Biography:Archibald Allan
Archibald Allan
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| Given name: | Archibald |
| Middle name: | |
| Family name: | Allan |
| Place of birth: | Forfar |
| Place of death: | |
| Year of birth: | c. 1794 |
| Year of death: | 1831 |
| Profile: | Musician |
| Source of information: | |
Biographical notes
David Baptie, in Musical Scotland, Past and Present (1894) writes:
ALLAN, ARCHIBALD, born Forfar, about 1794; died 1831. A violinist and composer of great ability, who enjoyed great popularity not merely in his own locality, but far beyond its limits, and was a player in Nathaniel Gow's band. As a strathspey player he was, perhaps without exception, the best of his day, his playing being characterized by immense power, combined with great feeling and expression. One of his compositions, "Miss Gray of Carse," is a beautiful slow strathspey, which is still much admired. In James Davies Caledonian Repository he calls this fine composition "Dean Brig/Dean Bridge of Edinburgh (The)," and attributes it to a Rev. Mr. Touch--a strange mistake which it is difficult to comprehend so careful a musician falling into, and besides he has disfigured the tune by the introduction of a large number of semi-quavers. He died, we understand, by being maltreated by some farm servants, when going home from a ball.