A Collection of Scots Reels or Country Dances
by Bremner, Robert
Tunes list
- Ratha Fair (p. 1)
- Lady Doll Sinclair's Reel (p. 1)
- Miss Polly Skiner's Reel (p. 2)
- The Milkmaids of Blantyre (p. 2)
- The Parks of Kilburnie (p. 3)
- Miss Ramsey's Reel (p. 3)
- Camron has got his Wife again (p. 4)
- Kiss me Sweetly (p. 4)
- Mr Rob.t Kenedys Reel (p. 5)
- Miss Blair's Reel (p. 5)
- I'll gae nae mair to your Town (p. 6)
- The Fyket (p. 6)
- Isle of Sky (p. 7)
- Jacky Stewarts Reel (p. 7)
- Duke of Perth's Reel (p. 8)
- Capt. Ross's Reel (p. 8)
- Short Apron (p. 9)
- Hopetoun House (p. 9)
- Lady Hariot Hope's Reel (p. 10)
- The Highlandman Kiss'd his Mother (p. 10)
- Miss Murray's Reel (p. 11)
- Drummore's Rant (p. 11)
- Had the Lass till J winn at her (p. 12)
- He hirpl'd till her (p. 12)
- Lady Nelly Wemyss's Reel (p. 13)
- Steer the Gil (p. 13)
- Because he was a bonny Lad (p. 14)
- your welcome to your feet again (p. 14)
- Merry Lads of Air (p. 15)
- The Parson & his Boots (p. 15)
- Over the Water to Charlie (p. 16)
- Tulloch Gorm (p. 16)
- Lennox Love to Blantyre (p. 17)
- Struen Robertson's Rant (p. 17)
- A Trip to London (p. 18)
- Miss Fraser's Reel (p. 18)
- Miss Farquharson's Reel (p. 19)
- Clodun Reel (p. 19)
- The Bonny Lass of Fannhiven (p. 20)
- Mrs Ross's Reel (p. 20)
- Lady Betty Wemyss's Reel (p. 21)
- Miss Flora McDonald's Reel (p. 21)
- Sodger Laddie (p. 22)
- Sr. Alexr. McDonald's Reel (p. 22)
- Marchmont House (p. 23)
- I'll make you be fain to follow me (p. 24)
- A Bonny Lass to Marry me (p. 24)
- King of Prusia's Reel (p. 25)
- Coming throw the Broom my Jo. (p. 25)
- Elsie Marly. (p. 26)
- Captain Lockhart of the Tartar. (p. 27)
- Dusty Miller. (p. 27)
- Scots Bonnet. (p. 28)
- O'er Young to Marry yet. (p. 28)
- Loch-ness. (p. 29)
- Pipers Maggot. (p. 29)
- The Carle he came o'er the Craft. (p. 30)
- Rams Horns. (p. 30)
- The Lady's Breast knot (p. 31)
- Rantan Roaran Highland-man. (p. 31)
- Brose and Butter. (p. 32)
- Keep the Country Bonny Lassie. (p. 32)
- Balendaloch's Dream (p. 33)
- Lady George Beauclark's Reel. (p. 33)
- The Braes of Mor. (p. 34)
- The Bride is a bonny thing. (p. 34)
- Birks of Abergeldy. (p. 35)
- Lady Jean Murray's Rant. (p. 35)
- Kick the Rogues out (p. 36)
- Irvin Stiple. (p. 36)
- The last pint Ale (p. 37)
- Braes of Balquheder (p. 37)
- The Fir Tree - Strathspey (p. 38)
- Kilwinan Lodge (p. 38)
- Balgeny's Bouling Green (p. 39)
- Queensberry House (p. 40)
- The Bonny wi thing (p. 40)
- The Millers Wedding - Strathspey (p. 41)
- The Wives of Torphican (p. 42)
- Rothemurches Rant - Strathspey (p. 42)
- The Ruffians Rant - Strathspey (p. 43)
- Lochiels Rant (p. 44)
- The North Loch (p. 44)
- I have a wife of my Ain (p. 45)
- The Stuart's Rant (p. 45)
- The Bonnet makers of Dundee (p. 46)
- Hey my Nanny (p. 46)
- The Highland Laddie (p. 47)
- The Malt-man comes a Monday (p. 47)
- Sleepy Maggy (p. 48)
