Lady Madelina Sinclair (strathspey) on The Session

Also known as A‘ Bhean A Bh’ Aig An Tàillear Chaol, A‘ Bhean A Bh’aig An Taillear Chaol, Braes Of Aberarder, The Braes Of Aberarder, Lady Madalena Sinclair, Lady Madalina Sinclair’s Birthday, Lady Madeline Sinclair, The Skinny Tailor’s Wife.

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Eleven comments

“Lady Madelina Sinclair” ~ strathspey ~ early sources: Athole / Skye

X: 2
T: Lady Madelina Sinclair’s Birthday
S: “The Athole Collection”, James Stewart Robertson, 1884
S: “The Skye Collection”, Keith Norman MacDonald, 1887
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: strathspey
K: A Major
|: f |
e>Ac<A c/d/e f2 | e>A f/e/d/c/ B2 B<f |
e>Ac<A c/d/e a2 | e<Ac>B A2 A :|
g |
a>ef>e (3fga (3gab | a/g/f/e/ a<c B2 Bg |
a>ef>e (3fga (3gab | (3agf (3efg a2 ef/g/ |
a>fg>e f>de>c | d<bc<a B3 d |
c/d/e f2 c/d/e a2 | e<ac>B A2 A ||

“The Braes of Aberarder”, 1790 ~ ?

It seems there is a dispute regarding the origins of this tune. I haven’t my Kerrs on hand to check but am relying on Nigel’s work with regards to this, that a similar tune was claimed by Charles Duff as his own composition, and then was two years later included with a new name in Neil Gow’s third collection, 1792. I would be grateful to anyone who could check to see if they have a transcript for “The Braes of Aberarder”, for which there is also a dance of the same name, and would love to see the ABCs for that here for comparison. Of course, I’d love to see the dance transcription too, but may be able to pull that one out myself…

“Lady Madelina Sinclair” ~ the name it has been recorded under

For now I’ll leave the main name as it is mostly known and recorded by, though more usually in the key of A Major…

“Lady Madelina Sinclair” ~ as attributed to Neil Gow, incorrectly? ~ but in G

X: 3
T: Lady Madelina Sinclair
S: “Dance Music of Scotland”, John Thomas Surenne, 1852
M: C
L: 1/8
R: Strathspey
K: G Major
|: e |
d<GB>G B/c/d e2 | d>G e/d/c/B/ A3 e |
d>GB>G B/c/d e2 | d>GB>A G3 :|
e/f/ |
g>de>d e/f/g f/g/a | g/f/e/d/ g>B e2 de/f/ |
g>de>d (3efg (3fga | g/f/e/d/ e/f/g/d/ g2 de/f/ |
g>ef>d e>cd>B | c<AB<g A3 G |
B/c/d e2 B/c/d g2 | G<GB>A G3 ||

This has been ‘reassembled’ without the aid of the original collection, as I would have preferred, but with the aid of an incomplete and jumbled up ABC transcription found on the Internet…

If someone else has access to J.T. Surenne’s collection could you please check this against it and if I have slipped up, particularly on the 4th bar of the B-part, please let us know…

This is the one on Deaf Shepherd’s album.

“Lady Madelina Sinclair” ~ courtesy of Nigel Gatherer, dots & tab

http://www.nigelgatherer.com/tunes/tab/tab5/ldyms.html

Oops! ~ I forgot his homepage: http://www.nigelgatherer.com/

“The Braes of Aberarder” / “Lady Madelina Sinclair”

“Lady Madelina Sinclair” ~ The Fiddler’s Companion, Andrew Kuntz

A good tale & information is worth repeating ~

http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/index.html
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/LADYM_LADYS.htm

LADY MADELINA SINCLAIR. AKA – “Lady Madeline Sinclair.” AKA and see “The Braes of Aberarder.” Scottish, Strathspey. A Major (most versions): G Major (Kennedy, Surenne). Standard tuning. AB (Hardie, Kerr, Surenne): AAB (Athole, Glen, Gow, Honeyman, Hunter, Kennedy, Martin, Skye).

Lady Madelina Sinclair (1772-1847) was the second daughter of Alexander, 4th Duke of Gordon, and William Marshall’s employer and patron. Her second husband was named Charles Fyshe Palmer Esq. (see note for “Lady Madelina Palmer”) of Luckley Hall, Berkshire, whom she wed in 1805, however, her first husband was Sir Robert Sinclair of Murtle, who died in 1795 when she was twenty-three. According to Mary Robinson (Beaux and Belles of England), the daughters of Alexander and his wife Jane, the Duchess of Gordon, were far less beautiful than their mother. It was “to her skilful diplomacy alone” that they married well and into fortune. “Lady Madeline was not handsome,” writes Robinson, “but (was) extremely agreeable, animated, and intellectual. Among her other conquests was the famous Samuel Parr, of Hatton, who used to delight in sounding her praises, and recording her perfections with much of that eloquence which is now fast dying out of remembrance…” Palmer became the M.P. for Reading between 1818 and 1837. Madelina is buried with her second husband in St James’s Church, Finchampstead, Berkshire, England.

***
MacDonald, in his Skye Collection, repeats the composer credit Niel Gow awarded himself which appears in the Gow’s Third Collection of Strathspey Reels of 1792. However, Charles Duff had a prior claim to authorship of (at least a prototype of) the tune under the title “The Braes of Aberarder,” which he earlier published in 1790 (Emmerson, 1971). The tune also appears in Angus MacKay’s c. 1840’s collection of pipe tunes. Christine Martin (2002) notes the tune is also the vehicle for a popular Scots song (albeit with sometimes bawdy words) in the Gaelic puirt a beul tradition, called “A’ bhean a bh’aig an taillear chaol” (The skinny tailor’s wife).

***
Carlin (Gow Collection), 1986; No. 100. Glen (The Glen Collection of Scottish Dance Music), vol. 1, 1891; pg. 25. Hardie (Caledonian Companion), 1986; pg. 29. Honeyman (Strathspey, Reel and Hornpipe Tutor), 1898; pg. 19. Hunter (The Fiddle Music of Scotland), 1988; No. 133. Kennedy (Traditional Dance Music of Britain and Ireland: Reels and Rants), 1997; No. 93, pg. 24. Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 2; No. 7, pg. 4. MacDonald (The Skye Collection), 1887; pg. 4. Martin (Traditional Scottish Fiddling), 2002; pg. 77. Petrie (Third Collection of Strathspey Reels with a Bass for the Violoncello or piano forte), 1800; pg. 18. Stewart-Robertson (The Athole Collection), 1884; pg. 11. Surenne (Dance Music of Scotland), 1852; pgs. 40-41. Greentrax Recordings CDTRAX 9009, Donald MacDonell (1888-1967) - “Scottish Tradition 9: The Fiddler and His Art” (1993). Greentrax CDTRAX, Deaf Shpherd – “Even in the Rain” (). Rounder 7059, Alex Francis MacKay with Gordon MacLean – “Gaelic in the Bow” (2005). Ron Gonella – “Scottish Violin Music” (1966). “The Caledonian Companion” (1975).

“Lady Madelina Sinclair” ~ dipping a little lower down, to D ~ 😉

Correction ~

X: 2
T: Lady Madelina Sinclair’s Birthday

That’s from up top and should have read ~

X: 2
T: Lady Madelina Sinclair

I was obviously asleep at the wheel, a very strong South African red was fogging my brain cells…that and the confusion caused by my wife singing old songs… she’d had the other half a bottle… 😏

Lady Madelina Sinclair strathspey