Annotation:Mrs. Dundas of Arniston
X:1 T:Dundas of Arniston's Reel M:C| L:1/8 B:Manson - Hamilton's Universal Tune Book, vol. 1 (1844, p. 15) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:C G|c2 ce dBG_B|AF F2 GECE|F2 FA GECE|FDCB, C2 CG| c2 ce dBG_B|AF F2 GECE|F2 FA GcEG|FDCB, C2C|| f|egec Bd g2|Ac f2 Ace2|FAdF EGce|fdcB c2 cf| egec BdgB|AcfA GceG|FAdF EGcE|FDCB, C2C||
MRS. DUNDAS OF ARNISTON. AKA - "Dundas of Arniston's Reel." Scottish, Reel (cut time). C Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. One of seven compositions attributed to William Gow (1751-1791), the eldest son of the famous Dunkeld fiddler Niel Gow. William took over the fashionable Alexander McGlashan band in Edinburgh when 'King' McGlashan retired and was reputedly a player of "bold and spirited style." The melody was recorded by Cape Breton fiddler Winston Fitzgerald [1] on a 78 RPM and has some currency among Cape Breton fiddlers.
Arniston House has been in the Dundas family since 1571. It was rebuilt by architect William Adam beginning in 1726, and finished by his son John in the 1750's. Mrs. Dundas was Elizabeth Dundas (1756-1852), eldest daughter of Henry Dundas, who married her cousin, Robert Dundas [2] in May, 1787. They had three sons and two daughters. Robert was a jurist who served a term as Lord Advocate, Member of Parliament for Edinburghshire and later Chief Baron of the Exchequer. Elizabeth outlived her husband by more than thirty years.
See also Irish derivatives of the tune (particularly in the first strain--the second strains diverge) as "Back of the Haggard," "Lodge Gate (The)," "Woodcock Hill" and others. See also William Shepherd's "Mrs. Dundas of Arniston's Strathspey" for the same person of Gow's title.
