Physical description:

3 manuscript tune books.
 

Dates:

ca. 1785-1811
 

Provenance:

Purchased from Lisa Cox, June 1994.
 

Scope and content:
 

Manuscript I is a Scottish collection of Irish, Scottish and English tunes, owned by the Grant family of Cullen House, Banffshire. Ca. 1802-10, paper watermarked 1801. Contemporary half calf, marbled boards. In very good condition.
 

The main body of the volume contains about thirty-four Scottish, Irish and English dances of various types: waltzes, strathspeys, jugs, airs and lessons. Some of these tunes are unidentified, but those that are include titles such as "Beardless Boy," "The brown thorns,""Lass gin ye low me tell me...,""The mole Catcher,""The Galwey Strathspey [sic],""Block & a wee pickle tar," "Farewall to Whisky", and Irish harpist Turlough Carolan's Concerto. Grove states that "about 200 of Carolan's airs survive...with...their words, but unfortunately most are only in a single line form, so it is not known how he harmonized or accompanied his melodies." It is now known that in 1748 Carolan's son published a volume of his father's music of which only one incomplete copy is known to exist. According to Grove this is a "clue to Carolan's own method of performance and to the Irish traditional harping style as a whole." In this publication the melodies are accompanied with a single bass line.
 

Later in this manuscript there are ten songs, of which some are popular songs and others bear titles which we have failed to identify.
 

Manuscript II is a Scottish collection of mainly Scottish, English and Welsh tunes but includes some Spanish, Italian, French and German airs. The manuscript was owned by the Grant family. Ca. 1807-1811, paper watermarked 1806. Contemporary calf, battered, some pages excised, but in very good state.
 

The manuscript contains about 64 songs, waltzes, strathspeys, jugs and miscellaneous dances and airs. Composers names include Sir A. Dunbar, George Kinloch, Arne, Viotti, Mozart, Mathison and one of the Grant family. Titles include "Michael Wiggins,""Crap the Crappies,""Ap Shenkin,""Montreal,""Times tell a late,""Tarry a while with me,""Trip to Sutherland,""Donck is Faydr" (Welsh), "Men of Harlech,""Rewanna Kist," and a dance with figures called "Draycott House." At the end of the volume there are several examples of Communion responses.
 

Manuscript III is a Scottish colleciton of predominantly Scottish dances and tunes, owned by the Grant family. Ca. 1785-1800. Contemporary mottled calf. In very good state.
 

At the beginning of this volume are a few lessons and minuets by Granom and Wagenseil; a concerto by James Hook; and a few anonymous compositions. The rest of the manuscript contains about 31 pieces of mainly Scottish dances and airs but includes a song, a Spanish dance, an Irish air and several anonymous and unidentified tunes. Composers named are F.W. Grant, Gow, Gordon, and Nibet. Titles include "Fandango è Los Giganzas,""The Grants Rant,""Isle of Sky" [sic], "Reel of Tulloch,""Lord Kinaird's Reel,""Tullochgorum,""Griory's Piper,""Roy's Wife,""Circus Tunes," and "Tarry Woo."
 

[from letter to Paul Wells from Lisa Cox, dated 2 June 1994].
 
 
 

Location: This collection is shelved with other tune books in special collections.
 
 

LAP

March 24, 2000