Library and Information Services, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Saturday 24 September 2011

Cleric saved strathspeys as well as souls - Patrick Mcdonald

Still famous today!

Patrick Mcdonald died 25 September 1824. Ages ago, but think on this - his Highland Vocal Airs, first published in 1784, is still considered an important collection of Highland fiddle tunes, two and a quarter centuries later.

In actual fact, much of Patrick’s collection came from his brother Joseph’s manuscript of tunes left behind in Scotland when he emigrated. Joseph died young, but Patrick lived to a ripe old age.


The Mcdonald brothers’ collection was reissued in a new edition by Taigh na Teud in 2000. You can find it in the Whittaker Library at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Glasgow.
Yes, posted 2 hours early ... "Whittaker" is extraordinarily enthusiastic about "his" Victorian Scottish song collectors!

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