"Fair Fa' The Minstrel" (Mart dhe crodh a'
Mheineirich) is a Scottish reel of unknown authorship.
The story goes that, "The ancient family of Menzies,
Bart., have immemorially inherited the beautiful banks
of Tay, which, before assuming their present perfect
cultivation, must have grazed some of the finest cattle
of any part in the central Highlands. These were, of
course, subject to the spoliations of their mire
predatory neighbors; hence, when music was well
performed, the prize allotted...(+)
"Fair Fa' The Minstrel" (Mart dhe crodh a'
Mheineirich) is a Scottish reel of unknown authorship.
The story goes that, "The ancient family of Menzies,
Bart., have immemorially inherited the beautiful banks
of Tay, which, before assuming their present perfect
cultivation, must have grazed some of the finest cattle
of any part in the central Highlands. These were, of
course, subject to the spoliations of their mire
predatory neighbors; hence, when music was well
performed, the prize allotted the minstrel was one of
Menzies' cows, in other words, 'Fair fa' the minstrel,
he is worthy of one of Menzies' cows.' The expression
is so common that a better definition of it may be
given than this one, compressed within a note, merely
to shew the allusion"
Although originally written for folk instruments, I
created this arrangement for Piccolo, Flute, and Alto
Flute.
PARTITION