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Dainty Davie

Its provenance appears to be English, but it is strongly associated with Scotland, perhaps due to having been popularized by Robert Burns, although a country dance version of the tune long predates Burns, entered into musician and dancing-master David Young's MacFarlane Manuscript (c. 1741, No. 1, p. 1^[1]) . "This spirited tune was developed from a simple Scottish strain about the end of the 18th century, by O'Farrell, a famous Irish piper well known on the London stage," said Captain Francies O'Neill.

He was surely in error, for the melody appears first in print in Henry Playford's Dancing Master, 11th edition^[2] (London, 1701, and in subsequent editions, through the l8th, in 1728), and in numerous English country dance publications such as London publishers Walsh (Compleat Country Dancing Master, 1731) and Charles and Samuel Thompson's 1765 country dance collection. "I know nothing about this, farther than that the air and a bit of the song remain in a remote corner of my memory from dim old times," remarked Irish collector P.W. Joyce.

The title appears in Henry Robson's list of popular Northumbrian song and dance tunes, which he published c. 1800, and the tune appears in the 1799 Calvert Collection, an assembly of tunes by Thomas Calvert, a musician from Kelso. A note with his collection states that Calvert supplied "a variety of music and instruments, instruments lent out, tun'd and repaired." John Macpherson Mulhollan attributes the tune to "Mr. Stewart" in his 1804 collection.

It also appears in Issac Cooper of Banff's (b. 1755-d. 1810 or 1811, although sometimes the year is given as 1820) Collection of Strathspeys, Reels and Irish Jigs for the Piano-Forte & Violin to which are added Scots, Irish & Welch Airs Composed and Selected by I. Cooper at Banff (London, Edinburgh, c. 1806). Purser (1992) believes Robert Burns wrecked the words of "Dainty Davie" with successive revisions, attempting to clean them up for George Thompson's publications.

...more at: Dainty Davie - full Score(s) and Annotations

X:8 T:Dainty Davie, with Variations M:C L:1/8 C:"by Mr. Stewart." B:Mulhollan - Selection of Irish and Scots Tunes (Edinburgh, 1804, p. 19) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:F V:1 clef=treble name="8." [V:1] f|:c>B A(G/A/) (G/F/E/D/) F2|FcA>B F>cA>f|Tc>B AG/A/ (G/F/E/D/) F2|df e(d/c/) d2f2:| |:f>af>a f a2 (g/f/)|egcg (e/f/g/a/) g(f/e/)|f a2 (g/f/) g>f ed/c/|df Ted/c/ {c}d2f2:| |:(c/d/)(B/c/) (A/B/)(G/A/) (G/F/)(E/D/) TF2|Fc A/B/c/A/ Fc A/B/c/f/|(c/d/)(B/c/) (A/B/)(G/A/) (G/F/)(E/D/) EC|c/d/f/g/ a/g/f/e/ {e}d2f2:| |:f/g/a f/g/a f/g/a/b/ (ag/f/)|e/f/g/c/ a/c/g/c/ e/f/g/a/ gf/e/|(f/g/a) a(g/a/) b/a/g/f/ f/e/d/c/|d/e/f/g/ a/g/f/e/ d2 f2:| |:(d/c/B/A/) (B/A/)(G/F/) G/F/E/D/ F2|(F/c/)(A/c/) (F/c/A/c/) (f/c/A/c/) (F/c/A/c/)|(.f/.d/.c/.B/ .A/.G/.F/.E/ .D/.C/.B,/.A,/ G,2)|c/d/e/f/a/ g/e/d/c/ {c}d2 f2:| |:(f/a/g/a/) (f/a/g/a/) (f/a/g/b/) a(g/f/)|(e/c/B/c/) (g/c/B/c/) (e/f/g/a/) g(f/e/)|(f/e/f/g/) (a/g/a/f/) b/g/a/f/ f/d/e/c/|d/e/f/(a/ g/f/e/)c/ {c}d2f2:| |:d/c/B/A/ f/d/c/B/ (A/4B/4c/) F/c/ A/f/c/F/|B/G/B/a/ g/f/e/d/ g/f/e/d/ c/d/e/c/|f/D/F/A/ B/G/A/F/ (BAB).c|(c/d/f/a/) g/f/e/g/ d2f2:| |:FaFa a/g/f/a/ g/f/e/g/|EgEg g/f/e/g/ f/e/d/e/|FaGb (a/f/)(g/e/) (f/d/)(e/c/)|d/e/f/g/ a/g/f/e/ d2f2:|]

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↑ One wonders whether David Young's placement of "Dainty Davie" as the first tune in the ms. is a playful reference to himself.
↑ John Glen, Early Scottish Melodies (1900) says it is in the 10th edition of 1698, and in Margaret Sinkler'ss Music Book (1710).

[1] One wonders whether David Young's placement of "Dainty Davie" as the first tune in the ms. is a playful reference to himself.

[2] John Glen, Early Scottish Melodies (1900) says it is in the 10th edition of 1698, and in Margaret Sinkler'ss Music Book (1710).

[1]

[2]