Annotation:Braes of Mar (1) (The)

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BRAES OF MAR [1], THE. AKA – "Braes o' Mar," "Braes of Marr," "Braes of Mor." AKA and see "Johnny Will You Marry Me," "Lasses of Donnybrook," "Lord MacDonald (1)," "Love Won't You Marry Me?," "Reel des noces," "Sir Alexander McDonald," "Some Say the Devil's Dead." Scottish, Canadian; Strathspey. Canada; Prince Edward Island, Cape Breton. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB (Gow): AABB (Athole, Kennedy, Kerr, Skye [Old Set version]): AABB' (Perlman, Skye): AABBC (Cranford/Holland): AABCD (Dunlay & Greenberg/Campbell): AABBCCD (Davie, Martin): AABBCDD (Dunlay and Reich): AABB'CCDD' (Skinner). Attributed to John Coutts of Deeside, and used for the dance the Highland Fling or Highland Schottische. David Baptie (Musical Scotland: Past and Present, 1894) says that he was said to have been a "talented composer...but of his biography little seems to be known" (see also Annotation:Merry Makers Schottische. James Scott Skinner, in Harp and Claymore (1904), remarks the tune "is almost a parody of "Lord MacDonald's Strathspey" (as printed in MacDonald's Skye Collection). A set of "Braes of Mar" (see "Braes of Marr (2) (The)") appears in the Drummond Castle Manuscript (also called the Duke of Perth MS), in the possession of the Earl of Ancaster (at Drummond Castle) as a country dance; it is inscribed 'A Collection of Country Dances written for the use of his Grace the Duke of Perth by Dav. Young, 1734.' In that MS the title is "Sir Alexander McDonald's Reel." Glen (1891) finds the tune earliest in print in Robert Bremner's 1757 collection, Part 3 (p. 34), where it appears as "Sir Alexander McDonald."

Imported by Scottish emigrants to the new world, "Braes of Marr" is considered an old tune in the Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, fiddling repertoire. Dunlay & Greenberg mention that one of Buddy MacMaster's aunts recalled that the strathspey was often played by Domhnull Iain an Taillear (Donald John the Tailor) Beaton (1856–1919). The third turn may be of Cape Breton origins. From there it perhaps entered into French-Canadian fiddling repertoire, for Willie Ringuette recorded the melody as a reel in 1927 under the title "Reel des noces." Interestingly, Dunlay & Greenberg report that Cape Breton fiddler Jackie Dunn (in her 1991 Master's thesis "The Sound of Gaelic is in the Fiddler's Music") states the strathspey is known to have Gaelic words and is called "'S Math a Dhannsadh" (It is good to dance). Paul Stewart Cranford (2000) notes that Cape Breton versions are often four parts, although the one he prints (sourced to Mike MacDougall) condenses the 3rd and 4th part into one.

In western Ireland the tune is known as "Johnny Will You Marry Me," and is used for the dance "the Fling;" Irish versions of strathspeys usually are played as reels, without the distinctive dotted rhythm. Set in jig time, an Irish variant is "Kate/Katy Carnery." The melody as "Braes of Marr, a Strathspey" appears in the music manuscript copybook of fiddler John Burks, dated 1821. Although nothing is known of Burks, it appears he may have been from the north of England. French Canadian versions can be found under the titles "Reel des noces," "Belle Catherine (2) (La)" (a different tune the more famous tune by that title) and "Reel de Pius Boudreau."

Sources for notated versions: Dan J. Campbell and Angus Allan Gillis (Cape Breton) [Dunlay & Greenberg, Dunlay and Reich]; Hector MacKenzie (Cape Breton) [Dunlay & Greenberg]; Mary MacDonald (Cape Breton) [Dunlay & Greenberg]; Angus McPhee (b. c. 1929, Mt. Stewart, Queens County, Prince Edward Island) [Perlman]; Mike MacDougall (Cape Breton) [Cranford/Holland]. Robert Bremner's 1757 collection [Henderson].

Printed sources: Anderson (Anderson's Budget of Strathspeys, Reels & Country Dances), c. 1820; p. 11. Carlin (The Gow Collection), 1986; No. 519. Cranford (Jerry Holland: The Second Collection), 2000; No. 96, p. 38. Davie (Davie's Caledonian Repository), Aberdeen, 1829-30; pp. 10-11. Dunlay & Greenberg (Traditional Celtic Violin Music of Cape Breton), 1996; pp. 68-69 (three versions). Dunlay and Reich (Traditional Celtic Fiddle Music of Cape Breton), 1986; p. 50. Gow (Complete Repository, Part 2), 1802; p. 35. Gow (Complete Repository, Part 3), 1806; p. 10 ("Original Sett"). Henderson (Flowers of Scottish Melody), 1935. Honeyman (Strathspey, Reel and Hornpipe Tutor), 1898; p. 12. Hunter (The Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 90. Kennedy (Fiddler's Tune-Book, vol. 2), 1954; p. 18 (appears as "Some Say the Devil's Dead"). Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 1), No. 4, p. 19. Lowe's Collection of Reels, Strathspeys and Jigs, book 3, 1844–1845; p. 6. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; pp. 63 & 64 {Old Set}. Martin (Traditional Scottish Fiddling), 2002; p. 21. Morison (Highland Airs and Quicksteps, vol. 2), c. 1882; No. 34, p. 19. Perlman (The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; p. 191. Skinner (Harp and Claymore), 1904; pg. 86. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; p. 89 {Old Set}.

Recorded sources: ACC-49393, Hector MacKenzie – "MacNeil's Highland Ceilidh" (1992). Beltona BL2135 (78 RPM), Edinburgh Highland Reel and Strathspey Society (1936). Celtic 011 (78 RPM), "Dan J. Campbell and Angus Allan Gillis." Culburnie Records CUL 102, Alasdair Fraser & Jody Stecher – "The Driven Bow" (1988. A 4-part setting based on Cape Breton fiddlers). Decca 14026 (78 RPM), "Colin Boyd." GRT Records SP 203, "Ward Allen Presents Maple Leaf Hoedown, vol. 1" (reissue). GRT Records 9230-1031, "The Best of Ward Allen" (1973). Rounder 7009, Doug MacPhee – "Cape Breton Piano" (1977). Rounder 7012, Winnie Chafe – "Highland Melodies of Cape Breton" (1979). SA 93130, Donny LeBlanc – "Roisining Up the Bow" (1993). Silver Apple 7588-90193-4, Tommy Basker – "The Tin Sandwich" (1994). Univ. College of Cape Breton 1007, Dan Joe MacInnis – "Celtic Music of Cape Breton, vol. I." Jerry Holland – "Crystal Clear" (2000).

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]

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