Annotation:Mr. Robertson of Lude

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MR. ROBERTSON OF LUDE(S)Scottish, Strathspey. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Surenne): AABBCC' (Athole): AABBCCDD'(Skye): AABBCCD (Gow). Composed by Niel Gow (1727-1807), who directed it be played “slowish”. The estate of Lude is in Perthshire, and the Robertsons of Lude are a landed family from ancient times. They were music lovers as well, and preserved two famous harps, handed down from generation to generation. The first is the Caledonina Harp, Lamont Harp or Lude Harp, usually dated to the 15th century, supposedly brought into the family from the West Highlands by Lilias Lamont when she married Charles Robertson. The second is the Queen Mary harp, also dating to the 15th century. It was presented to Beatrix Gardyn by Queen Mary in the 16th century, and came into the Robertson family again by marriage. The last person to play the harp was John Robertson of Lude (d. 1729), whose repertory was preserved by the family and published by John Bowie in 1789. His son James (d. 1803) may be the subject of Gow’s melody.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Carlin (The Gow Collection), 1986; No. 169. Gow (The First Collection of Niel Gow’s Reels), 1784 (revised 1801); p. 28. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; p. 43. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; p. 120. Surenne (Dance Music of Scotland), 1852; pp. 152-153.

Recorded sources:

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