The Highland Bagpipe

I o < z o o o lu z I- The Highland Bagpipe Its History, Literature, and Music WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF THE Traditions, Superstitions, and Anecdotes Relating to The Instrument and Its Tunes BY • W. L. MANSON Tke tune -with the river in it, the fast river and the courageous^ that kens no't stop nor tarry^ that runs round rock and over fall with a good humour, yet no mood for anything but the way before it. —Neil Munro. ALEXANDER GARDNER puiUc^n to %tt latr iSlafeists ®.uttv. Ftctorta PAISLEY; and 26 PATERNOSTER SQUARE, LONDON 1901 TO A. DEWAR WILLOCK EDITOR OF THE Glasgow Weekly Herald WHO JUDICIOUSLY BLUE-PENCILLED THE FIRST ISSUE OF THESE AKTICLES AND ENCOUEAGED THE WHITER TO GIVE THEM TO THE PUBI,IC IN THIS MORE PERMANENT FORM — Preface. This book was not written on a preconceived plan, drawn up from the beginning of the work. It " growed." It had its inception in a commission to write for the Weekly Herald half-a-dozen biographical articles on famous pipers. The necessary investigation produced a mass of material too interesting to be left unused, and the half-dozen articles of the original commission became twenty-seven, with very little of the biographical in them. These, after being finally recast, revised, and in several cases re-written, are now in the form of a book flung at an unoffending public. If the volume interests any one—well. If not well. There is nothing more to be said on that point. It were vain to attempt to acknowledge indebtedness to books or to men. Every available book bearing on the subject even in the most indirect way has been consulted, in many cases read. A great deal of the material used is of course common to all Highland literature, and one book cannot be quoted more than another. With men it is equally impracticable to give names. So many have helped, so many have written giving additional bits of information or suggesting improvements, so many have, in reply to requests, kindly supplied matter dealing with phases of the viii. Preface. subject on which they have intimate knowledge, that one could not do justice to all without naming all. Still, while this may not be done, I cannot possibly refrain from saying that without the assistance given by Mr. Henry Whyte ("Fionn'") in matters of Highland history and questions connected with the Gaelic language, the book could hardly have been published; while Mr. John Mac Kay, editor of the Celtk Monthly, in throwing open to me his valuable library of Celtic literature, did very much to lighten my labours. This, I think, is all I can safely say. If I said more, I would have to say so very much. W. L. M. Glasgow, Ayril 27, 1901. — Contents. PAGE CHAPTER I.—Tuning up, 9 " A Hundred Pipers "—Scotland becoming CoBmopolitan—The War spirit of the Pipes—Regiments, not Clans—Annual Gatherings —Adaptability of Pipes—Scots folk from Home—An aged Enthusiast—Highlands an Extraordinary Study—Succession of Chiefs—Saxon introduced—Gaelic printed—Highlands in 1603 —The Mac Neills of Barra—Highland hospitality. CHAPTER II.—Harpers, Bards, and Pipers, ... 18 Ancient musical instruments—Priestly harpers—Hereditary harpers —Irish versus Scottish harpers—Royal harpers—Use of harp universal—Welsh sarcasm—Mary Queen of Scots' harp—The last of the harpers—^" The Harper of Mull"—From harp to pipes—Tlie clarsach—Pipes supplanting bards—The last clan bard—Bardic customs— Bards' jealousy of pipes — The bard in battle—Duncan Ban Mac Intyre—Two pipers scared—When the pipes became paramount—The fiery cross—The coronach. CHAPTER III.—The Tale of the Years, ... 30 The time of the Flood—Pipes in Scripture—In Persia—In Arabia In Tarsus—Tradition of the Nativity—In Rome—In Greece In Wales, Ireland, and Scotland—Melrpse Abbey—In France In England—At Bannockburn—Chaucer—In war—First authentic Scottish reference—Oldest authentic specimen—Became general—Rosslyn Chapel—Second drone added—At Flodden "A maske of bagpypes"—Spenser—Shakespeare—rJames VI. A poetical historian—Big drone added—The '45—Native to Scotland—The evolution of the Highlands, — ——A Contents. PAGE CHAPTER IV.—The Make of the Pipes, ... 59 The "Encyclopaedia" definition—The simple reed—Early forms Simple bagpipes — The chorus — The volynka — Continental pipes — British pipes — The Northumbrian —The Irish — The Highland—Tuning—Modern pipes—Prize pipes. CHAPTER v.—With an Eae to the Drone,... 73 Dr. Johnson—Inspiration of Scottish music—Professor Blackie Highland music simple—Scottish airs once Highland—Age of Highland music—Capability of the bagpipe—How it has suffered —Peculiarities of the pibroch—Pipe music not fitted for inside How it troubled the pressman—Chevalier Neukomm—Professor Blackie again—A Chicago jury's opinion^—An ode to the pipes. CHAPTER VI.—The " Language " of the Pipes, 87 Have the pipes a language 1 —A wild, fanciful notion—How it got a hold—How much of it is true ?