Text Note: This anonymous "biography" of Niel Gow from The Scots Magazine (1809) almost reads as a humble apology for the even briefer obituary notice of 2 years before (see Appendix). The attribution to "Rev. Dr. Macknight" is Stenhouse's (ed. SMM, 1853, 1:lxviii). The piece certainly seems to be the work of a cultured Presbyterian who, despite his flowery flair, gives a first-hand and matter-of-fact account that notably avoids the folksy mythologisation that soon came to plague Gow's reputation. Indeed, the author repeatedly stresses the word "professional", noting Gow's rise in the "ranks" from prole to "affluent" pleb, via the patronage of the most "fashionable" nobs.
NEIL GOW.
For the Scots Mag & Edin.r Liter.y Mis. Pub. by A. Constable and C.o 1 Feb.y 1809—
A brief biographical Account of Neil
Gow.
We announced, in one of our late numbers, the death of Neil Gow; who was unquestionably the most remarkable man in the line of his profession that has appeared in Scotland.
In giving a few notices respecting a character so justly celebrated in his particular sphere of life, it is natural to begin with mentioning the professional merits of this extraordinary person. His taste for music was early decided. At the age of nine be began to play, and was, it is said, self-taught, till about bis thirteenth year, when he received some instruction from John Cameron, an attendant of Sir George Stewart of Grandtully. The following anecdote of a competition, which happened a few years after this, deserves to be related, not only as a proof of natural genius assuming its station at an early period, but on account of the circumstance with which it concludes, and which was perhaps the first acknowledgment of that peculiar professional ability to which he afterwards owed his fame. A trial of skill having been proposed, amongst a few of the best performers in the country, young Neil for some time declined the contest, believing himself to be no match for such masters in the art. At last, however, he was prevailed on, to enter the lists; and one of the minstrels, who was blind, being made the umpire, the prize was adjudged to Neil Gow, by a sentence, in the justice of which the other competitors cheerfully acquiesced. On this occasion, in giving his decision, the judge said, that he could distinguish the stroke of Neil's bow among a hundred players.
Having now attained the summit of his profession at home, the distinguished patronage, first of the Athole family, and afterwards of the Duchess of Gordon, soon introduced him to the universal notice and admiration of the fashionable world. From this period Gow's excellence was doubtless unrivalled in his department of our national music; and formed, in truth, an æra in the progress of its improvement which has since been completed by his sons. The livelier airs which belong to the class of what are called the Strathspey and Reel, and which have long been peculiar to the northern part of the island, assumed, in his hand, a style of spirit, fire, and beauty, which had never been heard before. It is curious and interesting to enquire, on the principles of art, in what consisted the peculiar character of a performance which had thus charmed and enlivened the scenes of gaiety and innocent pleasure, with equal effect, in every rank and age of life.
There is perhaps no species whatever of music executed on the violin, in which the characteristic expression depends more on the power of the bow, particularly in what is called the upward or returning stroke, than the Highland reel. Here accordingly was Gow's forte. His bow-hand, as a suitable instrument of his genius, was uncommonly powerful; and when the note produced by the up-bow was often feeble and indistinct in other hands, it was struck, in his playing, with a strength and certainty, which never failed to surprize and delight the skilful hearer. As an example, may be mentioned his manner of striking the tenor C, in "Athole House."—To this extraordinary power of the bow, in the hand of great original genius, must be ascribed the singular felicity of expression which he gave to all his music, and the native Highland goût of certain tunes, such as "Tulloch Gorum," in which his taste and style of bowing could never be exactly reached by any other performer. We may add the effect of the sudden shout, with which he frequently accompanied his playing in the quick tunes, and which seemed instantly to electrify the dancers; inspiring them with new life and energy, and rousing the spirits of the most inanimate. Thus it has been well observed, "the violin, in his hands, sounded like the harp of Ossian, or the lyre of Orpheus; and gave reality to the poetic fictions which describe the astonishing effects of their performance."
The different publications which have appeared under the name of Neil Gow, and which contain not only his sets of the older tunes, but various occasional airs of his own composition, for instance, his "Lamentation for Abercairney," and "Loch-Errochside," are striking specimens of his genius, feeling, and power of embellishment. These were set and prepared for publication, by his son Nathaniel; whose respectable character and propriety of conduct have long secured him the esteem and favour ot the public, and whose knowledge of composition, and variety of talent in the art, joined with the greatest refinement of taste, elegance of expression, and power of execution, render him (beyond all dispute,) the most accomplished and successful performer of Scottish music in general, ever produced by this country.
