Balmoral Highlanders

X:1 T:Balmoral Highlanders, The M:2/4 L:1/8 R:Pipe March Q:112 C:Angus MacKay S:Skinner - Harp and Claymore (1904) Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:A Mix e/c/ | A/e/c/e/ A/e/c/e/ | e/A/f/A/ ({f}e)d/B/ | G/d/B/d/ G/d/B/d/ | G/A/B/c/ d/B/e/c/ | A/e/c/e/ A/e/c/e/ | e/A/f/A/ ({f}e)d/c/ | B/d/G/B/ g/f/e/d/ | ({d}cAA || e/d/ | c/e/({g}a) c/e/({g}a) | c/e/({g}a/)f/ ({f}e)d/c/ | B/

BALMORAL HIGHLANDERS. Scottish, March (2/4 time). A Mixolydian. AB (Skinner): AABBCCDD (Martin). The melody, composed by Highland Piper Angus Mackay of Raasay, was included in one of J. Scott Skinner's concert sets (1921) called "Warblings From the Hill's." Mackay's father, John MacKay of Raasay, had been among the last of the pupils at the famous ancient piping college of the MacCrimmons at Boreraig. The younger Mackay wrote, while still in his early twenties, a book called A Collection of Ancient Piobaireachd, or Highland Pipe Music; a piper's bible for many decades after its appearance in 1838. Skinner (1904) calls him the 'late' Angus MacKay, and notes he was the "Queen's Piper." "Balmoral Highlanders" was originally composed in six parts, although fiddle versions usually only have four (Martin, 2002). The word Balmoral is said to mean "the house of the laird," the root being the Gaelic baile, a homestead or, later, village (Matthews, 1972) {see note on "Balmoral Castle [1]" for more on Balmoral}. Paul Stewart Cranford says the first Cape Breton fiddler to record the tune was Jimmy MacLellan. Influential County Donegal fiddler John Doherty played it as a Highland, the piece being a mix of tunes he called "Angus Mackay's" and James Scott Skinner's "The Queen's Welcome to Invercauld." Printed sources: Martin (Ceol na Fidhle), vol. 1, 1991; pg. 37. Martin (Traditional Scottish Fiddling), 2002; pg. 13. Skinner (Harp and Claymore), 1904; pg. 39 (includes variation sets). Recorded sources: Cairdeas CNF 002, Maurice Bradley (Co. Derry) - "The Fiddle Music of Donegal, vol. 2." Cló Iar Chonnachta CICD 165, John Wynne & John McEvoy - "Pride of the West" (2007). Rounder CD 11661-7033-2, Natalie MacMaster - "My Roots are Showing" (2000). See also listing at: Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recording Index

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