Annotation:Gilderoy (1)

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X:1 T:Gilderoy [1] M:C L:1/8 R:Air B: William Thomson - Orpheus Caledonius, vol. II (1733, No. 47, p. 193) B: https://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/91482038 N:Thomson (c. 1695-1753) was a Scottish singer and folk song collector N:who lived in London for most of his adult career. Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion P:Vocal setting: K:Amin A^GA B cB c d |{cd}e2 dc d2 cd|{cd}e2G2 cA GE|G6 cB| A^G AB cB cd|e2 dc d2e2|c2 BA AG EG|A6|| ef|g3a g2 fe|fe dc d2 cd|{cd}e2G2 {AB}c2 GE|G6 cB| A^G AB cB cd|e2 dc d2e2|c2 BA AG EG |A6||

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GILDEROY [1]. AKA - "Gilde Roy," "Guideroy." Scottish (originally), English, Irish, American; Hornpipe, Reel and Air. A Minor. Standard tuning (tuning). AABB (most versions): AABBCCDD (Oswald). An earlier, minor key, relative of what was later called "Red Haired Boy (The)" family of tunes (for which see "Gilderoy (2)," a closely related group of tunes that are predominantly in the mixolydian mode). Caoimhin Mac Aoidh explains that the name 'Gilderoy' is an English corruption of the Gaelic words Giolla Ruaidh; giolla is generally taken to mean a servant or a young person, while ruaidh literally means 'red', though when used in conjunction with a person it refers to red hair. Interestingly, he mentions that in modern Scotland and Ireland hunting and fishing stalkers or guides are still referred to in anglicised form as 'Gilles'. The hero of the ballad "Gilderoy" was a historical personage, a Scottish freebooter of the notorious Clan MacGregor, seven of whose gang were taken by the Stewarts of Athol and hanged in Edinburgh in July, 1638. Robin Williamson maintains the ballad was well known as far away as England by the middle of the 17th century, a decade or two later. An early printing appears in the (James) Gillespie Manuscript of Perth, 1768. The title appears in Henry Robson's list of popular Northumbrian song and dance tunes, which he published c. 1800.

The march was also entered into the c. 1776-1778 music copybook of fifer Thomas Nixon Jr. [1] (1762-1842), of Framingham, Connecticut. Nixon was a thirteen-year-old who accompanied his father to the battles of Lexington and Concord, and who served in the Continental army in engagements in and around New York until 1780, after which he returned home to build a house in Framingham. The copybook appears to have started by another musician, Joseph Long, and to have come into Nixon’s possession.