PS 271 – Lament for Duncan MacRae of Kintail

      Cumha Dhonnchaidh Mhic Iain

Primary Sources

Playford’s Dancing Master  Washington’s March – 1657 edition, section II, p.49
Playford’s Dancing Master  Washington’s March – 1665 edition, section II, p.42
J [Lament for Duncan MacRae of Kintail: first 2 bars] J:17v.4


Edward Bunting  Ruairidhe Ua Mordha / Rory O Moor / King of Leix’s March – 1809, p.32
K1, p. 112 Cumha Dhonncha Mhic Iain / Index adds: Alister / Duncan MacRae of Kintail’s Lament K1.49: 112
K1, p. 213 Duncan MacRae of Kintail’s Lament K1.91: 213
KK Cumha Dhonncha Mhic Iain / Duncan MacRae of Kintail’s Lament KK.31: 55
JK Cumha Dhunochie Mhic Iain / Duncan MacRae of Kentail’s Lament JK.2: [4]

Notes on Gaelic Title

Cumha Dhonnchaidh Mhic Iain Cumha Dhonncha Mhic Iain / Duncan MacRae of Kintail’s Lament K1; Cumha Dhonncha  Mhic Iain Alister K1 index; Cumha Dhunochie Mhic Iain / Duncan MacRae of Kintail’s Lament (another version of the same tune) K1; Cumha Dhonncha Mhic Iain / Duncan MacRae of Kintail’s Lament KK; Cumha Dhunochie Mhic Iain / Duncan MacRae of Kentail’s Lament JK. Lament for Duncan MacRae of Kintail.

Roderick Cannon (2009)

3 thoughts on “PS 271 – Lament for Duncan MacRae of Kintail”

  1. simonchadwick

    Two questions there Ronald, is this CC v1 no.30, no, that is PS 031, Cumha a’ Chleirich.

    Is this an “Irish pibroch”, I don’t know any more. Looking at it now, it’s all from Angus MacKay and he tends to stick the introductory runs into the melody as held notes… so how much of the similarity between this tune and the King of Leix is accidental, from these intrusive Es?

    1. Ronald Smith

      Yes, what Campbell called ‘One of the Irish Piparich’ is what Angus MacKay recorded as ‘Cumha a’ Chlerich’.
      The long E is an intrusive style, certainly, but in some cases appears integral to the tune as we know it – ‘Kilchriosd’ or ‘Glengarrie’s March’, for example. Perhaps it is a formulaic device, similar to the opening of a typical folk song: ‘Oh, it fell on a day and a bonnie summer’s day…’

      I heard Allan MacDonald play both ‘Duncan MacRae’ and ‘March of the King of Laoise’ in tandem, showing he regarded them as cognate.

      The tune ‘Brian O’Duff’s Lament’, which resembles ‘Brian Boru’, might be a candidate for one of these ‘Irish Piparich’.

      Also to bear in mind is the usage of ‘Irish’ to refer to gaels generally in the 17th century; thus, Alisdair MacColla (‘Colkitto’), of the Clan Donald, was called ‘Irish’ but some writers.

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