Annotation:Rasay's Favorite

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RASAY’S FAVORITE. Scottish, Reel. A Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. “Very Old,” states Gow (1817), who noted that the reel “May be played slow when not danced.” The tune was "Communicated by himself," referring to MacLeod of Raasay, laird of the island of Raasay in the western isles. The laird at the time of, a contemporary of Nathaniel Gow, was Lt.-Col. James MacLeod (1761-1823), 12th of Raasay, the son of the laird who had entertained Boswell and Johnson in 1773 (see note for "annotation:Rasay House"), although Gow does not clarify if it was the 11th or 12th laird who was the source for the tune, however, John Raasay, 11th laird was known to play the violin (and his wife the pianoforte). Both father and son employed pipers; James MacLeod's (12th) piper for some twenty-five years was John MacKay, song of Rory (Iain mac Ruairidh), Eyre.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Gow (Complete Repository, Part 4), 1817; p. 36.

Recorded sources:

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