Black but Comely

Black but Comely Click on the tune title to see or modify Black but Comely's annotations. If the link is red you can create them using the form provided.Browse Properties <br/>Special:Browse/:Black but Comely Query the Archive
Theme code Index	1H3H53H 2H3H65
Also known as	Black Laddie My Darling, For a' that and a' that, Gille Dubh Mo Laochan (An), Lady Mackintosh (1), Lady Mackintosh's Reel (1), Mo Laochan, Strawberry Blossom (2)
Composer/Core Source
Region	Scotland
Genre/Style	Scottish
Meter/Rhythm	Reel (single/double)
Key/Tonic of	D
Accidental	2 sharps
Mode	Ionian (Major)
Time signature	4/4
History
Structure	AABB'
Editor/Compiler	Nathaniel Gow
Book/Manuscript title	Book:Complete Repository Part 3
Tune and/or Page number	p. 37
Year of publication/Date of MS	1806
Artist
Title of recording
Record label/Catalogue nr.
Year recorded
Media
Score ()

<abc float="left"> X:1 T:Black but Comely M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel B:Stewart-Robertson - The Athole Collection (1884) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:D A | d2 fd AAfd | eefd B2AB | defd AAfd | fedB A2A:| |: f | adad feef | adad B2Bf |1 adad feef | dedB A2A :|2 adab afef | dedB A2A || </abc>

BLACK BUT COMELY. AKA and see AKA and see "Black Laddie My Darling," "For a' that and a' that," "Gille Dubh Mo Laochan (An)," "Lady Mackintosh (1)," "Lady Mackintosh's Reel (1)," "Mo Laochan," "Strawberry Blossom (2)." Scottish, Reel. D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Gow, Surenne): AABB'. The title is a biblical reference: the Shulamite woman in Song of Solomon (who some say was the Queen of Sheba) referred to herself as "black, but comely." An air version of the tune is to be found in "Gille Dubh Mo Laochan (An)," employed by Robert Burns for his song "A Man's a Man for a' that."

Printed sources: Gow (Complete Repository), Part 3, 1806; p. 37. Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 2; No. 152, p. 18. Köhlers’ Violin Repository, Book 2, 1881-1885, p. 126. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; p. 52. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; pg. 97. Surenne (Dance Music of Scotland), 1852; p. 159.

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