Annotation:Captain Campbell of Melford
X:1 T:Capt. Campbell of Melford M:6/8 L:1/8 R:Jig B:Gow & Shepherd - Collection of entirely original strathspey, reels, marches, quicksteps etc. (1796, p. 18) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:A a2e cAc|dfd ecA|dfd ecA|d2B B2B| a2e cAc|dfd ecA |dfd Tc2B|c2A A2A:| CEA EAc|Ace aec|dfd ecA|d2B B2B| CEA EAc|Ace aec|dfd Tc2B|c2A A2A| CEA EAc|Ace aec|dfd ecA|d2B B2B| CEA EAc|Ace Adf|cea Tc2B|c2A A2A||
CAPTAIN CAMPBELL OF MELFORD. AKA - "Capt. Campbell of Melford." Scottish, Jig (6/8 time). A Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB. The tune was published by the Edinburgh music publishing firm of Nathaniel Gow and William Shepherd in a volume entitled A Collection of Entirely Original Strathspey Reels, Marches, Quick Steps &c., "by Ladies resident in a remote part of the Highlands of Scotland, as corrected by Nath. Gow." Unfortunately, the composers names are not given. The Leeds antiquarian Frank Kidson (1854–1926) penciled a note in his copy of the volume that the composers were, or included, “the Misses Whyte,” and modern researcher Charles Gore thinks “the Misses Whyte” may possibly be a Miss White and a Miss Brocky, of Morayshire, east Highlands.
The Campbells of Melford were a clan branch whose sons invariably joined Highland regiments of the British army. Several member officers were killed while serving in India in the decade following the publication of Gow and Shepherd's volume. See also "Mrs. Capt. Campbell" and "Miss Campbell of Melford" tunes from the same publication named for Capt. Campbell's wife and daughter.