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>Date: Tue, 06 Aug 1996 09:18:37 -0400 (EDT)
>From: cindy@cs.dartmouth.edu (Cindy J)
>Subject: Re: Strathspey
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> <"EMARGERUM@mecn.mass.edu"@Aug>
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>I wrote:>
>> Date sent:
>>
>> >Oh, well as I am on the subject, another question for the
>> >masses...why are strathspeys wanted on the harp -they were not to my
>> >knowlege played on harp but written for fiddle. (My historical bias
>> >is flashing crimson!) Oh well, I am not really a diehard purist-a
>> >strathspey sounds good on a harp, I guess.
>>
>Ed says:
>
>
>> To the best of my knowledge, the first use of the word Strathspey
>> occurs in Zachary Boyd's The Flowers of Zion (1653) where it is
>> written that the king danced to a strathspey. To me, this would
>> probably indicate that the strathspey was played by a consort
>> not by a solo instrument, andZ this usage does not indicate
>> that the form or even the name was a recent innovation. It is unwise
>> to draw conclusions on the basis of lack of information. If there
>> were strathspeys and if there were harps, it is probable that the
>> two met by and by. An English poet once wrote: "And what were the
>> songs the sirens sang?"...any guesses? :-)
>>>
>
>Hmmm.very interesting-I've not heard of this book. Where do you find it?
>I guess then the strathspey was adopted by the fiddle at a later date for
>a favorite? It is certainly closely associated.
>
>Best,
>
>Cindy
Where did I find the book "The Flowers of Zion"? I didn't. However,
the Oxford English Dictionary gives the quote as the first appearance
of the word Strathspey in print. Sometimes they are wrong and earlier
references may occur. I should see if I can find more from other
sources. It would be interesting for someone more musical than I to
look at Renaissance/Baroque Scottish music manuscripts (Skene,
Rowallen, Jane Pickering, Straloch etc.) to see if there are any tunes
which are obviously strathspeys.
Ed Margerum
emargerum@mecn.mass.edu