Annotation:Lady Erskine

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LADY ERSKINE. Scottish, Reel. A Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. Glen attributes the tune to "J. Walker," James Walker (1760-1840) of Dysart, a professional musician, who published a collection in 1797. Which Lady Erskine the title relates to is not known, and there were several: Lady Frances Erskine and Lady Charlotte Erskine were wealthy patrons of the Scottish painter David Allan (1744-1796), who helped raise money to send the young artist to Rome to study.

The melody appears as "Lady Eshkin's reell" in the music manuscript collection of Spithope, Northumberland, musician John Robson [1], dated February, 1874.

Source for notated version: Kenny Chaisson (b. 1947, Bear River, North-East Kings County, Prince Edward Island; now resident of Rollo Bay) [Perlman].

Printed sources: Cranford (Jerry Holland: The Second Collection), 2000; No. 44, p. 18. Glen (The Glen Collection of Scottish Dance Music), vol. 2, 1895; p. 44. Perlman (The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; p. 104.

Recorded sources: Jerry Holland - "Lively Steps" (1988).

See also listings at:
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index [2]

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