In
the early 1990s I typeset and republished Alexander
Walker's 1866 collection of original fiddle tunes. In
recent months I've been immersed in Walker's music
again and the above strathspey reflects his
music.
I wrote the tune in
appreciation for for Peter Duffus, a retired GP who
for 40 years has had a cottage in Glenbuchat,
Strathdon, Aberdeenshire - the area where, in the mid
19th century, Scottish fiddler-composer Alexander
Walker lived and played his music. Originally Gaelic,
over the centuries, as local accents became
anglicized, pronunciation became 'Glen-Bucket'.
Now retired from
medicine, Peter is a contributor to the
Glenbuchat
Heritage Archive
online. He generously spent an entire winter
researching the history behind Walker's life and tune
titles. With his help, a new digital edition of
The
Alexander Walker Collection
will
include history, photos, engravings, artwork, poetry
and more. That download should be available some time
late summer or fall 2016.
Samples of the music
and new digital content is posted here.