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The Maids Of Kintail jig

Also known as An Gille Dubh Sugach, An Gille Dubh Sugach, Annie MacNab, Boc Liath Nan Gobhar, Dean Cadal ‘s Fan Samhach A Chuillean A Ruin, Drive The Cows Home, Driving The Cows Home, The Grey Buck, Lass Of Kintail, The Lass Of Kintail, The Loving Black Lad, Maid Of Kintail, The Maid Of Kintail, The Merry Black Lad.

There are 4 recordings of this tune.

The Maids Of Kintail has been added to 4 tune sets.

The Maids Of Kintail has been added to 77 tunebooks.

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Four settings

1
X: 1
T: The Maids Of Kintail
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Amix
|:A2e edB|d2A A2d|BGd dBG|BAG G2g|
fed efg|a2A e2f|g2e dBd|1 eAA A2e:|2 eAA A2g||
|:a2a e2g|a2a e2f|g2g dBd|g2g e2g|
[1a2a e2g|a2A e2f|g2e dBd|eAA A2g:|
[2fed efg|a2A e2f|g2e dBd|eAA A2e||
ABd edB|d2A A2g|GBd dBG|BAG G2g|
fed efg|a2A e2f|g2e dBd|eAA A2d:|
|:ege ege|d2A A2B|ded dgd|BAG G2g|
fed efg|a2A e2f|g2e dBd|1 e2A A2g:|2 eAA A2e||
2
X: 2
T: The Maids Of Kintail
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Amix
|:B/c/d|eee edB|dBA A2g|dGd dc/B/A|BAG G2 g|
fed efg|aAa e2a|g2 e dB/c/d|eAA A:|
|:e/f/g|aaa efg|aaa e2 f|ggg def|ggg d2 g|
fed efg|aAa e2a|g2 e dB/c/d|eAA A:|
3
X: 3
T: The Maids Of Kintail
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Amix
|:B/c/d|eee edB|dBA A2g|dGd dc/B/A|BAG G2 g|
fed efg|aAa e2a|g2 e dB/c/d|eAA A:|
|:e/f/g|aaa efg|aaa e2 f|ggg def|ggg d2 g|
fed efg|aAa e2a|g2 e dB/c/d|eAA A:|
# Added by Anča .
4
X: 4
T: The Maids Of Kintail
R: jig
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
K: Ador
|:efe edB|dBA ABA|GAG GB/c/d|BAB Geg|
aba efg|aba e2f|gfg Bcd|ecA ABd|1 gfg Bcd:|2 ecA Aeg||
aba efg|aba e2f|gfg d^cd|gbg efg|
[1 aba efg|aba e2f|gfg Bcd|ecA Aeg:|
[2 agf gfe|fed edB|gbg Bcd|ecA A3||

Fourteen comments

A complete version of The Further,The Deeper,and I didn’t want to bury it in the comments section of that tune

Yet another name is ‘The Grey Buck’, in Glen’s Collection, where it is also called’The lass of Kintail’, Annie MacNab’ and ‘The Loving Black Lad’

It appears as a quickstep in Glen and later collections of Highland Bagpipe music, but is a jig in the earlier collection (Gunn’s). A wonderful tune, however you look at it.

In Kintail is a range of hills known as the Five Sisters of Kintail, and this may have influenced the name, causing ‘Maid’ or ‘Lass’ to become plural as it was passed about. It looks like there may once have been a popular song to this air, probably Gaelic, in which a local girl, perhaps Annie MacNab, was the center of a dark-haired boy’s amorous attention. Maybe someone knows of this song?

I have come across this tune in various Scottish books as "Boc Liath Nan Gobhar"; "The Maids of Kintail"; "The Grey Buck"; and "Dean Cadal ‘s Fan Samhach a Chuillean a Ruin". Jock Tamson’s Bairns recorded it as "Boc Liath Nan Gobhar".

The title ‘Dean cadal’s fan samhach a Chuillean a ruin’ means something like ‘Go sleep and be easy, darling dear’, and may be from the putative song, since it fits the love theme.

The gaelic words scan, or fit the tune, at least he first couple of bars, so it likely is the beginning of the song.

i’ve only ever known this tune s a 6/8 pipe march, but its interesting to hear about all these other versions with gaelic words to it

The Grey Buck

A new one to our sessions lately. This is based on the Julie Fowlis version

X: 1
T: The Grey Buck
C: Scottish trad
S: Julie Fowlis
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Amix
|: B/c/d | eee edB | dBA A2g | dGd dc/B/A | BAG G2 g |
fed efg | aAa e2a | g2 e dB/c/d | eAA A :|
|: e/f/g | aaa efg | aaa e2 f | ggg def | ggg d2 g |
fed efg | aAa e2a | g2 e dB/c/d | eAA A :|

See O’Neill’s "1001", number 77

Driving The Cows

From PV O’Donnell’s CD "Donegal Fiddler," paired with "The Bow Legged Tailor." Liner notes state "Both tunes Father Charlie learned from his brother Jack Coen. They are both in "O’Neill’s."

Re: Driving The Cows

Yes, and. See in the comments there is a link to Johnny Doherty’s version of this tune, which I was unaware of. I should probably just this setting over there.