In private life, Neil Gow was distinguished by a sound and vigorous understanding, by a singularly acute penetration into the character of those, both in the higher and lower spheres of Society, with whom he had intercourse; and by the conciliating and appropriate accommodation of his remarks and replies, to the peculiarities of their station and temper. In these he often shewed a high degree of forcible humour, strong sense and knowledge of the world, and proved himself to have at once a mind naturally sagacious, and a very attentive and discriminating habit of observation. But his most honourable praise is to be drawn from a view of his character, which was not so obvious to the public. His moral and religious principles were originally correct, rational, and heartfelt, and they were never corrupted. His duty in the domestic relations of life, he uniformly fulfilled with exemplary fidelity, generosity, and kindness. In short, by the general integrity, prudence, and propriety of his conduct, he deserved, and he lived and died possessing, as large a portion of respect from his equals, and of good will from his superiors, as has ever fallen to the lot of any man of his rank.
Though he had raised himself to independent and affluent circumstances in his old age, he continued free of every appearance of vanity or ostentation. He retained to the last, the same plain and unassuming simplicity in his carriage, his dress, and his manners, which he had observed in his early and more obscure years. His figure was vigorous and manly; and the expression of his countenance spirited and intelligent. His whole appearance, indeed, exhibited so characteristic a model of what national partiality conceives a Scottish highlander to be, that his portrait has been repeatedly copied. An admirable likeness of him was painted a few years ago, for the Hon. Mr Maule of Panmure, M.P. for Forfarshire, by Mr Raeburn: and he has been introduced into the View of a Highland Wedding, by the late ingenious Mr Allan, to whom he was requested to sit for the purpose.
In this picture, too, Mr Allan has preserved an admirable likeness of Donald Gow, the brother of Neil, his steady and constant violoncello; and without whose able and powerful accompaniment Neil could scarcely, in his latter days at least, be prevailed on to play a note.
Such was the person to whose memory this brief biographical tribute has been thought due. It is paid, unsolicited, by one who had full and frequent opportunity to judge of his character. He had often listened to Neil Gow, while delighting the gay by his music—he had seen him often in the midst of his family; and he had conversed with him, when, in sickness, he was anticipating the near approach of death.
Neil Gow was born in Strathbrand, Perthshire, of humble but honest parents, in the year 1727. He died at Inver, near Dunkeld, on the 1st of March 1807. He was twice married; first to Margaret Wiseman, by whom he had a large family: the second time to Margaret Urquhart, by whom he had no children.—Besides his son Nathaniel, already mentioned, he left another, John, who has long resided in London, and is also distinguished and admired, as inheriting much of his father's musical taste and power of execution. Two other sons, of equally eminent musical talents, William and Andrew, died before their father, a few years ago; but not till after they had completely established their reputation as true descendants of Old Neil. On the whole, a family of such celebrity in our national music, as that of the Gows, Scotland is not likely soon to witness again; and we trust, that those of them, who yet remain, may long be preserved to us.
APPENDIX
The obituary notice that the author refers to above as appearing in an earlier issue of The Scots Magazine (03-1807, 69:238) is as follows:
March [...] 1. At Inver, near Dunkeld, Niel Gow, in the 80th year of his age. As a composer of Highland Reels few have excelled him and his spirited performance of that favourite species of national music will long be remembered.
The same obituary was printed verbatim in various other magazines. Later on, the famous "Epitaph on Neil Gow" also appeared in The Scots Magazine (07-1812, 74:544) — as far as I can tell, this was its "first edition":
epitaph on neil gow.
Gow and time are even now;
Gow beat time; now time's beat Gow.
Of course, Gow only "deserves" such notices on account of his rise to the status of a famous pleb — there are no public notices of his proletarian birth, which is thus consigned to the stuff of (profitably) folksy myth. Had he remained one of "the Folk" and gone unnoticed by the nobs, he would probably have almost entirely disappeared from history, aside from a few tunes in other publishers' collections footnoted with even more cringingly-condescending apocrypha than he actually ended up with anyway.