Kilrack’s reel

It’s a pity that Morgan Toney hasn’t made any comment. The notation is not right, I’m afraid. It’s likely that the transcription comes from a fiddle collection from 1981: The Caledonian Companion (by Alastair J Hardie, Edinburgh). The trouble is that this tune demonstrates scordatura, so the G string would be tuned up to A, making the first two notes C and A, not B and G; the D string would be tuned up to E, so all the notes in the above transciption below A are wrong. Hopefully Morgan Toney will return to correct it.

The tune is old, published as "Kilrack’s Reel" (McGlashan 1778); "Kilrack’s Strathspey" in Gow’s 1st collection (1784); "Kilravock’s Strathspey" (Anderson c1790) and "Kelravock’s Strathspey" (Beauties of Gow 1819).

I didn’t make this, I knew the notation wasn’t right when I saw this haha

Could you fix this Nigel?

X:2 is Tony’s setting corrected, and perhaps he’ll tell us where he got it, why he posted it, and any other interesting titbits.

The original (X:1) looks, well, original according to this manuscript:
A Collection of Strathspey Reels
by Alexander McGlashan
http://hms.scot/fiddle/copy/11/#v=d&z=3&n=5&i=11_MacGlashan_1-018.tiff&y=950&x=575

X:2 is less dramatic, and might be a bit easier to play, but loses energy in the repeat. I’ll stick with X:1.

After looking at the score again, it could, indeed be scordatura, as Nigel has noted. The notes on the manuscript that precede the tune, in the treble and bass lines are, I admit, out of my wheelhouse. If that is the case, and in keeping with the folk tradition, I will continue to play it wrong and enjoy it!

Thank you folks