Other Composers and Compilers

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Image	Title	Item Description
JSS0562	Bushaboon Traquair	A setting of a traditional Scottish song from Francis Peacock's 'Fifty Favourite Scotch Airs for a Violin, German Flute and Violoncello, with a Thorough Bass for the Harpsichord'. Peacock was Aberdeen's official dancing-master for over sixty years. A cellist and violinist, he helped found the Aberdeen Musical Society. The cello part probably shows what he himself could play. The numbers over the notes in the bass part represent the 'figured bass', and tell the keyboard player (if there is one) which chords to use for the harmonies. Skinner used this melody for Figure 4 of his Ettrick Vale Quadrilles (JSS0670).
JSS0563	Explanation of ornaments, Fifty Favourite Scotch Airs	Francis Peacock, official Aberdeen dancing-master for fifty years, published this collection in 1762. Perhaps to help ensure that his arrangements of Scottish tunes were played as he would like, he included a list ornaments (decorations to the notes) from Geminani's 'Art of playing on the Violin' [1751]. This highly successful violin tutor was still in print well into the nineteenth century, and facsimilies are available today.
JSS0564	Page 1 of 2, Table of Contents, John Niven Collection	John Niven's collection dates from 1761, the year before Francis Peacock's Fifty Favourite Scotch Airs (JSS0559) appeared. Niven may have copied from printed music collections, perhaps belonging to friends. Or he could have written down tunes which he had learned by ear, as seen in the James Christie MS 1730-1760. Niven, a wealthy Jacobite sympathiser, lived in what is now known as Provost Skene's House, one of the oldest houses in Aberdeen. Niven's 70 pages of music include 227 tunes, some published by Robert Bremner, and James Oswald.
JSS0565	Page 2 of 2, Table of Contents, John Niven Collection	Collection of music 'July 11 1761' transcribed by John Niven. Niven, a wealthy Jacobite sympathiser, lived in what is now known as Provost Skene's House, one of the oldest houses in Aberdeen. Niven's 70 pages of music include 227 tunes, some published by Robert Bremner, and James Oswald. Pasted at bottom right is an Aberdeen Press and Journal clipping [23 March 1933] from Niven's great-grand-daughter, concerned about the possible demolition of Niven's home. The Duke of Cumberland was billeted there in 1746, during the Jacobite War. Perhaps Niven had been his willing - or unwilling - host.
JSS0566	Title page, John Niven Collection	Collection of music 'July 11 1761' transcribed by John Niven. Niven, a wealthy Jacobite sympathiser, lived in what is now known as Provost Skene's House, one of the oldest houses in Aberdeen. Niven's 70 pages of music include 227 tunes, some published by Robert Bremner, and James Oswald. The '1st part Sett by Alexr Fraser Aberdeen'. His title page reads 'Inflamed by Musick Soldiers fight / Inspired by Musick Poets write / Musick can heal the Lovers wound / And calm fierce raging by gentle sound / Philosophy attempts in vain / What Musick can with ease attain.'
JSS0567	Rudiments of Music, John Niven Collection	Collection of music 'July 11 1761' transcribed by John Niven. Niven, a wealthy Jacobite sympathiser, lived in what is now known as Provost Skene's House, one of the oldest houses in Aberdeen. Niven's 70 pages of music include 227 tunes, some published by Robert Bremner, and James Oswald. This page shows scales and notes for learning to read music, and is similar to Catharine Moir's (JSS0547). The handwritten section discussed bowing, so Niven was presumably a fiddler.
JSS0568	The Flowers of Edinburgh, Gilder Roy	Collection of music 'July 11 1761' transcribed by John Niven. Niven, a wealthy Jacobite sympathiser, lived in what is now known as Provost Skene's House, one of the oldest houses in Aberdeen. Niven's 70 pages of music include 227 tunes, some published by Robert Bremner, and James Oswald. 'The Flowrs' was first published by William McGibbon in the 1750s, and reprinted by Bremner around 1762. Gilder Roy (Gilderoy), a traditional Scottish ballad, was printed in a Ballad Opera, The Jovial Crew, in 1731. You can hear Skinner playing this tune on the audio clip cd15a.
JSS0569	Major McLean	This slow strathspey was 'communicated by [Clementina] Lady Elphinstone' (1749-1822), and may be another example of music by a woman composer of traditional dance music. The tune was first published in Gow's Fifth Collections, and is also known as 'Lothian Lasses' and 'Lady Loughborough's Reel', according to J. Murdoch Henderson's handwritten note under the music.
JSS0570	Rosabell	This slow strathspey was 'Composed and communicated by Miss Murray of Auchtertyre' (about three miles from Crieff, Perthshire), so is an undeniable example of the work of a woman composer of traditional dance music. She may be the Euphemia Murray of Auchtertyre to whom Robert Burns wrote his poem 'Blythe Was She' on a visit there in 1787: / By Oughtertyre grows the aik, / On Yarrow banks the birken shaw; / But Phemie was a bonier lass / Than the braes o' Yarrow ever saw. The tune was first published in Gow's Fifth Collection
JSS0571	The Pic Nic	This first and last sections of this piece were written by Nathaniel Gow (1763-1831), son of the famous fiddler Niel Gow. Mr Giornovichi, an Italian violinist with the Edinburgh Musical Society in the 18th century, wrote the middle section. He also wrote other music, including violin concerti.

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Historic Collections · Kings College · Old Aberdeen · AB24 3SW
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