Annotation:Prince William of Gloucester's Favorite

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PRINCE WILLIAM OF GLOUCESTER'S FAVORITE. Scottish, Country Dance Tune (2/4 time). E Flat Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB'CC. A country dance tune composed by Scottish fiddler-composer and music publisher John Gow (1764-1826). John was the fourth and last child of Dunkeld fiddler-composer Niel Gow (1727-1807), and a member of the family's music publishing firm, a branch of which he established in London in 1788 with his older brother Andrew.

Prince William Frederick (1776-1834), Duke of Gloucester and Edinburgh, was the son of William Henry, Duke of Gloucester, who was King George III's younger brother. He was the grandson of King George II, and son-in-law of King George III. In 1816, he married his cousin Mary (fourth daughter of George III and Queen Charlotte); they were both aged 40. William seldom attended the House of Lords and seemed indifferent to politics. He was not well-respected, and was widely known as "Silly Billy"; he was also called "Slice of Gloucester" and "Cheese", a reference to Gloucester cheese.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Campbell (10th Book of New and Favorite Country Dances), 1795; p. 2.

Recorded sources: