The Bonawe Highlanders march

THis transcription is by Session member Nigel Gatherer, just that he hasn’t put it up yet, and it’s such a grand tune.

I know it’s written by some Scots Pipe Major, and I don’t even know whether it’s technically a 6/8 pipe march, and not a jig.

But I heard it played as a jig decades ago by The Boys Of the Lough. I’d even forgotten how it went, so thanks NG for bringing it back to life for me.

Looking on his website, Nigel does give the composer as PM John McColl

It is a 6/8 march and still gets played that way by most pipers but it wouldn’t be the first to get the jig treatment by other instrumentalists.

This is certainly not a John MacColl composition (it’s not in Dale Brown’s book “the bagpipe music of John MaColl 1860 - 1943”).
I have it by one “D Bowman”.

The attribution to MacColl was from an old LP (Fergie MacDonald) - never an accurate reference. In Scots Guards Standard Settings - a more accurate reference - the composer is given as D Bowman.

Aye Nigel, generally true, but see my comment on “The Sleeping Tune”:
https://thesession.org/tunes/7425#comment825375

That’s almost as good as Sandy MacIntyre’s book which has a tune called “The Ferret” by one Andy Renwick.

Well, oh well, indeed! 🙂

The Sleeping Tune in Scots Guards III is a different tune to Gordon Duncans.

The Seaforth Highlanders book also attributes this tune to D. Bowman.

Having just played through the SG Sleeping Tune I see what you mean Donald K. Very peculiar from the Scots Guards book. Different enough to be another tune but surely influenced by Gordon Duncans tune. Sharing the same name though - very odd!

Indeed. Very odd!
I was dumfounded when I came across it.