NLS ms 1679. 12 Piobaireachds written by John McGregor dictated by Angus McArthur, examined by Andrew Robertson.
This manuscript contains 30 tunes, not 12; it appears that three manuscripts have been bound together. Receipts show that all 30 were transcribed over a fairly short period of time in 1820. John MacGregor was a noted piper and pipe maker; Andrew Robertson was a gentleman musician and life member of the Highland Society of London; and Angus MacArthur was hereditary piper to Lord MacDonald of Sleat, perhaps in his 80s at the time the manuscript was made.
MacGregor transcribed the tunes from MacArthur’s “whistling”, as is stated at the end of tune 21 and on four of the five receipts for payments made to MacGregor and MacArthur. This is taken to mean that MacArthur played on the practice chanter, as Gaelic feadan is often translated as “whistle”. The expression “dictated” on the title page suggests that MacArthur supplemented his feadan playing with canntaireachd.
Angus MacKay used this manuscript when preparing both his book and his 2-volume manuscript. It is cited by him as “The Highland Society MSS” and he wrote a contents list which provides titles for most of the tunes which were unnamed. It also specifies which tunes differed from his father’s “style of playing”.
Barnaby Brown, 2015
[Best_Wordpress_Gallery id=”2″ gal_title=”MacArthur-MacGregor”]
Book Covers
Front Matter (Angus MacKay’s list on the last 2 pages is referred to on this website as ‘A index’)
Alphabetical (source titles and spellings)
Albain Bheadarach A.13: 39, PS 187
Bard’s Lament, The A.21: 36, PS 31
Battle of Red Hill, The A.8: 32, PS 75
Beinn Na Ghrian A.4: 11, PS 180
Bells of Perth, The A.5: 13, PS 181
Big Spree (1), The A.1: 1, PS 178
Big Spree (2), The A.1: 2, PS 178
Brother’s Lament, The A.15: 47, PS 125
Daughter’s Lament, The A.17: 53, PS 190
Dungallon’s Salute A.26: 85, PS 136
Frazer’s Gathering, The A.11: 33, PS 185
Hector MacLean’s Warning A.6: 17, PS 182
Highland Club by J MacArthur, The A.10.29, PS 184
Hihorodo hao A.18: 35, PS 191
King James VI’s Lament A.2: 3, PS 14
[King James’ Salute (CB)] Piobaireachd A.3: 5, PS 179
Lady MacDonald’s Lament A.24: 73, PS 194
Lady Margret MacDonald’s Salute A.27: 89, PS 196
Lament, A A.20: 59, PS 192
Late Lord McDonald’s Lament, The A.16: 49, PS 189
Lord Anapole’s Lament A.28: 93, PS 197
Macbrea’s March A.22: 67, PS 193
MacDonald’s Salute, The A.9: 25, PS 111
MacDougall’s Gathering, The A.29: 53, PS 198
MacLean’s March A.14: 43, PS 77
McKay’s Lament A.19: 37, PS 39
McKenzie of Garloch’s Lament A.25: 79, PS 195
Murray of Abercairne’s Salute A.12: 35, PS 186
Piobaireachd [King James’ Salute (CB)] A.3: 5, PS 179
Pride of Barroch, The A.7: 19, PS 84
Sir James MacDonald’s Lament A.23: 71, PS 61
You’re Welcome, Ewin A.30: 103, PS 199
Numerical (by number and page)
A.1: 1 Â PS 178Â The Big Spree (1)
A.1: 2 Â PS 178Â The Big Spree (2)
A.2: 3 Â PS 14Â King James VI’s Lament
A.3: 5 Â PS 179Â King James’ Salute
A.4: 11 Â PS 180Â Beinn Na Ghrian
A.5: 13 Â PS 181Â The Bells of Perth
A.6: 17 Â PS 182Â Hector MacLean’s Warning
A.7: 19 Â PS 84Â The Pride of Barroch
A.8: 32 Â PS 75Â The Battle of Red Hill
A.9: 25 Â PS 111Â The MacDonald’s Salute
A.10.29 Â PS 184Â The Highland Club by J MacArthur
A.11: 33 Â PS 185Â The Frazer’s Gathering
A.12: 35 Â PS 186Â Murray of Abercairne’s Salute
A.13: 39 Â PS 187Â Albain Bheadarach
A.14: 43 Â PS 77Â MacLean’s March
A.15: 47 Â PS 125Â The Brother’s Lament
A.16: 49 Â PS 189Â The Late Lord McDonald’s Lament
A.17: 53 Â PS 190Â The Daughter’s Lament
A.18: 35 Â PS 191Â Hihorodo hao
A.19: 37 Â PS 39Â McKay’s Lament
A.20: 59 Â PS 192Â A Lament
A.21: 36 Â PS 31Â The Bard’s Lament
A.22: 67 Â PS 193Â Macbrea’s March
A.23: 71 Â PS 61Â Sir James MacDonald’s Lament
A.24: 73 Â PS 194Â Lady MacDonald’s Lament
A.25: 79 Â PS 195Â McKenzie of Garloch’s Lament
A.26: 85 Â PS 136Â Dungallon’s Salute
A.27: 89 Â PS 196Â Lady Margret MacDonald’s Salute
A.28: 93 Â PS 197Â Lord Anapole’s Lament
A.29: 53 Â PS 198Â MacDougall’s Gathering, The
A.30: 103 Â PS 199Â You’re Welcome, Ewin