Annotation:Craig of Barns (The)

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X:1 T:Craig of Barns M:C L:1/8 R:Strathspey B:Davie's Caledonian Repository vol. 2 (Aberdeen, 1829-30, p. 22) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:Gmin {A}d2 c>A G<GG>A|c<Fc>A c>FA<c|{A}d2 c>A G<GG>A|c<Fc>A {A}G2G:| A|F>Ac>d c<A c2|d>=ef>a g>fd>e|f<ad<f F>GA<c|d<f{d}c>A {A}G2 GA| F>Ac>d c2 A>c|f>ef>a {a}g>fd>e|(3fga (3cde (3AFG (3ABc|(3def (3cBA {A}G2G||

CRAIG O'/OF BARN'S, THE. Scottish; Strathspey or Highland Schottische. G Minor (Alburger, Athole, Gow): A Mixolydian (Kerr). Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB (Alburger, Athole, Gow): AABB (Kerr). The strathspey is one of the best-known compositions of Atholl gamekeeper and fiddler-composer John Crerar (1750–1840), who probably had lessons from Niel Gow at Atholl, arranged by Crerar's employer, Wikipedia:John_Murray,_4th_Duke_of_Atholl. Craig-y-barns, or A' chreag bheàrnach, is a range of rugged heights near Dunkeld, Perthshire, located (as Crerar researcher Eilidh Scammell remarks) directly behind Crerar's own house at Pulney. Scammell points out the the Craig is now a wooded area, but in Crerar's day it was quite barren, with the crags prominent^[1]

Paul Cranford thinks the Cape Breton tune "MacKinnon's Rant" is related to this melody. Multi-instrumentalist John Rook (Waverton, Cumbria) entered the melody into his large 1840 music manuscript collection under the title "The Craig of Burns."

Additional notes

Printed sources : - Alburger (Scottish Fiddlers and Their Music), 1983; Ex. 74, p. 118. Carlin (The Gow Collection), 1986; No. 448. Davie (Caledonian Repository), 1829–30; p. 22. Gow (Complete Repository, Part 2), 1802; p. 13. Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 1), c. 1880; No. 8, p. 19 (Highland Schottische setting). Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; p. 192.

Recorded sources : - WMT002, Wendy MacIsaac – "That's What You Get" (1998?).

See also listing at :
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recordings Index [1].

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↑ Eilidh Scammell, BA Thesis, "John Crerar, a Highland Perthshire fiddler 1750-1840", 2013, p. 31.

[1] Eilidh Scammell, BA Thesis, "John Crerar, a Highland Perthshire fiddler 1750-1840", 2013, p. 31.

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