—The reed actually speaking— powerful influence—The power of association—Neil Munro Descriptive Highland airs A Cholla mo run—Military stories —In South Africa—An enthusiastic war correspondent. CHAPTER VII.—The Liteeature of the Pipes, 98 Ancient music lost—Transmission by tradition—Druidical remains —Systems of teaching— No books— "Unintelligible jargon" Canntaireachd—The Mac Crimmon System—The Gesto Book A scientific system—A tune in Canntaireachd—Pipers unable to explain—Earliest printed pipe music—Mac Donald's Books More recent books—Something to be done. CHAPTER VIII.—The Pipes in Battle, ... 113 A CuUoden incident—Ancient Celts in battle—The harper and bard superseded—First mention of pipes ' in battle—First regimental pipers—In the navy—Prince Charlie's pipers—An " instrument of war "^A Mac Crimmon incident—Power of pipes in battle-^A Magersfontein incident—Byron's tribute Position in actual battle. — —— Contents. PAGE CHAPTER IX.—The Piper as a Hero, ... 126 One cowardly piper— At Philiphaugh—At Bothwell Bridge—At Cromdale—The Peninsular War—At Waterloo—At Dargai Eeay Country pipers—At Candahar—At Lucknow—In America —In Aslianti—In the Soudan—In South Africa. CHAPTER X.—The Regimental Piper, ... 136 Preserving the pipes—Regimental bands—Pay of army pipers—The seven pipers of Falkirk—Duties of regimental pipers—The meaning of "Retreat"—A story of Napoleon—In a social capacity—An army wedding ^—A military funeral — At the officers' mess—Awkward incidents—" Boberechims." CHAPTER XI.—The Piper as a Man of Peace, 146 Clan pipers—Chief's retinue—At weddings—Pipers prohibited In sorrow—At funerals—Queen Victoria's funeral—To lighten labour—The harvest dance—The shepherd's pipe—In church architecture—In church services—As a call to church—Minis- — ters and the pipes—Falling into disrepute " As proud as a piper''—Jealousy of the old masters—"As fou as a piper" An Irish piper. CHAPTER XII.—The Burgh Pipers of Scotland, 168 Royal pipers—In France—At the English court— The Edinburgh Piper—Dumbarton—Biggar—Wigtown — Glenliice — Dumfries —Linlithgow—Aberdeen —Perth—Keith— Dalkeith — Dundee —Peebles—A weird story—Falkirk— " Gallowshiels " pipers' combat—The Hasties of Jedburgh — Habbie Simson of Kil- barchan— Bridgeton—Neil Blane of Lanark — The Piper of Northumberland. CHAPTER XIII. From the Seat of the Scorner, 192 Poking fun at the pipes—English caricature—Mixed metaphor Churchism and pipes—Fifteenth century satire—A biographical sneer—Thackeray—Bitter English writers—Testimony of a Jew —Home sarcasm—The bards—Joanna Baillie—A Frenchman's opinion—William Black—Ignorance breaking its shins—Im- ported sportsmen—The duty of Highlanders. — —A xii. Contents. PAGE CHAPTER XIV.—The Humour of the Pipes, ... 205 Punch's joke—King Charles's heads—An amusing competition— Highlander's Irishism—Wedding experiences—A piper's fall— resourceful piper—A Cameron piper and his officer—Lochaber no more—An elephant's objection—Embarked in a tub Glasgow street scene—Bad player's strategy—What the wind did—A new kind of tripe—A Pasha and a piper—A Gordon nervous—A jealous piper—Dougal Mac Dougal's downfall. CHAPTER XV.—Demoniac Pipes and Pipers,... 223 Tam o' Shanter—The Devil's favourite instrument— "Sorcerers" burned—A bard's satire —Glasgow Cathedral story—A Hebri- dean Tam o' Shanter—Continental ideas—Reformation zeal Ghostly pipers—A " changeling " piper The Lost Pibroch— The Chisholm "enchanted" pipes—The Black Chanter of Clan Chattan. CHAPTER XVI.—Pipers and Fairies, 233 In fairies' hillocks—Stories with a common origin — Sutherlandshire version—Away for a year—Harris piper and the fairies—Seven years away—Fairies helping pipers—Helping the Mac Crimmons —A boy piper—How the music went from Islay to Skye—Faust- like bargains—A Caithness story—A fairy piper. CHAPTER XVII.—Pipers in Enchanted Caves, 247 Allied to fairy stories—Venturesome pipers—The Skye cave—The Mull version—The Argyllshire—The Ghostly piper of Dun- derave—"Wandering Willie's Tale"—A Sutherlandshire cave —A Caithness cave—Underground passages. CHAPTER XVIII.—The Hereditary Pipers, ... 257 Hereditary in two senses—When they ceased—The Mac Crimmons —A traditional genealogy—A Mac Gregor tradition—The Mac Crimmon College—Dr. Johnson—College broken up—An Irish college—Its system—A Mac Crimmon's escapades—Respect for the Mac Crimmons—The Rout of Moy—The last of the race How they excelled—The Mao Arthurs—The Maclntyres—The Mac Kays—The Rankins—The Campbells—The Mac Gregors, — —A Coidcids. xiii. PAGE CHAPTER XIX.—SoMJL Laiteii Day Pipers, ... 276 Angus Mac Kay—Queen Victoria's first piper—His book—Donald Mac Kay— John Bane MacKenzie—The Queen's offer—The piper's reply—Donald Cameron—His achievements—His theory of pipe music—His system of noting—His last competition— special reed— " The King of Pipers "—Other latter day pipers.

Load more