The Merry Black Lad

Published: Sept. 11, 2015, 8:18 a.m.

b"Here are 3 tunes. The first jig is called An Gille dubh sugach which translates (from Scottish Gaelic) as The Merry Black Lad. I found this in the William Gunn Collection of Pipe Music. The Battlefield band sang a version of this on their last album as a Strathspey I think! I follow it with two difficult reels by fiddler William Morrison (1780 - 1825). The first tune is Viscount Mandeville and I've changed the ending because it can't be correct in the book. The second tune is Mr Duncan Forbes Duff of Muirtown's Reel. Both are in the brilliant Highland Collection published by Highland Music Trust. I love this book - definitely one of my favourites."