Annotation:Antony Murray's Reel
X:1 T:Anthony Murray's Reel M:C| L:1/8 R:Reel or Strathspey S:McGlashan - Strathspey Reels (p. 15) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:A E|C>E A2 C>E A2|AFEB B,/B,/B, B,2|CD/E/AE FEAE|F>AEC A,/A,/A, A2:| c/d/|e>cAe c<A e>c|d>fe>c B/B/B Bc/d/|e>cAe c<A e>c|d>fe>c A/A/A Ac/d/| e>cAe c<A e>c|egdf c/c/c c>B|FAEF DFCE|A/G/F/E/ Ac, A,/A,/A, A||
ANTHONY MURRAY'S REEL. AKA and see "Hills of Cape Mabou," "Lord Murray's Strathspey," "MacArthur's Tune," "Miss Murray's Reel (3)," "Port 'Ic Artair," "Tilly Plump." Scottish, Canadian; Strathspey. A Major. A popular and much-recorded strathspey by Scottish and Cape Breton fiddlers. "Anthony Murray's Reel" first appears in print in the 1780 collection of bandleader and fiddler-composer biography:Alexander McGlashan, known as 'King' McGlashan for his flair. Later in the decade it was printed by Glasgow fiddler Joshua Campbell (in AEae tuning notation) with the title "Miss Murray's Reel (3)." The reel was commonly played in scordatura tuning (AEae) on the fiddle in Scotland in the 19th century and earlier, and is currently played on Cape Breton in AEae tuning.
Cape Breton musicians sometimes call the tune "Christie's Sister" because it is so frequently played in a medley following "Christie Campbell." John Shaw, in the booklet for Topic 12TS354 writes: "According to tradition in the Inverness-Mabou area (the tune) was associated with the family of MacArtair Mor (Big MacArthur) of Mabou Coal Mines, whose father was born on the Isle of Canna, Inner Hebrides Scotland." A Shetland version of the tune is known as "Tilly Plump."
