"Flowers of Edinburgh" is a traditional

fiddle A fiddle is a bowed string musical instrument, most often a violin. It is a colloquial term for the violin, used by players in all genres, including classical music. Although in many cases violins and fiddles are essentially synonymous, th ...

tune, of eighteenth century Scottish lineage. It is also prominent in

American fiddle American fiddle-playing began with the early settlers who found that the small ''viol'' family instruments were portable and rugged. According to Ron Yule, "John Utie, a 1620 immigrant, settled in the North and is credited as being the first known ...

Canadian fiddle Canadian fiddle is the aggregate body of tunes, styles and musicians engaging the traditional folk music of Canada on the fiddle. It is an integral extension of the Anglo-Celtic and Québécois French folk music tradition but has distinct features ...

and wherever

old time fiddle Old time fiddle is a genre of American folk music. "Old time fiddle tunes" derived from European folk dance tunes such as Jig, Reel, Breakdown, Schottische, Waltz, Two Step and Polka. The fiddle may be accompanied by banjo or other instr ...

is cultivated. The tune is also the basis for a Morris Dance, in the Bledington style.

History

According to a self-deprecating secondary report in ''A Native's Guide to Edinburgh'' by Tom Mc Rae, the stench from the loch permeated the old city and probably gave rise to the traditional tune "The Flowers of Edinburgh." However, The "Traditional Tune Archives" website gives a more convincing explanation of the genesis of the title, such as that it probably was originally "The Flower (singular) of Edinburgh" and referred to a woman. A 2011 blogspot for "gdaeblogspot" also gives several possible explanations for the title. The author of this blog suggests the author was the publisher James Oswald. The "Traditional Tune Archives" website gives an earlier date of c 1737 by John Walsh in "Caledonian Country Dances Vol 2". In America, William Rebbeck published a version of the dance in 1788. A piper of the Royal Regiment of Scotland played "Flowers of Edinburgh" while the Duke of Edinburgh's coffin was lowered into the vault at Windsor.

Technical

G Major (one sharp)

Recordings

A few of the many notable recordings of a tune by this name: *''50 Fiddle Solos'' by

Aly Bain Aly Bain MBE (born 15 May 1946) is a Scottish fiddler who learned his instrument from the old-time master Tom Anderson. The former First Minister of Scotland Jack McConnell called Bain a "Scottish icon." Career Bain was born in the town of Le ...

*''Rogha Scoil Samhraidh Willie Clancy 2007'' by Various Artists *''Shetland Fiddle Music'' by School of Scottish Studies, University of Edinburgh *''The Cat That Ate The Candle'' by John Carty and

Brian McGrath Sir Brian Henry McGrath, GCVO, MW (27 October 1925 – 4 June 2016) was the Private Secretary to the Duke of Edinburgh. He was educated at Eton College. From 1943 to 1946, he served in the Irish Guards, and after World War II, he joined Cann ...

* ''The Fiddlesticks Collection'' by Jerry Holland

Other names

Blata Duin-Eudain, Knuckle Down, My Love was Once a Bonnie Lad, My Love's Bonny When She Smiles on Me, To the Battle Men of Erin, The Weobley Hankie Dance, The Weobley Hanky Dance.

Bibliography

*Captain Simon Fraser's ''Airs and Melodies Peculiar to the Highlands of Scotland'' (1816) It is also included in Cecil Sharp's "Country Dance Tunes" (1922)

Videographic documentation

* Prope
performance
Ashley MacIsaac's February 20, 2010 concert in Victoria, with guests

Qristina & Quinn Bachand Quinn & Qristina Bachand are a brother-sister duo from Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. Qristina plays fiddle and sings; Quinn plays acoustic guitar, Irish tenor banjo, clawhammer banjo, bodhran, fiddle, electric guitar and sings. Since forming ...

. Also featuring Bryan Skinner on bodhran and Jason King on whistle. * Sometimes played i
D Major
Title: Flowers of Edinburgh & Spootiskerry – Ashley MacIsaac & The Bachands.
Dance
tune. Lopez Island 2008

References

{{Celtic music American folk songs Celtic music Fiddle music Shetland music