Annotation:Lord McDonald (1)
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LORD McDONALD [1] ("An Tigearna Mac Domnall" or "An Tiarna Mac Dónaill). AKA and see ""Lord MacDonald (4)," "McDonald's Reel," "Leather Breeches/Leather Britches," "Lady McDonald's Reel," "Miss Jackson's," "Litte Peggy (1)," "Little Peggy's Love," "Lord Finlater." Scottish (originally), Strathspey; Irish, Reel. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AB (Moylan, O'Neill): AAB (Laybourn/Köhler): AA'B (Gow): ABCBA (Breathnach). Composed by Lord McDonald a few days before his death (see note for "Lord MacDonald"). Breathnach (1985) remarks it is said from Irish sources that McDonald lived in Gort Rí, four miles from Pomeroy in County Tyrone, and that it was from the birds that the lord or his shepherd learned this reel. The tune was printed by the Scots' Campbell, 1790, but reprinted about that time in Ireland, maintains Breathnach. Malcolm MacDonald of Dunkeld, Perthshire, a one-time cello player for Niel Gow, published the tune in his 3rd collection (1792), dedicated to Miss Drummond of Perth. The reel was popularized through the influential 1927 recording by Michael Coleman (backed by Ed Geoghegan on piano), where it is paired with "Ballinasloe Fair". See Annotation:Lord MacDonald (4) for more.
Source for notated version: fiddler Michael Coleman (Co. Sligo/New York) [Breathnach]; accordion player Johnny O'Leary (Sliabh Luachra region of the Cork-Kerry border) [Moylan].
Printed sources: Breathnach (CRÉ III), 1985; No. 200, p. 89. Carlin (The Gow Collection), 1986; No. 123. Giblin (Collection of Traditional Irish Dance Music), 1928; 51. Huntingdon (William Litten's), 1977; p. 16 (two settings). Lyth (Bowing Styles in Irish Fiddle Playing, vol. 1), 1981; 19. Laybourn (Köhler’s Violin Repository, Book One), 1881; p. 72. MacDonald (A Third Collection of Strathspey Reels), c. 1792; p. 2. Moylan (Johnny O'Leary), 1994; No. 203, p. 117. O'Neill (Music of Ireland: 1850 Melodies), 1903; No. 1408, p. 262. O'Neill (Dance Music of Ireland: 1001 Gems), 1907; No. 649, p. 116.
Recorded sources: Shanachie Records, "The Classic Recordings of Michael Coleman." Topic 12TS338, Vincent Griffin - "Traditional Fiddle Music from County Clare" (1977).
See also listing at:
Alan Ng's Irishtune.info [1]
Hear Michael Coleman's 1927 recording at the Internet Archive [2]