Annotation:Miss Cumine of Auchry's Strathspey
X:1 T:Miss Cumine of Auchry's Strathspey C:William Christie (1778-1849) N:Christie was a dancing master, fiddler N:and composer from Cuminestown, Aberdeenshire. M:C L:1/16 R:Strathspey B:Christie - Collection of Strathspeys, Reels, Hornpipes, B:Waltzes &c. (Edinburgh, 1820, p. 3) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:F G2|~F3c (AB).c.A {F}d4 df3|cd3 Ad3 cf3 Ad3|~c3F (AB).c.A {F}d4 df3|{dc=B}c3G (BA).G.F D4 D2:| g2|{g}f3c (AB).c.A {c}a4 Ta3g|f3cAf3 de3fg3|{g}f3c (AB).c.A {c}a4 Ta3g|{e}f3c (BA).G.F D4 D2g2| {g}f3c (AB).c.A {c}a4 Ta3g|Tf2c2A2f2 d2e2f2g2|(ag).f.e (fe).d.c df3 Bd3|~c3G (BA).G.F D4D2||
MISS CUMINE OF AUCHRY'S STRATHSPEY. Scottish, Strathspey (whole time). F Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. "Miss Cumine of Auchry's Strathspey" was composed by dancing master and fiddler-composer William Christie (1778-1849), of Cuminestown, Aberdeenshire. Auchry House is a country house and estate situated in Monquhitter Parish, just south of Cuminestown (midway between New Deer and Turriff)which was split from Turfiff in 1649 when what was then a rural church was built on land owned by the Cumine family.The village itself was originally built in 1763 to a design by Sir Archibald Grant of Monymusk, who was a friend of Joseph Cumine (1711-1785). Cumine obliged his deuars to keep a book of worthwhile improvements and rewarded hard workers with a dram of whisky at regular meetings held in the local inn. Auchry House, or Meikle Auchry, just to the north of the village (separated by the Burn of Monquhitter) was a "Laird's house" which succeeded the Castle of Auchry, and was held around the time of William Christie's birth by the Cumming family. The three-story mansion house was built in 1767, but was demolished in 1967, and a modern farmstead now occupies the site (although the 18th century dovecot still remains).
Christie did tunes for the entire family, who must have been primary patrons of his: see "Mrs. Cumine of Auchry's Strathsepy," "Mr. John Cumine Esq. of Auchry's Strathspey, and "Auchry."
