William Marshall (Scottish composer) facts for kids
William Marshall (born December 27, 1748 – died May 29, 1833) was a very important Scottish composer. He is known as one of the greatest writers of Scottish fiddle music. A fiddle is another name for a violin, especially when used in folk music.
William Marshall: A Scottish Music Master
His Life Story
William Marshall was born in a place called Fochabers in Scotland. When he was young, he started working for the Duke of Gordon. He eventually became the manager of the Duke's large estate, handling its business and land.
Marshall was also very talented at making clocks. He built two special clocks: a water clock and an astronomical clock. Both of these amazing clocks still exist today! He passed away in 1833 and was buried near Fochabers.
His Musical Legacy
William Marshall is famous for writing a huge number of tunes. One book, The Fiddle Music of Scotland, says he wrote 257 different pieces of music! Many of these songs were named after important guests of the Duke of Gordon.
A famous Scottish poet, Robert Burns, once called Marshall "the first composer of Strathspeys of the age." A strathspey is a type of Scottish dance tune that is usually slower than a reel.
Some of Marshall's most well-known songs include:
- The strathspeys The Marchioness of Huntly and The Marquis of Huntly's Farewell.
- Craigellachie Brig, which is named after the famous Craigellachie Bridge.
- Lady Madelina Sinclair.
- The beautiful slow tune called The Nameless Lassie.
- The lively reel Easter Elchies.
Marshall also published his music so others could play it. He released A Collection of Strathspey Reels with a Bass for the Violoncello or Harpsichord in 1781. Later, in 1822, he published Marshall's Scottish Airs, Melodies, Strathspeys, Reels, &c. for the Piano Forte, Harp, Violin & Violoncello. After he died, another collection of his music was published in 1845. Today, you can still find his compositions in a book called William Marshall's Scottish Melodies.
See also
- Scottish Baroque music
