Annotation:Marchioness of Tweeddale's Delight (The)

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MARCHIONESS OF TWEED-DALE'S DELIGHT. AKA and see "Key of the Cellar," "Come Ye Ower Frae France." Scottish, Country Dance Tune (3/2 time). G Minor. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The tune, in old hornpipe metre, was published under this title by Niel Gow in his Second Collection, 2nd edition, 1803. It had previously been used as the vehicle for a Jacobite song "Cam' Ye Ower Frae France," poking fun at the Hannover king. Emmerson sees in Gow's treatment of the tune a link between the old hornpipe metre and the modern common time dotted-rhythm hornpipe.

The Marchioness during Gow's time, and presumably the person of the title, was Lady Hannah Maitland, daughter of the 7th Earl of Lauderdale. In 1785 she married George Hay, 7th Marquess of Tweeddale, who seat was Yester House. In 1802, due to her husband's poor health, the couple traveled to the Continent during a lull in the Napoleonic wars, and, unfortunately, were in France when hostilities renewed. Both were imprisoned in the fortress of Verdun, and the Marchioness died there in May, 1804 (followed by the marquess in August).

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Emmerson (Rantin' Pipe and Tremblin' String), 1971; No. 16, p. 121. Gow (Second Collection of Niel Gow's Reels), 1788; p. 30 (3rd ed.)

Recorded sources:

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