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A Collection of Original Strathspeys and Reels (1824)
by McKercher, Duncan



Full title: A Collection of Original Strathspeys and Reels, Arranged for the Piano Forte, Violin & Violoncello, & most Respectfully Dedicated by Permission, to Lady Menzies, Castle Menzies, by D. McKercher, Stronfernon, nr Kenmore.

Publisher: For the Author

Printer: Walker & Anderson, Engrs.

Date: 1824

Description:

The dedication on p.1 is dated 10/3/1824.
The GB-En copy also has photo of a dour-looking McKercher 'The Perthshire Paganini' , pasted in. The photograph was given by J. Murdoch Henderson, who also traced in the final page from another copy in 1949.
There are occasional typos in the musical text.

Notes:

The basslines are mostly in single notes, and are simple and practical with occasional quirkiness, subtltey and chromaticism.
Tunes and basslines which are also in McKercher's later Collection of Original Strathspeys appear in simpler form here.

Gore: MC19

Biographical info: McKercher (also spelled 'McKerracher' by Murdoch, 74-75) was born in Dunkeld c.1796 and 'of the Niel Gow school'; he lived much of his life in Gow's old Inver cottage (Alburger, 119), but died in 1873 in Edinburgh. He was known as 'the Dunkeld Paganini', a fiddler and teacher to aristocratic families in north of Scotland, who played with 'real characteristic North-country tang' (Murdoch, 75). He often played at evening concerts in Glasgow City Hall and at James Lumsden's Scotch concerts in Edinburgh, and was famed for playing 'The Mason's Apron' while wearing it. Baptie noted that McKercher was born in Inver, and adds that his 'Sir Neil Menzies' strathspey is close to style of Robert Mackintosh and William Marshall.

Location(s):

GB-A
Aberdeen University Library
GB-Bu
Birmingham University Library
GB-Cu
Cambridge University Library
GB-DRu
University Library, Durham
GB-DUcl
Dundee Central Library (Wighton Collection)
GB-En
National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh
GB-Ep
Edinburgh City Library
GB-Eu
Edinburgh University Library
GB-Gm
Mitchell Library, Glasgow
GB-Grc
Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow
GB-Gu
University of Glasgow Library
GB-Lam
Royal Academy of Music, London
GB-Lbl
British Library, London
GB-Lcm
Royal College of Music, London
GB-Lcs
Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, Cecil Sharp House, London
GB-Mp
Manchester Public Library
GB-Mr
Manchester University Library
GB-NTu
Newcastle University Library
GB-Ob
Bodleian Library, University of Oxford
GB-P
A K Bell Library, Perth
GB-SA
Saint Andrews University Library
GB-SHE
Sheffield University Library
IRL-Dn
National Library of Ireland, Dublin
IRL-Dtc
Trinity College Dublin

GB-En Glen 365(1-3)
GB-Lbl h.1568.cc.(4.)

    Digitised items

    This source has not been digitised.