Annotation:Birnam Wood

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X:1 T:Birnam Wood M:C| L:1/16 R:Strathspey Q:"Slow" B:Archibald Duff – Collection of Strathspey Reels &c. (1794, p. 16) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:D defe d3A B/d3/B2 AGFE|DFAB defd Te3dB2d2|defe d3ABd3 {B}A3g| {g}f2ed Bgfe|f2d2 d4:|A,(DFD) G(DFD) B(DFD) A(DFD)| (dcd)A {A}G/F/3 {F}E/3D/ {C}B,2E2 E2D,B,|A,DFD GDFD BDFD ADFD|.d.f.B.d .F.A.G.B, A,2E2 D2CB,| A,DFD GDFD BDFD ADFD|dcdA {A}G/F/3 {F}E/3D/ {C}B,2E2 E2FE| DAFd Afda fd'af gecA|BGdB cAge f2d2 d4||

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Birbam Wood and Dunsinane

BIRNAM WOOD. Scottish, Slow Strathspey (cut or whole time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. The composition is attributed to John Gow (1764-1826), who established a London publishing firm with his brother Andrew, and who distributed brother Nathaniel Gow's publications, as well as his father Niel Gow's collections. Paul Stewart Cranford characterizes it as a "Marching Air". Birnam Wood was immortalized by Shakespeare in MacBeth, when the usurper believes he is safe until the very woods must march before he is defeated. The son of the King he assassinated, Malcolm, eventually gathers a force and stays a night in Birnam Wood on their march to battle with MacBeth. They gather bows in the morning and come to battle adorned with "the Wood". Perhaps more to the point of Gow's composition, the town of Birnam, Perthshire, sits on the River Tay, opposite the town of Dunkeld, home to Niel Gow and family.