What is this book?

Subject: What is this book?
From: Gordon Jackson
Date: 22 Oct 18 - 04:33 AM

Hi everyone,

I wonder if there's anyone out there who can help?

I was sorting through some old music books of mine and found one I hadn't looked at in a few decades - really!

It's a great little book with 100 tunes (32 pages), but unfortunately the cover's gone, so I don't know what it's called or when it was published.

What I have begins on page 3 with four tunes: Earl of Hopetoun's Reel, Speed the Plough, The Soldier's Joy, Perth Hunt.

At the bottom of each page is the inscription 'B&Co 15955'.
The back cover carries an advert for another book: Album of Thirty-Two Favourite Pieces for Pianoforte in Easy Keys.

This is published by Bosworth & Co Ltd, price 3 shillings.

So, I have the publisher and the fact it was published pre-decimalisation (1971), but that's all.

Do you know this book?

I'd be very grateful if you can help me identify it.

Subject: RE: What is this book?
From: Nigel Paterson
Date: 22 Oct 18 - 04:53 AM

This might move your quest along a little:

https://imslp.org/wiki/Bosworth_%26_Co.

Subject: RE: What is this book?
From: Gordon Jackson
Date: 22 Oct 18 - 01:51 PM

Thanks Nigel. I did check it out but I couldn't find anything about my book. The quest goes on.

Subject: RE: What is this book?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 22 Oct 18 - 02:33 PM

Maybe ask the Royal Scottish Country Dance Society's librarian?

I tried a couple of sneaky angles and ended up reading about performing seals in Western Australia in 1898 and a German translation of a flying saucer book by George Adamski.

Subject: RE: What is this book?
From: Gordon Jackson
Date: 23 Oct 18 - 03:39 AM

I looked at the RSCDS website but couldn't find any mention of a library or librarian - perhaps it's members only?

Anyway, that did give me an idea: I've just emailed the EFDSS library, so we'll see.

Previously, I emailed an esteemed contributor to the Mudcat who I thought might help, but I didn't get a reply.

Subject: RE: What is this book?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 23 Oct 18 - 04:58 AM

The plate numbers listed in that Wikipedia page suggest a date around 1918.

Unfortunately Gore's Scottish Fiddle Tune Index has very little after 1900.

Subject: RE: What is this book?
From: Gordon Jackson
Date: 23 Oct 18 - 06:56 AM

Got it! Or rather, the nice person at EFDSS found it.

It's called 100 Reels, Strathspeys, Jigs, Hornpipes etc, easily arranged for the pianoforte by Ch. Stephano

No year given, but it cost 4/6.

Subject: RE: What is this book?
From: Nigel Paterson
Date: 23 Oct 18 - 07:49 AM

BRAVO! Wouldn't it be nice if a copy with a cover magically appeared from a second hand bookshop?

Subject: RE: What is this book?
From: Gordon Jackson
Date: 23 Oct 18 - 07:58 AM

Certainly would. The EFDSS lady sent me an image of the front cover. The book (actually, a booklet of 32 pages (but 100 tunes!)), is a slightly odd 9" x 11.5", so not quite A4. When I get around to it I'll get some nice paper and print it.

Don't get me wrong: it's not the greatest tunebook in the world, but it's still a nice little book. And it has two strathspeys, Miss Drummond of Perth and The Marquis of Huntly's Highland Fling right next to each other, and they make a cracking set!

Subject: RE: What is this book?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 23 Oct 18 - 08:13 AM

Second hand copies:

http://used.addall.com/SuperRare/RefineRare.fcgi?id=181023050935319597

Subject: RE: What is this book?
From: Manitas_at_home
Date: 23 Oct 18 - 08:39 AM

We used to use other paper sizes before joining the Common Market! Here's some other sizes still in use https://www.convertworld.com/en/paper-size/

I love that the measuremets for the "inch based" sizes are given in metric!

Subject: RE: What is this book?
From: Jack Campin
Date: 23 Oct 18 - 08:40 AM

...which is a dynamically updated search page for a union catalogue of second-hand booksellers all over the world, looking for anything with the author listed as "Stephano" and the title including the word "strathspeys". There are two copies available right now but the number will change.

Subject: RE: What is this book?
From: Nick
Date: 23 Oct 18 - 10:47 AM

Picture of cover here