Airs & Dances is a collection of Scottish strathspeys (rugged, lyrical dance tunes) for violin and other melodic instruments. Strathspeys are usually played slower than reels, with many long-short dotted rhythmic patterns. This compilation features some of the best-known strathspeys as well as some of the quirkier, rarer tunes in this wonderful repertoire. The pieces are arranged chronologically.

The melodies as written are the skeletons of the tunes, without much additional information like bowings, dynamics, and articulations. This presentation allows the reader to both learn the melodies in their most general sense as well as use their creative judgment to vary each tune's melody and nuances. Each piece is framed with historical and cultural context, and audio is available online.

Airs and Dances

Aboyne Castle (The Marchioness of Huntly)

A New Strathspey Reel

Athol Cummers

Athole Brose (Buckingham House)..

Avimore..

Banks o’ Spey

Beauty of the North ..

Birks of Invermay (Scotland’s First James)..

Bog of Gight

Braes o’ Tullymet..

Brechin Castle ..

Bridge of Brechin..

Buckingham House (Athole Brose)..

Captain Campbell of Carphen.. Clach na Cudain..

Cock of the North..

Countess of Airly..

Croughly..

Crowhillock

Cutting Ferns (Pulling Bracken)..

Dark Lochnagar (Lochnagar)..

Devil in the Kitchen..

Don Side.. Duke of Gordon’s Birthday..

Dunnotar Castle ..

Earl of Eglinton..

Eglinton Castle.. .

Ewie wi’ the Crooked Horn ..

Ferintosh..

Fir Tree.. .

Forbes Morrison..

Forest of Ga-ick..

Fortingall Fairs ..

Gorthleck’s Highland Plaid..

Grieg’s Strathspey ..

Haughs of Cromdale.. .

Hawthorn Tree of Cawdor.. .

Highlands of Banffshire.. .

Huntly’s Wedding Medley..

Invercauld’s.. ..

John French’s Compliments to Mr. Nathaniel Gow ..

John McNiell’s Highland Fling..

Keithmore.. .

Kildrummy Castle .. . .

Kinrara.. .

Kirrie Kebbuck.. . .

Lady Brome’s..

Lady Burnside’s Birthday .. .

Lady Charlotte Bruce .. . . . .

Lady Charlotte Campbell.. . .

Lady Glasgow.. . .

Laird of Brodie .. . .

Let’s to the Ard.. . Loch Muick.. .

Lochnagar (Dark Lochnagar)..

Lord Banff ’s.. . .

Lord Byron’s..

Marchioness of Cornwallis.. .

Marchioness of Huntly’s Strathspey (in Bb, slow air).. ..

Marchioness of Huntly’s Strathspey (in A, dance tune)

Marquis of Huntly..

Marquis of Huntly’s Farewell..

Mary Morrison..

Mill Mill O..

Miss Admiral Gordon..

Miss Jessie Smith.. .

Miss Lucy Johnston’s Compliments to Niel Gow..

Miss Lyall (Panmure House).. .

Miss Maule .. ..

Miss Maule of Panmure.. . .

Miss McQueen.. .

Miss Urquhart of Meldrum.. .

Monymusk (Sir Archibald Grant of Monemusk’s).. .

Mr. A. G. Wilkins..

Mrs. Adye (Mrs. Adie) ..

Mrs. Hugh Lumsden of Pitcaple.. .

Mrs. James Duff ’s Strathspey..

Mrs. McInroy of Lude.. . .

Music o’ Spey .. . .

Niel Gow’s Style.. ..

Northern Meeting .. North Side of Spey.. .

North Side of the Grampians ..

O Were I On Parnassus Hill.. .

Panmure House (Miss Lyall).. .

Pease Bridge.. .

Queen’s Landing .. . Rob Roy MacGregor.. ..

Roslin Castle..

Rothemurches Rant ..

Ruffian’s Rant..

Scotland’s First James (Birks of Invermay).. .

Sir Alexander Don.. .

South of the Grampians..

Stirling Castle..

Strath-Spè..

Style of the Last Century

Tha mi sgìth (Cutting Ferns)..

There’s Naething Like the “Talisker

They Stole My Wife from Me Last Night

(Ghoid iad mo bhean uam reir)

Tibby Fouller..

Tillydaff .. . .

Towie Castle.. .

Tulloch Castle .. ..

Waulking of the Fauld.. . .

Wemyss Castle.. ..

List of Sources . . .

Strathspey Medleys . .