Annotation:Flora MacDonald

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FLORA MACDONALD. AKA and see "Thearlaich! Nan Tigeadh Tu (1)," "Charlie if Only You Would Come," "Charlie's Welcome (2)," "Fourth of June (The)," "If Charlie Comes," "MacDonald's Quickstep," "MacDonald's Reel (2)," "Miss Flora McDonald's Reel," "Miss MacDonald’s (4)." Canadian, Scottish; Reel. Canada, Cape Breton. E Minor/Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Athole, Skye): AAB (AABB (Kerr): AABBCCD (Dunlay & Greenberg, Dunlay & Reich). "Flora MacDonald" can be found in numerous collections as a two part tune, Robert Bremner's Collection (c. 1770) being the earliest. The last two parts have been attributed (by Bill Lamey) to Donald John "The Tailor" Beaton (1856-1919), legendary Mabou Coal Mines, Cape Breton, fiddler. Dunlay & Greenberg (1996) find that the alternate title given in MacDonald's Skye Collection, "Thearlaich! Nan Tigeadh Tu!" (Charlie, if only you would come), can be found as a two-part pipe strathspey in MacDonald's other publication, the Gesto Collection of Highland Music. The editors say: "The ...first turn (of the Gesto strathspey) is recognisably equivalent to that of 'Flora MacDonald'. If the second part of 'Thearlaich' is transposed to a tonic of 'E' to match 'Flora', it can be seen that it must have been the inspiration for the fourth part of the Cape Breton setting(s) of 'Flora MacDonald', although it is a bit simpler." Peter Kennedy lists Ryan's Mammoth four-part "Miss McDonald's (1) as a version, but I do not see the resemblance.

The tune was entered into the 1840 music manuscript collection of multi-instrumentalist John Rook, of Waverton, near Wigton, Cumbria. See also the pipe-reel version under the title "If Charlie Comes."

Source for notated version: Buddy MacMaster (Cape Breton) [Dunlay & Greenberg, Dunlay & Reich].

Printed sources: Dunlay & Greenberg (Traditional Celtic Violin Music from Cape Breton), 1996; p. 86. Dunlay & Reich (Traditional Celtic Fiddle Music from Cape Breton), 1986; No. 49, p. 58. Kennedy (Traditional Dance Music of Britain and Ireland: Reels and Rants), 1997; No. 50, p. 14. Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 1), c. 1880; Set 4, No. 2, p. 5. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; p. 84 (appears under the "Thearlaich" title). Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; p. 247.

Recorded sources: ACC-49130, Howie MacDonald - "A Few Tunes by Howie MacDonald." Culburnie Records CUL 121D, Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas - "Fire and Grace" (2004). JC 123, John Campbell - "Heritage Remembered" (1978). Rodeo (Banff) 1257 (Celtic 13) Cape Breton Magazine's Tape, The MacLellan Trio- "The Music of Cape Breton" (c. 1950's). Shanachie 14002, Bill Lamey- "Classic Recordings" (1979).

See also listing at:
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index [1]
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [2]

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