Scottish Flute 50 - Slow Strathspeys 

“The Braes o’ Mar” Backstory: A set of "Braes of Mar" appears in the Drummond Castle Manuscript (also called the Duke of Perth MS), as a country dance. The manuscript is inscribed 'A Collection of Country Dances written for the use of his Grace the Duke of Perth by Dav. Young, 1734. The tune appears in “Anderson's Budget of Strathspeys, Reels & Country Dances”, c. 1820 on p. 11 James Hunter attributes this tune to John Coutts of Deeside in his 1988 book “The Fiddle Music of Scotland. In “Musical Scotland: Past and Present, 1894” David Baptie says Coutts was said to have been a "talented composer...but of his biography little seems to be known". Imported by Scottish emigrants to the new world, "Braes of Marr" is considered an old tune in the Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, fiddling repertoire. Some people think the third turn is of Cape Breton origin. In Western Ireland the tune is played without the distinctive dotted rhythm and is sometimes known as "Johnny Will You Marry Me," and used for the dance "the Fling". Another variant of the tune provides the melody for the song “Some Say The Devil Is Dead”. Some say the deil's dead, the deil's dead, the deil's dead, Some say the deil's dead and buried in Kirkaldy. And others say he rose again, he rose again, he rose again, And others say he rose again and danced the Hielan Laddie. or, as the last two lines have sometimes been heard in Ireland: More say he rose again, rose again, rose again, More say he rose again and joined the British army!

Struy Vale Backstory: Volume 2 of “The Caledonian Pocket Companion”, published around 1750 by James Oswald, claims to contain “50 of the most favourite Scotch Tunes, several of them with Variations, all set for the German Flute, by Mr. Oswald”. Page 5 of this volume includes a tune, in A major, with the title “Strily Vale” which is clearly the antecedent of what we now play in Strathspey form as “Struy Vale”. Nigel Gatherer has it that in 1744 James Oswald published ten airs of his own composition "for the Tragedy of Macbeth" and that “Strily Vale” is one of them. Six of the twelve volumes of ” The Caledonian Pocket Companion”, including Volume 2, have been digitised by the National Library of Scotland.

This video is a gem, thank you so much! I'm a flute beginner who lives in Scotland, and only find Irish music for flute, so it is great to listen this Scottish tunes. I really love the strathspeys tempo.

Grand tunes Peter; with interesting back stories too! J

“Captain Campbell” Backstory: Another venerable tune going back over 200 years when it appeared in Malcolm MacDonald’s 1789 2nd Collection. The full title of the tune is "Captain Campbell of Carphen": it may have been composed by MacDonald, this has not been confirmed. MacDonald was from Dunkeld, Perthshire and was contemporary of Inver fiddler-composer Niel Gow, whom he sometimes accompanied on the cello. John Campbell, 1st Marquis of Breadalbane (1762-1834), who was educated at Winchester and succeeded to the earldom of Breadalbane and Holland in 1782 was a titled contemporary of MacDonald. In 1784 he was elected as one of the sixteen Scottish representation Peers to sit in the House of Lords and was also appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society in the same year. Although a military man, there is no record that John Campbell was ever a "Captain" or was addressed as such. He did raise the Regiment of Fencibles and served as Lieutenant-Colonel in Ireland becoming Colonel in 1802, Major-General in 1809 and Lieutenant-General in 1814. In 1806 he was created Baron Breadalbane of Taymouth Castle, Perth which entitled him to a seat in the House of Lords. He was made Earl of Ormelie and Marquess of Breadalbane in 1831 and died at Taymouth Castle three years later. It’s possible Campbell was a patron of Macdonald.

Slightly distracted by the quick change from the checked shirt to the red tee shirt!🤔