Annotation:42nd Highlander's Farewell (The)

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 FORTY-SECOND HIGHLANDER'S FAREWELL, THE. Scottish, Pipe March (2/4 time). B Minor. Standard tuning. AA'B. The 42nd Highlanders, known as the Black Watch, were one of the most famous units in the British Army, originally composed of Scots Highlanders. As with many old British regiments, the Black Watch acquired its own distinctive lore and customs over the centuries. They were, for example, given the privilege of wearing a red vulture feather on their bonnets in recognition of the regiment's gallantry at the battle of Guildermalson in 1794. Another story goes that during the Indian Mutiny its troopers found a huge gong in a bullock cart and appropriated it; ever after it was used to sound the hours wherever the regiment was stationed. Like many Scots regiments the Watch ws known for its drinking; on return from the victory of Waterloo they had to be doled out their pay in instalments, else the regiment would have disintegrated from the huge benders of its troops. The officers drank as well--an English officer gazetted to the regiment would be required to wash down a Scots thistle with a glass of whiskey, making him an honorary Scotsman. The Black Watch had their share of defeats; they were beaten back by the backwoods riflemen of Andrew Jackson and the Battle of New Orleans, and in 1884 Dervishes temporarily broke a British square of which the Black Watch formed a part during the battle of Tamai. A reference to the latter by another regiment in a pub would invariably provoke a brawl (Farwell, 1981).  Source for notated version:  Printed sources: Kerr (Merry Melodies), vol. 3; No. 419, p. 47.  Recorded sources: Green Linnet SIF 1047, John Cunningham - "Fair Warning" (1983).

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