Renos Efstathiou - Neil Gow’s Lament for the Death of His Second Wife (Scottish Air)

Renos Efstathiou performs Neil Gow’s Lament for the Death of His Second Wife. Arrangement by David Russell. A beautiful Scottish lament by Neil Gow (1727-1807) written for his second wife, Margaret Urquhart. Story has it that deeply hurt by her death, Neil Gow stopped playing the fiddle for while. Convinced by friends to pick it up again, the lament was the first thing he played. “Niel Gow was born in 1727 in the town of Inver, 60 miles north of Edinburgh. He became one of the most important violinists and composers in Scotland. He and his son Nathaniel spread the strathspey style of violin playing throughout Scotland at a time when traditions were changing rapidly. The harp and bagpipe were being replaced by the popularity of the fiddle. This beautiful melody was written as a lament to Margaret Urquhart of Perth to whom he was happily married for thirty years.“ [from Celtic Music vol. 1 – D. Russell]. ___________________________ More about Renos at http://renosefstathiou.