Annotation:Arthur's Seat (1)

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X:1 T:Arthur Seat [1] C:J. Scott Skinner M:4/4 L:1/8 K:Bb f/|b/>f/d/>B/ A/>B/ F/>E/|D/D4/4D/ F/>B/ d/>f/b/>f/|=e/>f/ _e/>f/ d/>f/c/>f/| b/>f/d/>B/ A/>B/ F/>E/|D/D4/4D/ F/>B/ d/>f/b/>f/|=e/>f/g/>f/ _e/>c/A/>f/|B{a}bB:| |:^f/|g/>^f/g/>d/ e/>d/e/>c/|f/>=e/f/>^c/ d/>c/d/>B/|e/>d/e/>=B/ c/>B/c/>_B/|A/>c/f/>=e/ f/>^f/g/>a/| b/>f/d/>B/ A/>B/ F/>E/|D/D4/4D/ F/>B/ d/>f/b/>f/|=e/>f/g/>f/ _e/>c/A/>f/|B{a}bB3:|

ARTHUR('S) SEAT [1]. Scottish, Hornpipe (2/4 time). B Flat Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB (Hardie): AA'BB (Brody). Composed by the famous Scots composer and fiddler J. Scott Skinner, appearing first in his Cairngorm Series (Pt. 6). Arthur' Seat is a prominent Edinburgh landmark, a high volcanic plug. The name is quite ancient, having been first recorded by Giraldus Cambrensis in the 12th century as Cathedra Arturi (the Greek word cathedra means throne), and stems from the time the area was Brittonic, prior to the invasions of the Anglo-Saxon tribes.

Bill Hardie notes that the cross bowing he indicates in his printed version of the tune "is particularly suited to the chromatic writing in the second strain." Skinner himself made a 78 RPM recording of the tune in the early 1920’s as part of “The Celebrated Hornpipes” medley. See also Irish versions under the title "Fly By Night (1)."

Additional notes

Source for notated version: - Jean Carignan (Montreal, Canada) [Brody]

Printed sources : - Brody (Fiddler’s Fakebook), 1983; p. 26. Hardie (Caledonian Companion), 1986; p. 39. Skinner (Cairngorm Series No. 6), 1922.

Recorded sources: - Flying Fish FF 70572, Frank Ferrel – “Yankee Dreams: Wicked Good Fiddling from New England” (1991). Folkways FG3531, Jean Carignan – "Old Time Fiddle Tunes" (first tune of 'Bank'). Great Meadow Music GMM 2002, Rodney Miller & David Surette – “New Leaf” (2000). Philo 2001, "Jean Carignan" (first tune of 'Banks Medley'). Topic 12T280, J. Scott Skinner "The Strathspey King."

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