Annotation:Rory Dall's Port (1)
X:1 T:Rory Dall's Port [1] M:6/8 L:1/8 R:Air Q:"Slow" B:Oswald - Caledonian Pocket Companion vol. 8 (1760, p. 24)\ N:Printed by John Walsh c. 1760 as "Rosey Doll." Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:G G>AB TB2g|d>cB TA2B|G>AB TB2g|d>cB [A,2A2][G,G]:| |:g>ab d2B|g>ab (c2A)|g>ab e>fg|d>cB T[A,2A2][G,G]:| |:(G/A/B/c/d) Bgb|(A/B/c/d/e) cac'|(G/A/B/c/d) Bgb|d>cB T[A,2A2][G,G]:| g2 (3b/a/g/ [D2d2]-[B,B]|g2 (3b/a/g/ [C2c2]-[A,A]|g2 (3b/a/g/ E>FG|Te>dB TA2G:| |:[G2B2][GB] [E2c2][Ec]|[G2B2][GB] [D2A2][DA]|[G2B2][GB][E2c2]e|{e}Td>cB TA2G2:| |:[B2g2][Bg] [c2e2][c2]|[^c2a2][ca] [d2f2][df]|[B2g2][Bg] e>fg|d>cB T[A,2A2][G,G]:| |:(G/<B/)TB2 (g/<b/) TB2|(G/<B/) TB2 (g/<B/)TA2|(G/<B/)TB2 (g/<d/)TB2|d>cB T[A,2A2][G,G]:| |:(b/<g/) (dB) (b/<g/)(ec)|(b/<g/) (dB) (b/<g/) (cA)|(b/<g/)(dB) (b/<g/) (eg)|d>cB T[A,2A2][G,G]:| |:(B/G)(B/G/)(c/A/) (B/G/)(c/A/) (d/g/)|(B/G/)(B/G/)(c/A/) (B/G/)(B/G/)(A/F/)|(B/G/)(B/G/)(c/A/) (B/G/)(c/A/) (d/g/)|d>cB T[A,2A2][G,G]:| |:(b/g/)(b/g/)(d/B/) (b/g/)(b/g/)(e/c/)|(b/g/)(b/g/)(d/B/) (b/g/)(b/g/)(c/A/)|(b/g/)(b/g/)(d/B/) (b/g/)(b/g/)(e/g/)|d>cB T[A,2A2][G,G]:| |:.[GB].[GB].[GB] .[Ec].[Ec].[Ec]|.[GB].[GB].[GB] .[DA].[DA].[DA]|.[GB].[GB].[GB] [E2c2]e|Td>cB T[A,2A2][G,G]:| |:.[Bg].[Bg].[Bg] .[ce].[ce].[ce]|.[^ca].[ca].[ca] .[df].[df].[df]|.[Bg].[Bg].[Bg] e>fg|d>cB T[A,2A2][G,G]:| |:(b2g) (c'2a)|(b2g) (a2d)|(b2g) (c'2a)|d'>c'b Ta2g:| |:B2 (g/<e/) c2 (a/<f/)|d2 (b/<g/) e>fg|(B2G) (c2A)|d>cB TA2G:|]
RORY DALL'S PORT [1]. Scottish, Air (6/8 time). G Major (Johnson): E Major (Emmerson): F Major (Purser). Standard tuning (fiddle). One part (Emmerson): AB (Purser): AABBCCDDEEFFGGHHIIJJKKLL (Johnson). The title may refer to Rory dall O'Cahan, a famous Irish harper who lived primarily in Scotland in the 17th century, or perhaps to Rory Dall Morison, a blind Scottish harper who worked the Highlands in the early 18th century. Johnson (1984) states the tune was, however, composed by James Oswald (in his London period), who published several of his compositions under pseudonyms and who originally titled the c. 1756 piece "A Highland Port (tune) by Rory Dall." Purser (1992) attributes the melody to Rory dall O'Cahan (who visited the court of James VI), and observes that the tune appears a decade or two later than this period in the lute book of Robert Straloch of Gordon, evidencing the fact that some harp (clarsach) tunes were translated to early lute manuscripts. "Rory Dall's Port" appears in the Skene Manuscript under the title "Port Ballangowne." In 1790 Robert Burns wrote his song "Ae fond kiss and then we sever" to this tune, and directed it be played "slow and tender." It appears in the Straloch Lute Manuscript (1627-29), Walsh's Country Dances of 1750, and Johnson's Scots Musical Museum (No. 347) of 1792.