My Own House

This waltz is a Scottish-derived tune primarily in A major, commonly played in both old-time and contra dance traditions. The melody originates from a jig called “John Bain’s Sister’s Wedding” found in Donald MacDonald’s 1828 collection, though the tune appears even earlier in Patrick McDonald’s 1784 collection. The waltz version was popularized by revival fiddlers in the 1970s, primarily learned from tune books rather than oral tradition. The tune is played in both standard tuning and cross-tuning (AEae), with the American old-time version featuring a different B part than the Scottish “My Home” setting. Notable recordings include Dave Bromberg’s album My Own House (Columbia, 1972), the Highwoods String Band on Fire On the Mountain (Rounder 0023), and Strathspey’s New England Contra Dance Music (Kicking Mule 216, 1977).