Annotation:Laird o' Thrums (The)

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LAIRD OF THRUMS. AKA and see "Frank Cassidy's," "Frank Cassidy's Barn Dance," "Frank Cassidy's Highland Fling." Scottish, Strathspey. A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. Composed by J. Scott Skinner (1843-1927) in 1906, originally titled "Sandy MacPherson, The Laird o' Thrums." At the bottom of the page he notes: "1st draft. Bronwell Cottage, Monikie." It was dedicated to Alex MacPherson of Kirriemuir; the "Laird o' Thrums" was Skinner's nickname for his friend, as Thrums was the old name for Kirriemuir (made famous by J.M. Barrie's ("Peter Pan") novel A Window in Thrums). It was first published in his folio Monikie Series No. 3, with "Gay Gordons Pipe March" (Gay Gordon's (1)) and "Zeppelin Humourous Hornpipe" (Zeppelin (The)).

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Hunter (The Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 131. Martin (Ceol na Fidhle), vol. 4, 1991; p. 18.

Recorded sources: Philo 2001, "Jean Carignan." Topic 12T280, J. Scott Skinner "The Starthspey King." Smithsonian Folkways Records, SFW CD 40507, The Beaton Family of Mabou - "Cape Breton Fiddle and Piano Music" (2004).

See also listing at:
See Skinner's handwritten manuscript copy of the tune, sent to Alexander Grant (1856 - 1942), at Am Baile [1]
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recordings Index [2]
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [3]

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