Joshua Campbell, fl 1762 - c 1800

Joshua Campbell (fl c 1762 - c 1800) Joshua Campbell (fl c 1762 - c 1800) was a musician and music teacher in Glasgow. He is known to have published 3 music collections, A collection of favourite tunes with new variations: adapted for the violin and German-flute with a bass for the violoncello and thorough-bass for the harpsichord (Glasgow: Printed for the author, and sold at all the music shops in Edinburgh and Glasgow. Ready sculpt., [ca. 1785]); A collection of the newest and best reels and minuets: with improvements adapted for the violin or German flute, with a bass for the violoncello or harpsichord (Glasgow: J. Aird, ?1788); and A collection of new reels and Highland strathspeys : with a bass for the violoncello or harpsichord (Glasgow: J. Campbell, ?1786). This last work was re-printed c 1795, as A Collection of new Reels and highland Strathspeys, with a bass for the violoncello or harpsichord, by J. Campbell, a number of which are his own compositions (Glasgow: Printed for the Author, [1795?]), and again, c 1800, when it appeared as A Collection of New Reels & Highland Strathspeys with a Bass for the Violoncello or Harpsichord. Book ist. The Bass's of this Collection are corrected by P. Urbani (Edinburgh: Urbani & Liston, [1800?]).

For further details see The Glen Collection of Scottish Dance Music (Highland Music Trust, 2001).

John Murdoch Henderson (1902 - 1972) John Murdoch Henderson, son of Charles Henderson, farmer, and Mary Jane Murdoch, was born in New Deer on 31 March 1902, and graduated from the University of Aberdeen, MA 1926. He taught for several years in the south of Scotland, before returning to Aberdeen where he taught science and mathematics at Frederick Street, and latterly, Ruthrieston School. A gifted composer, and an authority on Scottish fiddle music, he wrote The Flowers of Scottish Melody: A First Companion to the Scottish Violinist and Pianist (Glasgow: Bayley & Ferguson, 1935), and arranged J. Scott Skinner's The Scottish Music Maker Skinner: a choice selection of strathspeys, Scots reels, schottisches, double jigs, waltz tunes, song airs, pastorals, marches, quicksteps, hornpipes ... arranged for the violin (Glasgow: Bayley & Ferguson, 1957). He was also a prolific collector of music for the fiddle and pipes, and during his life made several significant manuscript deposits to the University of Aberdeen.

His printed music collection was bequeathed to the National Library of Scotland in 1975/6, and duplicates from this collection transferred to Aberdeen University, where they form the University's John Murdoch Henderson Collection. A further collection of his papers was deposited more recently in the North East Folklore Archive, Aden Country Park, Mintlaw, Aberdeenshire, by his family. See Related Units of Description for further details.

From the guide to the A Collection of Favourite Tunes with New Variations for Violin and German Flute, 1952 (transcript of 18th century printed music score), (University of Aberdeen)