Annotation:Stay and take your breeches wi' ye (1)
X:1 T:Stay and Take Your Breeches with You [1] M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel B:David Young - The Drummond Castle Manuscript, Part 2 (1734, No. 18) B:https://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/musicfiles/manuscripts/drummond2.pdf Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:Dmix A|FDDd TA<FEA|FDDd TA>FDA|FDDd TA>FEE| FDDd TA>FA>B|d/B/A/F/ A>d TA>FEE|FDDd TA>FD:| |:g-|Tfddf afeg-|Tfddf afdf|afdf afeg-|Tfddf abaf| gebe geeg|afge defd|(e/f/g) (f/g/a) eEEA|FDDd TA>FD:|]
STAY AND TAKE THE BREIKS WITH THEE [1]. AKA - "Stay and take your breeches with you," "Take the breeks with thee." Scottish, Reel (cut time). D Mixolydian. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The melody can be found as "Stay and take your breeches with you" in the Drummond Castle Manuscript, Part 2 (1734, No. 18) in the possession of the Earl of Ancaster at Drummond Castle), inscribed "A Collection of the best Highland Reels written by David Young, W.M. & Accomptant." Young was an amateur violinist and writing master, based in Edinburgh. The tune is not to be confused with "Stay and take your breeches wi' ye (2)," a different reel that can also be found in the Drummond Castle Manuscript, albeit under the title "Welcome to your foot again" ("Welcome to Your Feet Again").
The tune title is mentioned by Robert Woodrow in Correspondence (vol. xi, n. 96), who noted that in 1716 it was played by the pipers of the rear section of three companies of Argyle's Highlanders, Loyalist Scottish troops, as they entered Perth and Dundee during the ill‑fated Jacobite rebellion, led by the Earl of Mar (Bobbing John). See also note for "annotation:Wilt Thou Play Me Fair Highland Laddie."
The name of a later country dance melody, "Stay and Take Your Petticoat with You," printed in London, seems to have been a play on the "Breeches/breiks" title.
