)(a>g) e2 {e}(dB) {B}A2 (G>A/2B/4)|~(c>B)(cd) (ed)(gB) {B}A4||
PEARLIN PEGGIE'S BONNY.AKA - "Pearlin Peggy." AKA and see "Laird of Foveran (The)." Scottish, (Slow) Air (3/2 time). A Minor. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. Dancing master, fiddler and composer William Christie (1778-1849), of Cuminestown, Aberdeenshire, in whose 1820 collection this tune appears, labelled this 3/2 time tune as "old" in his day. According to The New Statistical Account of Scotland (pub. 1834-45): "FOVERAN, a parish, in the district of Ellon, county of Aberdeen, 12 miles (N. by W.) from Aberdeen; containing the village of Newburgh and the barony of Kuockhall. This place was formerly remarkable for its castle, called Foveran, as is supposed, from [Ed.- Scots Gaelic fuaran]a sweet and powerful spring, which still flows with its ancient vigour; but every vestige of the fortress is gone. The church is a plain substantial edifice, built in 1794, and accommodating 700 persons; the interior contains two handsome marble monuments to the Foveran family, and another, of very superior character, designed by Bacon, to the Udny family."
The song "Burnwall" printed in W. Christie's Traditional Ballad Airs, vol. 2 (1881, p. 76) was directed to be sung to the air "Pearlin Peggy, or The Laid of Foveran." The note for the tune mentions:
This air was arranged from the singing of the Editor's mother by his father...The only words the Editor's mother remembered were merely the following four lines:--
Pearlin Peggy's bonny,
Pearlin Peggy's braw;
I'll get Pearlin Peggy,
Pearl cups and a'.
The editor, W. Christie, M.A., was the son of William Christie, who published the tune in 1820, who gives his father "The late Wm. Christie, Monquhitter" partial credit for the volume in the frontispiece. W. Christie was Dean of Moray and "Chaplain to His Grace the Duke of Richmond and Gordon, K.G.", to whose wife (the Duchess of Richmond and Gordon) he dedicated the volume.
"Pearlin Peggy's Bonnie" was also used as the vehicle for Angus Fletcher's song "The Lassie o' the Glen", printed in Robert Maver's Maver's Collection of genuine Scottish Melodies for the pianoforte (Glasgow, 1806, p. 205).
