Annotation:Lord Moira

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LORD MOIRA('S WELCOME TO SCOTLAND). AKA and see "Bonnie Scotland (1)," "Bundoran Highland (The)," "Cluck Old Hen (3)," "Earl of Moira (The)," "Earl Moira's Strathspey (1)," "Earl of Moira's Welcome to Scotland (The)," "Knocktoran Fair," "Marquis of Hastings (The)," "Loudon's Bonnie Woods," "Loudon's Bonnie Woods/Louden's Bonnie Woods and Braes." Scottish (originally), Canadian; Strathspey or Hornpipe. Canada, Cape Breton. G Major (Colclough, Kennedy, O'Farrell, Raven, White): F Major (Athole, Cole, Howe, Hunter, Kerr, Plain Brown, Skye, Wilson). Standard tuning (fiddle). One part (Howe, Kerr): AB (White, Wilson): ABC (Cole): AABB (Plain Brown): AABB' (Raven, Kennedy): AABC (Hunter, Skye): AA'BCCD (Athole): AABBCC (O'Farrell): AABCDDE (Kerr, vol. 3). Ascribed to Duncan MacIntyre by MacDonald in the Skye Collection (1887), although his original title was "Earl of Moira's Welcome to Scotland (The)." MacIntyre (c. 1765-1807) was a Scottish dancing master, musician and composer. Lord Moira became the Marquis of Hastings in 1816, and Louden (see the alternate title) was his family seat. A note in Doyle's Plain Brown Tune Book (1997), based on the Ellis Knowles manuscripts, says the tune is a "Scottish tune popular in Lancashire." Attesting to its popularity, the tune can also be found in other 19th century English tune books as well. For example, it appears (in a truncated version) in the Joseph Kershaw manuscript from the North West of England. Kershaw was a fiddler who lived in Slackcote, Saddleworth, in the 19th century, and his manuscript dates from around 1820 onwards, and (as "Lord Moires Return to Kettam") in fiddler John Fife's copybook, compiled from 1780 to c. 1804 (Fife may have been from Perthshire, and may also have been a seaman for a time).

See also notes for "Annotation:Marquis of Hastings' Strathspey (The)," the Irish variants "Boys of Knock (The)", "Bundoran Highland (The)," "Highland a' Choille", "Knocktoran Fair" and "Little Ark," and Sussex, England, concertina player Scan Tester's (1886–1972) related "Indian Polka."

Source for notated version: a c. 1847 music manuscript by Ellis Knowles, a musician from Radcliffe, Lancashire, England [Doyle].

Printed sources: Colclough (Tutor for the Irish Union Pipes), c. 1830; p. 13. Cole (1000 Fiddle Tunes), 1940; p. 93. Howe (1000 Jigs and Reels), c. 1867; p. 136. Graham, p. 319. Kennedy (Fiddlers Tune Book), vol. 2, 1954; p. 18. Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 2; No. 181, p. 21 and vol. 3, No. 161, p. 19. The Joseph Kershaw Manuscript, 1993; No. 7 (appears as "Lord Moris...Whelcom to Scotland"). MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; p. 166. O'Farrell (Pocket Companion, vol. IV), c. 1810; pp. 96-97. Doyle (Plain Brown Tune Book), 1997; p. 42. Raven (English Country Dance Tunes), 1984; p. 178 (appears as "Loudon's Bonny Woods"). Roche (Collection of Traditional Irish Music, vol. 2), 1912; Nos. 287 & 289. Ryan's Mammoth Collection, 1883; pp. 127 & 171. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; p. 210. White's Unique Collection, 1896; No. 163, p. 20 (appears as "Lord Moira's Highland Fling"). Wilson (Companion to the Ball Room), 1816; p. 42.

Recorded sources: David Greenberg - "Tunes Until Dawn."

See also listings at:
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index [1]
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [2]
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [3]

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