Janice asked about naming tunes after folk, particularly in the case of
Scott Skinner. Here's my ramble on it:
Skinner forms part of the link between the 18th century
fiddler/composers, such as the Gows, and the beginning of mass-produced
recorded music. In the 18th C, a fiddler wishing to make money from
music needed work, such as teaching dancing, leading bands, publishing,
and more often than not, patronage. Much of the Scottish aristocracy
seemed to have been keen music lovers, including native Scots music,
and this is reflected in the vast number of tunes being named for them.
James Scott Skinner did not have the same reliance on patronage as his
predecessors, but there's at least one instance of him being very
grateful of such a patron. Skinner, once he had quit dancing, earned
money through solo stage performances, but this was sometimes not
enough (he once LOST £200 on a stage tour). William McHardy of
Drumblair gave Skinner a cottage to live in, rent-free. In return he
named two of his most celebrated tunes for him, "The Iron Man" and "The
Laird of Drumblair".
Going back a bit, there's an interesting letter of 1834 in Perth
library from a former employee of Nathaniel Gow, a musician who had
come upon hard times (this included being shipwrecked), and, having
written some tunes, was asking people for "...any mark of favor from
your charitable goodness to inable me to publish the Book...any small
sum you may please to give for these airs will be gratefully
received..."
The tunes were untitled, but titles had been added in pencil
afterwards. I suspect the letter had been sent to a few people; in this
case it happened to be Charles K Sharpe, and the airs named "C K
Sharpe's Favourite" and "Miss Sharpe's Delight".
X:267
T:C K Sharpe Esq Favourite
C:A Pirie
S:MS, Atholl Collection, Perth
Z:Nigel Gatherer
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:G
(3B/c/^c/|d2 B g2 D|b2 g gfg|afd def|gdB GBc|d2 B g2 d|
b2 g gfg|afd def|a3 g2||z|B2 c d2 e|d2 g b2 g|f2 e a2 g|
fge d2 c|B2 c d2 e|d2 g b2 g|fea def a3 g2||B|[G3B3e2] [B3^d3f3]|
g2 g gfe|^d2 b b2 a|agf e2 B|e3 B3|c2 A F2 c|b3 B^c^d|
e3 e2||(3B/c/^c/|d2 B g2 D|b2 g gfg|afd def|
gdB GBc|d2 B g2 d|b2 g gfg|afd def|a3 g2|]
--
Nigel Gatherer, Crieff, Scotland
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/gatherer/
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