Annotation:Donald Couper and His Man
Tune properties and standard notation
DONALD COUPER AND HIS MAN. Scottish, Reel (2/4 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB. Probably the same as Playford's "Donald Couper," printed in 1657. Words to the tune go:
Donald Couper and his man, They've gane to the fair; They've gane to coort a bonny lass, But fint a man wis there; But he haes gotten an auld wife, An she's come hirplin hame; An she's fa'n ower the buffet-stool, An brake her rumple-bane.
Sing, hey Donald, how Donald, Hey Donald Couper; He's gane awa to coort a wife, An he's come hame ifhoot her.
"That it was a Scots tune can be seen in the mention it receives in a satirical poem about the Highlanders written by a certain Colonel Cleland in 1697:
Trumpets sounded, skeens were glancing Some were 'Donald Couper' dancing (Williamson).
Source for notated version: Aird (Selections of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs), vol. II, c. 1785; No. 9, p. 4. Johnson (Scots Musical Museum, vol. IV), 1792; p. 344.
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