Annotation:Wha Can Help It

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WHA CAN HELP IT (What can help it). AKA and see “Salute to Boston.” Scottish, Canadian; Jig or Air (6/8 time). Canada, Cape Breton. C Major (MacDonald): A Major (Gow). Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. The melody is attributed to Niel Gow (1727-1807) by his son Nathaniel Gow (1763-1831) in the Gow's Sixth Collection (1822), but a version first appeared in print Malcolm MacDonald's Second Collection (1789) a volume dedicated to the Earl of Breadalbane, reprinted in 1797. MacDonald was a bass player in Nathaniel Gow's band and perhaps heard the tune played by Gow. It is possible MacDonald did not know who had composed it, or, as was common in those days, simply omitted the composer. Cape Breton musicians play a jig tempo version called “Salute to Boston,” although some of the second strain melodic material differs from Gow’s original. “Bonnie Strathmore” has some similarities to this tune.

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Gow (Sixth Collection of Strathspey Reels), 1822; p. 4. MacDonald (A Second Collection of Strathspey Reels), 1789; p. 6.

Recorded sources: Culburnie Records 120, Alasdair Fraser – “Legacy of the Scottish Fiddle.” Rounder Records 7020, Alex Francis MacKay – “Lifelong Home.” Smiddy Made SMD 615, Pete Clark – “Even Now” (2007).

See also listing at:
Alan Snyder’s Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index [1]
Jane Keefer’s Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [2]

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