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Heilan’ Donald Kissed Kitty strathspey

Also known as 42nd Highlanders, Heilan Donald Kissed Kitty, Highland Donald, Highland Donald Kiss’d Kitty, Highland Donald Kissed Kitty, Wha Saw The Forty-Second, Wha Wouldna Fecht For Charlie, What Wad’na Fect For Charlie?, Will Ye Go And Marry Ketty, Will You Go And Marry Ketty.

There are 3 recordings of this tune.

Heilan' Donald Kissed Kitty has been added to 16 tunebooks.

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Seven settings

1
X: 1
T: Heilan' Donald Kissed Kitty
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:d|"G"B<G G>A B>A B<g|B<G G>A B<d "D7"A>c|
"G"B<G G>A B>A B<d|"C"e<g "G"d<g B<g "D7"A:|
|:c|"G"B<d de/f/ g>f e<d|B<d de/f/ g>B "D7"A>c|
"G"B<d de/f/ g>f e<d|"C"e<g "G"d<g B<g "D7"{B}A:|
2
X: 2
T: Heilan' Donald Kissed Kitty
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:B>G (3GGG c>AB<g|B>G (3GGG B>d A2|B>G (3GGG c>A (3Bcd|(3efg d>g B<g A2:|
|:B<d (3def g>de>g|B<dd>e g>B A2|B<d (3def g>fe>d|e<gd>g B<g A2:|
3
X: 3
T: Heilan' Donald Kissed Kitty
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:G/G/G G>A B>ABg|G/G/G G>A B/c/d/B/ A2|G/G/G G>A B>ABd|1 e>gd>g B>gA[Bg]:|2 e>gd>g B>g A2||
|:B/c/d d>e g>de>d|B/c/d d>e g>B A2|B/c/d d>e g>de>d|1 (3cdc (3BcB g>B A2:|2 (3cdc (3BcB g>BAg||
4
X: 4
T: Heilan' Donald Kissed Kitty
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
B<G G>A B>A B<g|B<G G>A B<d A>c|B<G G>A B>A B<d|e<g d>g B>g A>c:|
|:B<d du(e/f/ .g)>ud e>c|B<d d>e g>B A>c|B<d du(e/f/ .g)>ud e<d|e<g d>g B>g A>c:|
5
X: 5
T: Heilan' Donald Kissed Kitty
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:{c/}d/|B<GG>A B>AB<g|B<GG>A B<dA>c|B<GG>A B>AB<d|e<g d<g B<g A3/2:|
c/|B<dd(e/f/) g>fe<d|B<dde/f/ g>BA>c|B<dd(e/f/) g>fe<d|e<g d<g B<g B<A|
{c/}B<dd(e/f/) g>fe<d|{c/}B<dde/f/ g>B A2|{c/}B<dd(e/f/) g>fe<d|e<g d<g B<g [D3/2A3/2]||
6
X: 6
T: Heilan' Donald Kissed Kitty
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
|:v(B<G) uG>uA vB>vA (B<g)|(B<G) G>B A>Bc>A|(B<G) G>A B>A (B<d)|e<g d<g B<g A2:|
|:(B<d) d>e g>de>c|(B<d) d>e g>BA>c|(B<d) d>e g>de>d|e<g d<g B<g A2:|
7
X: 7
T: Heilan' Donald Kissed Kitty
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Gmaj
c/|B<G G>B c>A B<g|B<G G>A B<d A>c|B<G G>A c>A B<d|egdg Bg [F3/2A3/2]c/|
B>G G/G/G c>A B<g|B>G G/G/G (B<d) A>c|B>G G/G/G c>A B>G|E/G/G D/G/G B,/G/G A,3/2||
|:c/|Bd- d.e/.f/ {f/}g>d e<d|Bd- d.e/.f/ gB [F2A2]|Bd- d.e/.f/ gf{f/}ed|e<g d<g B<g [F3/2A3/2]:|

Twelve comments

This tune is not at all bad. Why not tell us a bit about it?

Heilan Donald Kissed Kitty

R: strathspey
B: Hunter “The Fiddle Music of Scotland”
Z: John Chambers <jc:trillian.mit.edu>
A: Early Wood by Calum Stewart

Heilan Donald Kissed Kitty

Better late than never, javivr!

This is an old Scottish tune with lots of family members. In Stewart’s Collection of 1761 there is an antecedent, “(Will You Go and) Marry Ketty” - a title which crops up in subsequent publications, including Gow (Beauties of Gow vol.1, 1819). Possibly a more common version is a march-type tune called “Wha Wadna Fecht for Chairlie” (after a Jacobite - or faux Jacobite - song), also known as “Wha Saw the 42nd?” and “Wha Saw the Tattie Howkers?”. It’s also known in English Morris Dance circles as “The March Past”. There is a tune in the session.org called “Highland Donald” (https://thesession.org/tunes/6960) which is unrelated to this tune.

Re: Heilan’ Donald Kissed Kitty

There is a reel setting of this strathspey, with the parts in reverse order, in Koehler’s Violin Repository, Book 1st, page 11, entitled “Nothing will ye tak’, man”.

X: 3 “Will you go and Marry Ketty” - 1807 (?)

Glen Collection of printed music:
https://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/87729635
The Glen Collection of Scottish Music - Printed Music:
https://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/97129438?from_row=51

“A Collection of Highland Strathspey Reels: Selected from the best authors with a bass for the viooncello or harp”
Glasgow : Printed and sold by J. McFadyen, [1807?].
Page 35 - “Will you go and Marry Ketty” / “TheMiller’s Daughter” / “The Humours of Kilkenny”
https://digital.nls.uk/special-collections-of-printed-music/archive/104408916
https://digital.nls.uk/104408916

- & this one publication as a PDF:
https://deriv.nls.uk/dcn23/1038/3083/103830833.23.pdf

X: 5 “Heilan Donald Kissed Kitty” - & source for X: 1

“James Hunter: The Fiddle Music of Scotland”
Tune #76, page 70 (a count, pages are not numbered)

Publisher : Chambers; First Thus Edition (1979)
ISBN-10 : 0550203583
ISBN-13 : 978-0550203588

Publisher : Hardie Press (1988) (& Mel Bay Publications, Inc)
ISBN-10 : 078662826X
ISBN-13 : 978-0786628261

Publisher : Hardie Press (1979/1988/2005)
https://hardiepress.co.uk
ISBN: 9780946868049; ISMN 9790708090021

Highland Kitty Kissed Donald - having been blessed with a kiss from Kitty - - - 😀

Nice one Donald! I tried to find a recording for this online, Youtube, etc., but no luck. It’s a jolly little tune however you take it, whatever instrument, wherever…

Re: Heilan’ Donald Kissed Kitty

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a recording of Patsy Reid playing the tune, so can’t help you out there, c.

X: 7 “Merry Kitty”

Source: “Scott Skinner: Harp and Claymore” - 1904, page 57 - with minor adjustments:
- [F3/A3/]c/ :| - rather than - [FA] :| c…