Annotation:Sir Alexander McDonald's Reel
X:1 T:Sir Alex’r McDonald’s Reel M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel B:Bremner – Scots Reels (1757) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:D F(AA)(f/g/ a)fed | gfed BdBA | F(AA)(f/g/ a)fed | (e/f/g) (f/g/a) Te2 d2 :| |: FAA>B A>BAF | G/G/G G2 GABG | F(AA>)B (A>B)AF | GBAF TE2D2 :| |: (f/g/a) a>b a>baf | g/g/g g2 g>aba | (f/g/a) a>b a>baf | gafg Te2d2 :|
SIR ALEX. McDONALD'S REEL. AKA – “Sr. Alexander McDonald’s Reel.” AKA and see “Braes of Mar (1) (The).” Scottish, Reel (cut time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCC. The melody appears in the Drummond Castle Manuscript (in the possession of the Earl of Ancaster at Drummond Castle), 1734, inscribed "A Collection of the best Highland Reels written by David Young, W.M. & Accomptant." The melody also appears in the Robert Bremner's 1757 collection, the Gillespie Manuscript of Perth (1768) and James Aird’s Selections of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs, vol. 1 (Glasgow, 1782). English printings include Charles and Samuel Thompson’s Compleat Collection, vol. 3 (London, 1773), Straight and Skillern’s Two Hundred and Four Favourite Country Dances, vol. 1 (London, 1775), and Longman and Broderip’s Compleat Collection of 200 Favorite Country Dances (London, 1781). Versions in manuscript form can be found in the 1780 copybook of fiddler John Fife (Perthshire, Scotland, who also appears to have compiled some of his ms. at sea), John Rook’s 1840 music manuscripts (Cumbria), Jeremiah Brown’s (Seabrook, N.H.) 1782 commonplace book, and the 1788 commonplace book of fiddler John and William Pitt Turner (Norwich, Conn.). The latter probably copied it from the Thompson’s 1773 collection, along with numerous other tunes from the publication.