- The Drunken Wifie (p. 48)
- Collonel Crafurd's Reel (p. 49)
- Will you go to Sherriff Moor (p. 49)
- Pudding Maggie (p. 50)
- Lady Jean Hume's Reel (p. 50)
- The Bonny Lass of Luss (p. 51)
- Cadgers of the Cannongate (p. 51)
- Woo'd & Married & a' (p. 52)
- Lady Mc: Intosh's Reel (p. 52)
- Merrily dance the Quaker (p. 53)
- The Burn of Carnie (p. 53)
- Peggie's Wedding (p. 54)
- Jenny dang the Weaver (p. 54)
- Port Patrick (p. 55)
- Kiss the Lass ye like best (p. 55)
- Whistle o'er the leave o't (p. 56)
- Ye'll ay be welcome back again (p. 56)
- Lord Kelly's Reel (p. 57)
- Links of Leith (p. 57)
- The Bridge of Anas (p. 58)
- I wish you wou'd marry me now (p. 58)
- The Lads of Elgin (p. 59)
- Hoble about (p. 59)
- As black as a Coal (p. 60)
- Up & war them a' Willie (p. 60)
- Willie Winks - Strathspey (p. 61)
- Let's to the Ard - Strathspey (p. 62)
- Lady Elgin's Reel (p. 62)
- Don Side - Strathspey (p. 63)
- Just as I was in the morning (p. 64)
- The Grant's Rant (p. 64)
- Clean Peas straw (p. 65)
- Drown Drouth (p. 65)
- Pitkerie's Reel - Strathspey (p. 66)
- Cleek him inn (p. 66)
- Blue Britches (p. 67)
- What the D--l ails you (p. 67)
- Barley Cakes (p. 68)
- Yeal Yeal (p. 68)
- Crief Fair (p. 69)
- Insh of Perth (p. 69)
- Argyll's Bouling Green (p. 70)
- New Claret (p. 70)
- Shaun Truish Willichan (p. 71)
- New Mills House (p. 72)
- Lady Betty Cochran's Reel (p. 72)
- Earl Marshal's Reel (p. 73)
- The Spell (p. 73)
- A Feg for a kiss (p. 74)
- A Kiss for Nothing (p. 74)
- O as J was Kiss'd the Streen (p. 75)
- Double Kisses (p. 75)
- The Lassie wi the yellow Coatie (p. 76)
- My ain kind Dearie (p. 76)
- The File-bek is ay ready (p. 77)
- O'er the Moor among the Heather (p. 77)
- Breas of Athol (p. 78)
- The Athol Cummers - Strathspey (p. 78)
- The Corporal (p. 79)
- The Oyster Wives Rant (p. 80)
- Jenny Nettles (p. 80)
- Mary Gray (p. 81)
- Lord Kinaird's Reel. (p. 81)
- Lady Mary Menzies Reel (p. 82)
- Cameronian's Rant (p. 82)
- Lasses likes nea Brandy (p. 83)
- Campbells are coming O ho (p. 83)
- Knit the Pocky. (p. 84)
- Reel of Tulloch. (p. 84)
- Maggy's Weam is fu' I true (p. 85)
- Cuzle together (p. 85)
- Duke of Hamilton's Reel (p. 86)
- Lady Ann Erskin's Reel (p. 86)
- Blair Drummond's Reel (p. 87)
- My Mither's ay glowran o'er me (p. 87)
- Old Stuarts back again (p. 88)
- Eight men of Mudardt (p. 88)
- Hey to Couper (p. 89)
- The Jolly Plowman (p. 89)
- O'er Boggie (p. 90)
- The Auld Wife ayont the fire (p. 90)
- New Christmas (p. 91)
- Sugarcandy (p. 91)
- Cambdelmore - Strathspey (p. 92)
- The Wright's Rant (p. 92)
- Jock's Lodge (p. 93)
- Back of the Change house (p. 93)
- Merry Dancers (p. 94)
- Carrick Reel (p. 94)
- Lord Eglinton's Reel (p. 95)
- Bonintown Well (p. 96)
- Sir John Malcolm (p. 96)
Copy details
Publisher
Edinburgh and London, Robert Bremner
Printer
Robert Bremner
Seller
