Maggie Cameron strathspey

A nice little Cape Breton strathspey I’ve heard here and there.

Could this possibly the 19thC Scottish pipe strathspeyJeffK627? Surely not!

It’s probably the tune that escaped to Cape Breton during the Highland Clearances and was recently featured in the Toronto Star. 🙂

If you want to hear a brilliant version of this, try to listen to Track 2 of ‘A Highland Fiddler’. Best modern Scottish fiddling - playing a setting by a renowned piper/fiddler.

Usually goes closer to:-
K:Hp
f| (e2“>”c)>A (c-a|e>-c A>-c e2 f2| etc
In part B, the triplets are closer to a ‘doodle’ ie (g/2f/2e) and (d/2c/2B) etc
In part C, these are usually altered to A/4A/4(a/2e) etc

For some reason, although the ABC default note length is set as 1/8 the sheet music seems to be set at 1/4. Is this a case of a later correction that’s still to catch up? Looks as if it would transform closer to the normal 4/4 arrangement.

Yeah, just downloaded ABC file. Setting note length to 1/16 gives a setting a little closer to the tune. Not sufficiently conversant with site mechanics to know how sheet music version would be altered without J’s intervention.

K: A Mixolydian
f |
e2 c>A c<ec>A | e>cA>c e2 f2 |
e2 c>A c<ec>A | d>BG>B d2 f2 |
e2 c>A c<ec>A | e>cA>c e>A a/g/f |
e>Ac>A c<ec>A | d>BG>B d2 f2 ||
e<ac>a e>ac>a | g/f/e a>c e2 f2 |
e<ac>a e>fg>e | d/c/B g>B d2 f2 |
e<ac>a e>ac>a | g/f/e a>c e2 e/f/g |
a/g/f g/f/e f/e/d e/d/c | d/c/B g>B d2 f- ||

Sorry, cut it off, here’s the source for the above ~
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/scottskinner/display.php?ID=JSS0151

The tune was eventually part of Skinner’s collection "The Harp & Claymore, 1890 - 1900’s…

He describes it as a “Pipe Strathspey (G natural) for fiddle”. Below the transcription he writes “Press hard with the fingers, and don’t omit the wee notes or fluttering leaves. Give one bow to each bar as a rule.”

Following the author’s lead, James Scott Skinner, here is JeffK627’s transcription ‘normalized’ ~

K: A Mixolydian
d<f |
e2 c<A c<ec>A | e>cA>c c<ee<f |
e2 c<A c<ec>A | d>BG>B B<dd<f |
e2 c<A c<ec>A | e>cA>c e2 (3agf |
e>Ac>A (3cde c>A | d>BG>B B<dd<f ||
e<ac>a e>ac>a | (3gfe a>c c<ee<f |
e<ac>a e>fg>e | (3dcB g>B B<dd<f |
e<ac>a e>ac>a | (3gfe a>c e2 (3efg |
(3agf g>e (3fed e>c | (3dcB g>B B<dd<f ||
e2 c>e A/A/A c>e | A/A/A c>e A/A/A (3agf |
e2 c>e A/A/A c>e | (3dcB g>B B<dd<f |
e2 c>e A/A/A c>e | A/A/A c>e A/A/A (3agf |
e>Ac>A (3cde c>A | (3dcB g>B B<dd<f ||
e<aa>g f>ea<b | a>fe>d (3cde e<f |
e<aa>g f>ea>c | (3dcB g>B B<dd<f |
e<aa>g f>ea<b | a>fe>d (3cde (3efg |
(3agf g>e (3fed e>c | (3dcB g>B B<d ||

Often played between the March ‘ MacLean of Pennycross’ and the Reel ‘Duntroon Castle’ (check out “Jig it in style” by Sean Keane) awesome!

The setting I have provided is based off how I was taught it by Andrea Beaton, combine bits from how Mike Hall plays it.

A setting given to me by the Scottish fiddler Charlie Cowie in the 1980s.