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
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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 PS 178 The Big Spree (1)
A.1: 2 PS 178 The Big Spree (2)
A.2: 3 PS 14 King James VI’s Lament
A.3: 5 PS 179 King James’ Salute
A.4: 11 PS 180 Beinn Na Ghrian
A.5: 13 PS 181 The Bells of Perth
A.6: 17 PS 182 Hector MacLean’s Warning
A.7: 19 PS 84 The Pride of Barroch
A.8: 32 PS 75 The Battle of Red Hill
A.9: 25 PS 111 The MacDonald’s Salute
A.10.29 PS 184 The Highland Club by J MacArthur
A.11: 33 PS 185 The Frazer’s Gathering
A.12: 35 PS 186 Murray of Abercairne’s Salute
A.13: 39 PS 187 Albain Bheadarach
A.14: 43 PS 77 MacLean’s March
A.15: 47 PS 125 The Brother’s Lament
A.16: 49 PS 189 The Late Lord McDonald’s Lament
A.17: 53 PS 190 The Daughter’s Lament
A.18: 35 PS 191 Hihorodo hao
A.19: 37 PS 39 McKay’s Lament
A.20: 59 PS 192 A Lament
A.21: 36 PS 31 The Bard’s Lament
A.22: 67 PS 193 Macbrea’s March
A.23: 71 PS 61 Sir James MacDonald’s Lament
A.24: 73 PS 194 Lady MacDonald’s Lament
A.25: 79 PS 195 McKenzie of Garloch’s Lament
A.26: 85 PS 136 Dungallon’s Salute
A.27: 89 PS 196 Lady Margret MacDonald’s Salute
A.28: 93 PS 197 Lord Anapole’s Lament
A.29: 53 PS 198 MacDougall’s Gathering, The
A.30: 103 PS 199 You’re Welcome, Ewin