A Collection of Strathspey or old Highland Reels
by Cumming, Angus
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 (c.1730-1780) was born into a family of whom generations had been musicians at Grantown, Strathspey. (Glen 1, x; HMT Highland Collections, iii; Alburger, 75-77)
Keith Sanger notes that Cumming was a piper in one of the Laird of Grant's Independent Companies raised for the government side in the '45, so he would have been at least 15 years of age then. Sanger also notes from the National Records of Scotland (GD248/235/11/1) that Cumming was still alive on 4 March 1780 when he signed a receipt for the sale of a copy of his collection; his wife is described as a widow on 11 July the same year, and his accounts are continued in the name of his son John. (correspondence)
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)