| Citation |
NM.774.013
7 Mar 1774:22 (809)
Extract of a letter from a bookseller in London, to a
gentleman of a musical turn here, dated Bagpipe Ally,
Scotland Yard, November 5, 1773.
We hear your chief governor is of late become passionately
fond of dancing! and to tunes of your composing,
particularly well suited to our Scotch instruments: Will
you be so good as to send him one or two of my music books,
published for the current year! Paxton's Almande, and
Hallowell's Cotillions that you write for, are quite old-
fashion'd and out of print; but new editions of them with
alterations, it is suspected will appear the approaching
winter, The Hutchinsonian Opera lately come out, called The
Foxes unkennel'd, or Rascal discovered, is in high vogue
with the great, at the West-end of the town! and in truth
all over the Kingdom. Oliver's Gigg is also thought much of,
as being very uncommon, airy and gay, and well adapted to
the name on both sides of the water; shall send one of each
of these to his honor and to his excellency without waiting
for orders, requesting them, at the same time, to pay you
the value they may estimate the work at, and in whatever
currency they please! though upon second thought I may not
do this without an instruction.
We hear much talk about a very great dancing master some
where in your country, a Mr. Duncan Moffatt MacDenbigh! Who
teaches grown folk to move the jemmy footstep in the true
Roman-an- Harrisonian stile, and that he has in a very short
time taught Admiral MacMoody to move in the superlative
degree, to the famous old tune, the lamentations of Ireland!
Will you be so good as to recommend me to this great doctor
of musick, that I may have his custom in my way; I publish
24 country dances every year, besides minuets and reel,
horn-pipes and other tunes, and all perfectly well suited to
the wind instrument that's getting so much into fashion
among you. Falmouth, Casco Bay, Feb. 10, 1774.
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