Annotation:Ten Pound Fiddle

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X:1 T:Ten Pound Fiddle, The M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel C:J. Scott Skinner Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:A E | {G}A2 ED CEAf | eAfA GBBG | {G}A2 EC DFBA | GBeg aAAE | A/A/A ED CEAf | eA[fa]A GBBG | A/A/A EC DFBA | GBeg aA A || g | {g}a/a/a ea .c.a.A.g | aec[ea] fBBg | a/a/a ec f/f/f dB | GBeg aAA(a | .g.a).e.a .c.a.A.a | caAa fBBc | {G}A2 EC DFBA | GBeg aA A ||



TEN POUND FIDDLE, THE. Scottish (originally), Canadian, Reel. Canada, Cape Breton. A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Cranford, Hunter, Phillips, Skinner): AAB (Martin). Composed by the great Scottish composer and fiddler wikipedia:James_Scott_Skinner (1841-1927), who recorded it in 1910[1] (Regal G6624, as part of "Medley No. 2"[2]). The word 'Pound' in the title is a British monetary unit (ten of which was presumably the cost of the instrument). See entry for Skinner’s “Baker (The)” --the tunes are often played together, e.g. as by Donegal fiddler John Doherty and Cape Breton fiddler Angus Chisholm.

The tune was recorded by several of Cape Breton's best 20th century fiddlers: Buddy MacMaster, Angus Chisholm and Winston Fitzgerald.


Additional notes
Source for notated version : - Angus Chisholm (Cape Breton) [Phillips]; Winston Fitzgerald (1914-1987, Cape Breton) [Cranford]; Hector MacAndrew [Martin].

Printed sources : - Cranford (Winston Fitzgerald), 1997; No. 79, p. 35. Hunter (Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 255. Martin (Traditional Scottish Fiddling), 2002; p. 124. Phillips (Fiddlecase Tunebook), 1989; p. 47. Skinner (The Scottish Violinist), 1900; p. 5.

Recorded sources : - Raven RVCD 54, Dave Swarbrick - "Smiddyburn and Flittin'" (1981). Shanachie 14001, "The Early Recordings of Angus Chisolm" (1978. Chisholm was a Cape Breton fiddler who recorded the tune in the 1930's in a medley with “The Baker”). Topic 12T280, J. Scott Skinner - "The Strathspey King" (1975). Topic 12TS266, Alex Green - "Caledonian Companion" (1975).

See also listing at :
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recordings Index [1]
Hear Angus Chisholm's at the Internet Archive [2]



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  1. Topic Records gives the recording date as January, 1910, and 45 World gives a date of February, 1914.
  2. "Medley No. 2" is the 'B' side of the record. The 'A' side is "Bagpipe Marches".