
A Collection of Strathspey or old Highland Reels
by Angus Cumming
Tunes list
- The Fir Tree (p. 1)
- The Grant's Rant or Feve feve Tunal chie (p. 1)
- Craig Elachie (p. 1)
- Seme Rune Tallanach (p. 2)
- Acharnac's Reell or Ba'l nan Grantich (p. 2)
- Lady Grant of Grant's Reell or Bog in lochan (p. 2)
- Delachaple's Reel, or Bha mi Nroir nam earisk (p. 3)
- Tullochgorm's Reel (p. 3)
- The Dutchess of Hamiltons Reell or Coigna Scalan (p. 3)
- Dutchess of Athole's Reell or Tuggin ta'chi n'ul 'n Aird (p. 4)
- Dutchess of Buccleugh's Reell (p. 4)
- Dutchess of Gordon's Reell, or Cean Loch Alain (p. 4)
- Lord Lovate's Reell or Paal Mor (p. 5)
- Lady McIntosh's Reell (p. 5)
- Lady Grant of Monymusk's Reell (p. 6)
- Sir Alexr. Macdonald's Reell (p. 6)
- Lady Grant of Dalvey's Reell (p. 6)
- Sir James Colquhoun's Reell (p. 7)
- Ballendalloch's Reell, or Tigh 'ndun (p. 7)
- Rothemurches's Reell, or Tigh'ndun (p. 7)
- Lord Finlater's Reell (p. 8)
- Knockandoe's Reell or Tom Neam (p. 8)
- Lord Seaforth's Reell or Thuar u Urrim chosen u a (p. 8)
- Rise lazy Lubber. Erich buit erich (p. 8)
- Arndilly's Reell or Bittae air Mac'homaich (p. 8)
- Dr Wm Grant's Reell or Shaun Truish Willihan (p. 9)
- The Wedding or San Rire va Vannich (p. 9)
- The Bride or Phit deubh (p. 9)
- The Lass Amongst the Actenoch or Nian a Bhodich sin rinattin (p. 9)
- Corrimonie's Reell or Keam Dulnich (p. 10)
- Invercald's Reell (p. 10)
- The Sport or Sanriar abhog a Fiannach (p. 10)
- Whistle o'er the lave o't (p. 10)
- General Grant's Reell or Bal n' Iden (p. 11)
- The Bishop (p. 11)
- The Forbes's Rant or Don Side (p. 11)
- Macleod's Reell (p. 12)
- Glen Morisone's Reell (p. 12)
- Raza's Reell (p. 12)
- Maccpherson's Rant (p. 12)
- The Cumming's Rant or Reell of Tulloch with Variations (p. 13)
- Beggar's Benison or Thannie na buecht horo (p. 14)
- Lurg's Reell (p. 15)
- The Monro's Rant or Mal ro (p. 15)
- The last pint or Pint leur chine (p. 15)
- Haugh's of Cromdale (p. 15)
- Maclachlan's Reell (p. 16)
- Lord Fife's Reell (p. 16)
- Miss Grant of Grants Reell or Rittal ar an Urlar (p. 16)
- Mulchard's Dream or Bruarthar Feare Mulachaird (p. 17)
- Kilravock's Reell (p. 17)
- The Miller's Wedding (p. 17)
- Carron's Reell or U Choira Chruim (p. 17)
- Sir Harry Innes's Reell (p. 18)
- Glengerrie's Reel (p. 18)
- Clurie's Reell (p. 19)
- Strathglass house or The Chisholm's Reell (p. 19)
- Lethen's Reell (p. 20)
- Miss Mary Grant's Reell (p. 20)
- Shogallie's Reell (p. 20)
Copy details
Publisher
Edinburgh, Angus Cumming
Edition
[1st]
Date
1780
Library
Glasgow University Library (GB-Gu)
Shelfmark
Ca11-y.24
Description
GB-Gu copy is 1st edition of 1780, self-published in Edinburgh by Cumming of Grantown. A second, subsequent edition was published in Glasgow in 1782 with two fewer tunes and an altered title: A Collection of Strathspeys or old Highland Reels. Subscribers list contains a very extensive list of Grants from around the globe, also 'the celebrated' James McPherson and Scottish antiquarian William Tytler. The tunes are confidently chosen, and the volume includes a Preface about the Strathspey and primitivism. Many tunes appear with English and Gaelic titles.
Notes
In the basses there is much use of dotted rhythms, though a good variety of single note patterns, and some piano chords, octaves and dyads. There is fairly sparse provision of trills, and there are even fewer grace notes. There is a long variation set on 'Reell of Tulloch'. 'The Dutchess of Athole Reell' appears in D major as 'A favourite Strathspey' in Aird's Selection of Scotch, English and Irish Foreign Airs, vol.2 p.18.
Copy notes
Prefatory material supplied in photocopy.
Pages
20 p
Orientation
Landscape
Dimensions
26 x 35
RISM
C4582
Gore
C33
Biographical info
Cumming was born c.1750, in a family of whom generations had been musicians at Grantown, Strathspey. His collection is dated 1780, but nothing is known of his subsequent life. (Glen 1, x; HMT Highland Collections, iii; Alburger, 75-77)
Other locations
GB-Gm M8755/786.45
GB-P 34721 (titlepage torn, repaired with pencilled text)
GB-A Hend inst Cum c (lacks titlepage & pp.4-5: copies have been inserted)
GB-DU 53677 (lacks preface and 2nd page of subscribers list)
GB-Lbl Music Collections e.284.c.(1.) (2nd edition, Glasgow: J. Aird [1785?])
GB-En Glen 234 (2nd edition, Glasgow: J. Aird [1785?])
GB-A Lib R f78155 Cum c (reprint of 2nd edition, Glasgow: Jas. Steven 1798)