Robert Bremner, At the Harp and Hautboy
Edition
[1st]
Date
1757
Library
A K Bell Library, Perth (GB-P)
Shelfmark
Bd45
Description
Published as 14 numbers of 8 pages each, c.1757-61, the last two numbers being published as the Second Collection. The engraving style of text (and sometimes music) changes between numbers. (The form of the '8' in 6/8 matches that in Bremner's Curious Collection only in some numbers.) The GB-A copy proves that the book was first published in Edinburgh, not London: 'Edinburgh, Printed & sold by Robt. Bremner, at the Harp & Hautboy, where may be had [...] Also all sorts of Music & Musical Instruments as cheap as at LONDON.' The later London edition has had 'Edinburgh' replaced by 'LONDON', with 'in the Strand' added underneath, and 'as cheap as at LONDON' removed! So Bremner took the plates south with him in 1762, advertising his London premises in December of that year. A note from Wighton inside the GB-DUcl copy reveals that the Scots Magazine advertised individual numbers as they were issued, e.g. 7 & 8 in November 1759, 10 in November 1760, and 11 & 12 in April 1761. In this copy (GB-P Bd45), pp.17-20 are missing and have been supplied from the Gb-P Bd19.
Notes
Bremner presents simple, repetitive four-beat basslines.This book is clearly the source for 'Miss Murray's Reel' in The Caledonian Muse, where the musical text is identical. Some tunes in scordatura. Titlepage: 'In playing these Basses on the Harpsichord, their Octaves may be also struck, as represented by small Notes in the Fyket. page 6th.' 'The Fyket' has dots printed an octave lower to show where to play the bass notes on the harpsichord. p38 'The Fir Tree - Strathspey NB: The Strathspey Reels are play'd much slower than the others.'
Copy notes
Lacks pp.17-20; images of these pages are from GB-P Bd19.
Pages
96 p
Orientation
Landscape
Dimensions
17 x 25
Gore
B15
Biographical info
Bremner (c.1713-89) was a music-seller and publisher in Edinburgh until 1760, thereafter in London. John Brysson managed the Edinburgh business for Bremner after the latter's removal to London. (Glen 1, vii; Alburger; Grove)
Other locations
GB-P Bd19 (1759, lacking titlepage, index, pp.95-96, and has some cropping to the tops of pages)
GB-DUcl H.92496 (First and Second Collections. Occasional cropping to text at the top. Ink annotations from Wighton, e.g. The Grant's Rant 'Green Grows the Rashies O', correction of 'The Corporal' to 'G minor'. Plates seem slightly more worn than in Perth and IMSLP copies. Further notes, mostly on publication dates, appear throughout the book: some give alternate titles for certain reels. The second collection has an MS index.)
GB-A Pi 787 BRE (Edinburgh, 1757-59. First 4 numbers only, pp.1-32, lacking pp.3-4, 15-16)
GB-A Hend Inst Sco (London, 1765?)
GB-Gu Ca9-d.21 ([1775])
GB-Lbm b.58.b.(1.) ([1768])
GB-Lcs QM ([1765])
GB-Ob Harding Mus.F 295(1) ([1768])