"My Lily"

I think I first heard this one on the Schreyer Twins' "Triple Fiddle" album...

Found on John Chambers' Scottish Country Dance Music Collection, this is the first tune in a 4-tune set arranged for Scottish Country Dance (all 4 of which I left in the var-My Lily.abc file) ; My Lily (Mo Shuil a\'d Dheigh/My Eyes at Your Back), Westering Home, Mr & Mrs McLean of Snaigow, and A Cold Frosty Morning.

From the Fiddler's Companion;

“the real story behind the song is documented in the Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness (Vol 57). It seems that the Reverend Donald MacNicoll, minister of Lismore and a distinguished Gaelic scholar, proposed in 1771 at the age of 36 to the young Lilias Campbell of Achlian, Dalmally, who lived nearby. She was half his age and, loath to marry an older man and one somewhat disfigured by smallpox, she accepted the alternate proposal of a Captain Campbell of Glenorchy. MacNicholl consoled himself in versifying on the lonely horseback ride home, composing the famous song of lost love, "Mo shuil a\'d dheigh." . After the departure of his rival Campbell grew careless, and during the celebrating of his betrothal he asked his servant to kiss Lilias for the wager of a shilling. For her part, Lilias was incensed at being so ungallantly bought and immediately broke it off with Campbell, sending instead for MacNicholl to see if he might still be agreeable. He was, and they married in November, 1771, two days after her 18^th birthday. The couple lived long and happily, despite the fact that many of their 16 children died in infancy, as was too common in those days. ”