John McNeills Highland Fling
| ID | JSS0075 |
| Title | John McNeills Highland Fling |
| Document Reference | MS2726/68 |
| Format | 236 x 258 |
| Medium | pen & ink on music manuscript paper,with handwritten notes |
| Item Type | Manuscript |
| Subject | Music, Scottish Bagpipe Music, Strathspey, Highland Fling |
| Item Description | Manuscript of 'John McNeill's Highland Fling' (left) 'Pipe Strathspey' (right) '*J. Scott Skinner'. Skinner wrote no time signature, since it is clear that the music has 4 crotchet beats to each bar. Skinner would have to trust the engraver to add 4/4 at the beginning of each staff. In A major, the G sharp is altered to G natural to show that Skinner planned this as a pipe tune, where G natural is possible, but G sharp isn't. The music is in three two-stave systems, the top for the melody, the bottom for the accompaniment. The bass line in the second system is parallel fifths, in crotchets, over which he writes 'Real effect of drones', emphasizing the link with the pipes. Pasted over the bottom of the page is Skinner's note: *The phrase, 'Where labour is apparent, grace is wanting' does not apply to such artists. Skinner thought highly of Edinburgh-based piper and dancer McNeill. At the Sword Dance competition at Bray, Ireland, in 1862, Skinner won first prize, playing the fiddle as he danced. But he 'honestly believed (the prize) should have gone to McNeill', and offered him the purse of 'three guineas' (£3.15). As Skinner tells the story in My Life and Adventures, McNeill replied '_ye're the best man that I've seen come out of the North', and was pleased to 'ha(v)e a dram' (a measure of neat Scotch whisky) with the 19-year old winner. |
| Creator | James Scott Skinner |
| Creator Manuscript | James Scott Skinner |
| Time Period | 1890's - 1900's |
| Relationships | JSS0074 |
| Location | University of Aberdeen |
| Collection Name | Harp & Claymore |
| Copyright | http://www.abdn.ac.uk/diss/historic/documents/copyright |
Historic Collections · Kings
College · Old Aberdeen · AB24 3SW
Tel:(0)44 1224 274312 · E-mail: scottskinner@abdn.ac.uk
