Annotation:Captain Campbell of Carphen

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X:1 T:Captain Campbell of Carphen M:C L:1/8 R:Strathspey S:MacDonald - 2nd Collection of Strathspey Reels (1789) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:Amin E | A/A/A AB cABE | G/G/G Gc {B/c/}d>cBG | A/A/A (AB) cABG | e>dgB A2A :| B | Aa Ta>g e/g/e/d/ cd | e^fge (d/c/)B/A/ GB | AaTa>g e/g/e/d/ ce | dBgB A2 A2 | eaTa>g e/g/e/d/ cd | e^fge d/c/B/A/ GB | cAdB e>dce | dBgB A2A ||



CAPTAIN CAMPBELL OF CARPHEN. AKA – "Captain Campbell," "Captain Campbell's Strathspey." AKA and see "Cameron House." Scottish (originally), Canadian; Strathspey (whole time). Canada; Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island. A Minor or Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB (Hunter, Kerr, Lowe, Martin, Perlman): AABB' (Athole, Carlin, Lerwick): AA'BB' (Little). The tune appears in biography:Malcolm MacDonald's 2nd collection of 1789, a volume dedicated to the Earl of Breadalbane. MacDonald was a professional musician from Perthshire and a contemporary of Inver fiddler-composer Niel Gow, whom he sometimes accompanied on the cello. MacDonald himself was from nearby Dunkeld, Perthshire, born around the year 1750. "Captain Campbell of Carphen" may have been composed by him, although this has not been ascertained.

The title refers to a Campbell of Carwhin (note spelling), although which one is unknown. A titled contemporary of MacDonald was John Campbell, 1st Marquis of Breadalbane (1762-1834) who was educated at Winchester and at age 19 succeeded to the earldom of Breadalbane and Holland in 1782. In 1784 he was elected as one of the sixteen Scottish representation Peers to sit in the House of Lords and was also appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society in the same year.

Although a military man, there is no record that John Campbell was ever a "Captain" or was addressed as such. He raised the Regiment of Fencibles and served as Lieutenant-Colonel in Ireland becoming Colonel in 1802, Major-General in 1809 and Lieutenant-General in 1814. In 1806 he was created Baron Breadalbane of Taymouth Castle, Perth which entitled him to a seat in the House of Lords. He was made Earl of Ormelie and Marquess of Breadalbane in 1831 and died at Taymouth Castle three years later.

Campbell was the son of Colin Campbell of Carwhin by Elizabeth Campbell, daughter of Archibald Campbell, of Stonefield. He was a great-grandson of Colin Campbell of Mochaster, younger son of Sir Robert Campbell, 3rd Baronet, of Glenorchy.

Some see similarities with the Shetland tune "Up and Doon da Harbour." The strathspey is also popular among Cape Breton/PEI musicians. See also Irish variants "Mo ceoil sibh a laochra," "George Gubbin's Delight," and "Humors of Schull (The)," and the Donegal Highlands "Molly Gharbu" or "Mullach Garbh Highland (The)." Researcher Conor Ward also finds a cognate melody in Rev. Luke Donnellan's reel "Devil among the Tailors (5)" (albeit with parts reversed).


Additional notes
Source for notated version : - Cape Breton style fiddler Harvey Tolman (Nelson, N.H.) [Little]; Eddy Arsenault (b. 1921, St. Chrysostom, East Prince County, Prince Edward Island) [Perlman]; Jean-Ann Callender (Aberdeen) [Martin].

Printed sources : - Carlin (Master Collection), 1984; p. 72, No. 108. Glen (Collection of Scottish Dance Music, vol. 1), 1891; p. 46. Hunter (The Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 70. Kerr (Merry Melodies, vol. 1), Set 12, No. 6, p. 9. Lerwick (Kilted Fiddler), 1985; p. 29. Little (Scottish and Cape Breton Fiddle Music in New Hampshire), 1984; p. 34. Joseph Lowe (Lowe's Collection of Reels, Strathspeys and Jigs, book 5), 1844-45; p. 16. MacDonald (A Second Collection of Strathspey Reels), 1789; p. 8. Martin (Traditional Scottish Fiddling), 2002; p. 131. Perlman (The Fiddle Music of Prince Edward Island), 1996; p. 194. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; p. 51.

Recorded sources : - Culburnie Records CUL102c, Alasdair Fraser & Jody Stecher – "The Driven Bow" (1988). Green Linnet GLCD 3105, Aly Bain – "Lonely Bird" (1996). Tartan Tapes CDTT1004, Amy Geddes – "Heat the Hoose" (1998). Topic TSDL353, Mike MacDougall violin with Mary Jessie MacDonald piano - "The Music of Cape Breton vol. 1: Gaelic Tradition in Cape Breton" (1978. Various artists).

See also listing at :
Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index [1]
Jane Keefer's Folk Music Index: An Index to Recorded Sources [2]



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