Bonny Jean of Aberdeen

BONNY JEAN OF ABERDEEN. AKA - "Bonny Jane," "Bonny Jean of Aberdeen." Scottish, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. Popular in the 18th and early 19th century, but does not generally appear in collections later than that. There are six main text versions of the tune: The Cumming Manuscript (1723), Munro's Scots Tunes (1732, as a sonata and Munro's "masterpiece"), the McFarlane Manuscript (1740), a flute MS. of 1770, the McLean Collection (1772), the Little Manuscript (c. 1775). Johnson (1983) clearly traces the transmission of the tune through these manuscripts. Purser (1992) says of Munro's sonata: "(The piece) shows how a Scots song can, with a little rhythmic ingenuity and melodic gift, become as lovely a minuet or as lively a gavotte as any thoroughbred classic." A tune called "Bonney Jean" is in the Gillespie Manuscript' of 1768, and as "Bonny Jean" it appears in the music manuscript copybook of Henry Livingston, Jr. Livingston purchased the estate of Locust Grove, Poughkeepsie, New York, in 1771 at the age of 23. In 1775 he was a Major in the 3rd New York Regiment, which participated in Montgomery's invasion of Canada in a failed attempt to wrest Quebec from British control. An important land-owner in the Hudson Valley, and a member of the powerful Livingston family, Henry was also a surveyor and real estate speculator, an illustrator and map-maker, and a Justice of the Peace for Dutchess County. He was also a poet and musician, and presumably a dancer, as he was elected a Manager for the New York Assembly's dancing season of 1774-1775, along with his 3rd cousin, John Jay, later U.S. Chief Justice of Governor of New York. Versions were published in America in Daniel Steele's New and Complete Preceptor for the German Flute (Albany, N.Y., 1815) and Philadelphia publisher John Aitken's edition of the Scots Musical Museum (1797).

Printed sources: Howe (1000 Jigs and Reels), c. 1867; p. 125. Johnson (Scottish Fiddle Music in the 18th Century), 1983; No. 65, pp. 170-179 (Munro's sonata version). Mattson & Walz (Old Fort Snelling), 1974; p. 51. McGibbon (Scots Tunes, book III), 1762; p. 71. Thumoth (Twelve Scotch and Twelve Irish Airs with Variations). 1742; No. 9, pp. 38-39

X:1
T:Bonny Jean
M:C|
L:1/8
R:Air
N:"Allegro"
B:Burk Thumoth - Twelve Scotch and Twelve Irish Airs with Variations (London, 1742, No. 9, pp. 38-39)
Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion
K:G
BA|G2 (GA/B/) D3E|G3A B2 AG|{d}c3e dBTAG|ABAG E2 BA|
G2 (G/A/B) D3E|G2B2g2 fe|Td2 cB ABcd|B2 TA>G G2:|
|:ba|g2 (g/a/b) d3e|g3a b3a|bage gedB|ABAG E2 BA|
G2 (G/A/B) D3E|G2 B2 g2 fe|d2 cB ABcd|B2 AG G2:|
|:BA|GABG DEGA|GFGA BABG|cBce BdgB|ABAG DcBA|
GABG DEGA|BGBd ggfe|degB cAdc|B2 A>G G2:|
|:ba|gabg dgde|gfga baga|(b/a/g) ae (g/f/e/d/) gB|AB/c/ AG EcBA|
GABG DEGA|BGBd ggfe|degB cAdc|Bc TA>G G2:|]

X:2
T:Bonny Jean of Aberdeen
M:C
L:1/8
R:Air
N:"Slow"
S:McGibbon - Scots Tunes, book III, p. 71  (1762)
Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion
K:G
BA | G2 (G/A/B) D3E | (GF)(GA) B2 !trill!(AG) |c3e (dB)!trill!(AG) | A>BAG E2 (BA) | 
G2 (Bc/d/) D3E | G2G2g2 !trill!(fe) | d>edB (AB)(cd) | B2 !trill!(A>G) G2 :: (d/e/f) | 
g2 (g/a/b) d3e | (gf)(ga) b2(ga) | (b/a/g) (a/g/e) gedB | A>B!trill!AG E2 (BA) | 
G2 (B/c/d)D3E | G2G2g2!trill!(fe) | d>edB (AB)(cd) | {c}B2 !trill!(A>G)G2 :||

X:3
T:Bonny Jean
M:C
L:1/8
R:Air
S:Steele - New and Complete Preceptor for the German Flute (Albany, NY, 1815)
K:G
BA|G2 (3GAB E2 EF|G2 GA B2 AG|BAGB dBAF|AGAB E2 BA|
G2 (3GAB E2 EF|G2G2 g3d|egde dBAG|ABEF G2:|
|:ef|gfed B2 ge|dBAG d2 ef|gfed BdBG|AGAB E2 BA|
G2 (3GAB E2 EF|G2G2 g3d|efde dcBA|GBEF E2:||

X:4
T:Bonny Jean of Aberdeen
M:4/4
L:1/8
R:Air
S:Howe - 1000 Jigs and Reels (c. 1867)
Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion
K:G
(B>A) | G2 (GA/B/) D3E | G>FG>A {G/A/}B2 (A>G) |  c3e d>BA>G | A>BAG E2 B>A | 
G2 (B^c/d/) D3E |  G2 A>B g2 f>e | d>edB (cB)(cd) | B2 A>G G2 :|
|:de/f/ | g2 g(a/b/) d3e | g>fga {g/a/}b2 g>a | (ba)(ge) d>egB | A>BAG E2 B>A | 
G2 (B^c/d/) D3E | G2 A>B g2 (fe) | d>gB>g (AB)(cd) | {c}B2 A>G G2 :| 

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Engraver Valerio M. Pelliccioni