Annotation:Bòg an Lochan

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BOG AN LOCHA(I)N (The Water-ouzel). AKA and see "Athole Cummers (1)," "Lady Grant of Grant," "Lady Grant's Reel." Scottish (orginally), Canadian; Strathspey. Canada, Cape Breton. E Minor. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB'CD (Skye): AA'BCD (Gow). A pipe strathspey in A dorian in two parts, fiddle versions in E dorian usually in four parts, originally from one of Robert Bremner's mid-18th century collections. The melody is popular on Cape Breton Island, especially for stepdancing. The Gaelic title translates as 'water-ouzel', a bird. Cape Breton fiddler Buddy MacMaster plays the tune as "Bog on a Small Lake" on a recent video instructor. MacDonald gives "Athole Cummers" as an alternate title, while Glasgow publisher James Aird gives "Lady Grant's Reel" (Lady Grant of Grant) as an alternate. John Shaw, who researched Cape Breton music, gives a Gaelic song called "Bòg a' Lochain" from the island of Skye that goes:

Ciamar a nì mi 'n damsa direach
Ciamar a nì mi 'n ruidhle bòidheach
Ciamar a nì mi 'n damsa dìreach
Dh'fhalbh a' phrin' às bonn mo chòta

How can I make a tidy dance
How can I dance a bonny reel
How can I make a tidy dance
The pin went from the hem of my coat

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Aird (Selection of Scotch, English, Irish and Foreign Airs, vol. 6), 1802; p. 14. Cairngorm Collection, book 3. Gow (Complete Repository, Part 1), 1799; p. 16. Lowe's Collection, 1844. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; p. 90.

Recorded sources: Culburnie Records CUL 121D, Alasdair Fraser & Natalie Haas - "Fire and Grace" (2004). Green Linnet GLCD 1117, Altan - "Harvest Storm" (1992. "Inspired" by the playing of Cape Breton fiddler Bill Lamey). Shanachie 14002, Bill Lamey - "Classic Recordings of Scottish Fiddling" (originally recorded c. 1950). Topic 12TS354, Mike MacDougall - "Cape Breton Scottish Fiddle"(1978). Wildcat Records WILDCD 101, Ronan Martin - "Ronan Martin" (2008).