Annotation:Darling (1) (The)
X:1 T:Darling [1], The M:C| L:1/8 R:Strathspey B:Stewart-Robertson - The Athole Collection (1884) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:D f|c<F c>B A<F F>f|c<F c>e f2 f>a|1 c<F c>B A>F F<f|e>c A<c B2Bf| c<F c>B A<F F>f|c<F c>e f2 f>a|c<F c>B A>B c<f|e>c A<c B2B|| d|c<f f>^g a>cc>B|c<f f>^g a2 g>f|c<f f>^g a>f c<a|e<c A<c B2 B>d| c<f f>^g a>cc>B|c<f f>^g a2 g<b|f<a ^g>f e>c c<a|e<c a>c B2B||
DARLING, THE [1] (Nighean donn ro'bheadarach). AKA and see "Lord Byron's Favorite." Scottish, Strathspey. F Sharp Dorian (Fraser, Kohler, Stewart-Robertson): E Minor (Howe). Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. "This is the air of one of the favourite sprightly songs of Mr. Fraser of Culduthel, so oftened named. It would have been sooner noticed, were it not for the difficulty of finding melodies suited to this uncommon key. It makes an admirable medley with No. 217 ('MacDonald, Lord of the Isles')" {Fraser}. William Bradbury Ryan published the tune under the title "Lord Byron's Favorite" in Ryan's Mammoth Collection (1883), even though his publisher, Elias Howe of Boston, Mass., at almost the same time printed the tune using Fraser's "The Darling" title. However, Howe's setting of the tune was as a reel and not a strathspey.
