Willliam Marshall’s Scottish Melodies

262 Strathspeys, Reels, Hornpipes, Marches, Jigs & Airs

for the Violin, Flute, Piano, Mandolin, Cello &c.,

with the original Bass-Clef Accompaniments

by Randy Miller and Jack Perron

Second edition by Randy Miller

William Marshall (1748–1833) is regarded as one of the greatest composers of Scottish fiddle music. His tunes have been played for generations, passed down from fiddler to fiddler to the present day in Cape Breton and parts of Scotland. All of Marshall’s known compositions are included in this new edition.

Born in Fochabers, Scotland, into a large family, Marshall at the age of 12 was appointed house boy and later steward and butler to the Duke of Gordon. His talents in the mechanical and musical arts earned him the admiration not only of the residents of Gordon Castle but of those throughout the northeast of Scotland, in Edinburgh and London. He was by all accounts a highly skilled fiddle player, and Robert Burns wrote that he was “the first composer of strathspeys of the age.”

262 of Marshall’s tunes are included, from his collections published in 1781, 1788, 1800, 1822, 1823, and 1845. This book presents exact replicas of Marshall’s tunes, including his dynamics and ornaments, with original bass-clef accompaniments, in a new easy-to-read format. Included is a map, illustrations, a reproduction of the famous portrait of Marshall by John Moir, the unabridged 1845 biography of Marshall, and facsimiles of the covers of his 6 original publications. Also contains four reference appendices. Originally published by Fiddlecase Books in 1978; 2nd Edition, 2007.

Click on the image at left to see sample pages