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Forty pieces of original music
by Shirrefs, Andrew



Full title: Forty pieces of original music, most humbly inscribed to the Right Honorable David Earl of Buchan by His Lordship's most obedt. & very humble sert. the composer Anw. Shirrefs.

Publisher: Aberdeen: Andrew Shirrefs

Printer: Aberdeen: Printed for ... the composer; engraved by Johnson of Edinburgh

Date: [1787-88]

Description:

No instruments are mentioned on the titlepage, but GB-Gu catalogue notes, 'For pianoforte or flute and pianoforte or voice and pianoforte.'

Notes:

The first tune, 'The Fraser's Quick Step' includes irrational rhythms (most probably with typos), and 'The Marquis of Huntly's March' has a quite inept 2nd violin part.
The tunes seem rather dull, and the basslines are mostly four-beat with either repeated notes or alternating 3rds, occasionally making little harmonic sense or with obvious mistakes.
'The mounting of the Air Balloon' jig presumably commemorates James Tytler's first air ballon flight in Edinburgh in 1784.
There are a few curiosities: 'Drumnagour', marked Pianissimo, doesn't always add up rhythmically, 'Shivas House' has another inept second violin part, and there are three songs at the end of the book, also available separately for 6d.each.

RISM: S3358

Gore: S5

Link: British Library

Biographical info: Shirrefs was born in Aberdeen c.1750, and died London 1807. He gained a Masters degree from Aberdeen. He was first a stationer in Aberdeen, going on to edit music, and was also co-editor of the Aberdeen Chronicle (inception advertised 1787), and published the Caledonian Magazine, or Aberdeen Repository, semi-annual, 1788-1790. By then he had moved to Edinburgh and described himself as a printer. He composed songs, poems, and a pastoral ballad opera, Jamie and Bess, which his friend Robert Mackintosh conducted in Edinburgh. Shirrefs moved to London in 1798. (Walker; Grove; Baptie)

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-Gu Ca12-x.12
GB-En Mus.E.l.67 (lacking pp.2-3)
GB-Lbl g.149.(9.)
GB-Ob F.142
GB-P Be39

    Digitised items

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