Hector The Hero waltz

This is from the Johnny Cunningham performance on the CD " Celtic Fiddle Festival - Encore", Track 3 with Kevin Burke and Christian LaMaitre. One of my all time favorite airs. I take the blame for any errors in the transcription as I learned it second hand and had to adjust it once I actually heard Cunningham’s version.

I like this Scottish song performed on flute and guitar, but it’s clearly a fiddle tune, a favourite, i hear, in funerals. Here’s a simpler version which i collated from a few different sources and fixed up a little. Also some history about Hector MacDonald and one set of words, chords, etc.

Notice that i put a couple of rolls in at the end of certain phrases. I play those rolls at glacial speed (i.e.: very slow).

You can repeat the first part on the high octave if you want, i think that’s one of the ways it’s done usually.

There’s also some more info in the "fiddler’s companion", as well as still another ABC, more fiddle-y with doublestops and stuff.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?S11256F23

Enjoy!

X:1
T:Hector the Hero
R:waltz
C:J.S.Skinner
H:Chronology from Nigel Gatherer
H:Major-General Hector A. MacDonald
H:1857 - Born in the Black Ilse
H:1870 - Enlisted in 92nd Gordon Highlanders
H:1879 - Served as a colour-sergeant in the Afghan War
H:1880 - Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant at end of Afghan War
H:1881 - Mentioned in despatches in 1st Boer Ware, South Africa
H:1885 - Led military expedition up Nile (Sudan)
H:1888 - Took part in Battle of Sunkin (Sudan)
H:1889 - Won Distinguished Service Order (DSO) medal (Sudan service)
H:1891 - Took part in Battle of Tokar (Sudan)
H:1896 - Led 2nd Infantry Brigade - the Dunglen Expeditionary Force (Sudan).
H: Was now a Brigadier-General. May have been promoted about this time.
H:1897/98 - Khartoum - Battle of Omdurman
H:1898 - ADC (Ade de Camp) to the Queen (Victoria)
H:1899 - Served as a Brigadier-General in Sirhind area of India
H:1900 - Served as a Major-General with Highland Brigade in South Africa
H:1901 - Knighted
H:1902 - Served as a Major-General with forces in Ceylon
H:1903 - Accused of being a homosexual. Committed suicide.
H:Sources: Campbell, David, "Major-Gneral Hector A. MacDonald", Douglas Howard, London, 1903.
H: Chambers Biographical Dictionary.
N:With help from versions of
N:and James Allwright’s ABC version of the Nottingham Music Database.
O:Scotland
M:3/4
L:1/4
Q:1/4=105
K:D
D/E/ | "D"F3/2E/D | "G"B2A/F/ | "D"~A3 | "D"A2D/E/ | "Bm"F2E/D/ | "G"B2A/F/ |
"Em"~E3 | "A"E2F/A/ | "Bm"F3/2E/D | "G"B2A/F/ | "D"A2D | "G"d2B | "D"A2D/F/ |
"A"E2D | "D"D3- | "D"~D2 :: F/A/ | "G"B2G/B/ | "G"d2c/B/ | "D"A2-A/B/ | "D"A2F/A/ |
"Bm"B2A/F/ | "Bm"A2D/F/ | "Em"E2-E/F/ | "A"E2F/A/ | "Bm"B2G/B/ | "G"d2c/B/ |1
"D"A2G/F/ | "G"d2G | "D"F2D/F/ | "A"E2D | "D"D3- | "D"D2 :|2 "D"A2D | "G"d2B | "D"A2D/F/ | "A"E2D | "D"D3- | "D"D2 |]
W:Lament him, ye mountains of Ross-shire;
W:Your tears be the dew and the rain;
W:Ye forests and straths, let the sobbing winds
W:Unburden your grief and pain.
W:Lament him, ye warm-hearted clansmen,
W:And mourn for a kinsman so true
W:The pride of the Highlands, the valiant MacDonald
W:Will never come back to you.
W:
W:O, wail for the mighty in battle,
W:Loud lift ye the Coronach strain;
W:For Hector, the Hero, of deathless fame,
W:Will never come back again.
W:
W:Lament him, ye sons of old Scotia,
W:Ye kinsmen on many a shore;
W:A patriot-warrior, fearless of foe,
W:Has fallen to rise no more.
W:O cherish his triumph and glory
W:On Omdurman’s death-stricken plain,
W:His glance like the eagle’s, his heart like the lion’s
W:His laurels a nation’s gain.
W:
W:O, wail for the mighty in battle,
W:Loud lift ye the Coronach strain;
W:For Hector, the Hero, of deathless fame,
W:Will never come back again.
W:
W:O rest thee, brave heart, in thy slumber,
W:Forgotten shall ne’er be thy name;
W:The love and the mercy of Heaven be thine;
W:Our love thou must ever claim.
W:To us thou art Hector the Hero,
W:The chivalrous, dauntless, and true;
W:The hills and the glens, and the hearts of a nation,
W:Re-echo the wail for you.
W:
W:O, wail for the mighty in battle,
W:Loud lift ye the Coronach strain;
W:For Hector, the Hero, of deathless fame,
W:Will never come back again.

A real hero this guy. His career reads like an inspiration for the writer Bernard Cornwell’s fictional character Richard Sharpe ! The uniforms and weapons of his day may have changed radically, but,unfortunately, the intolerance of some sections of his society that led to his death is still alive and kicking.

I heard this song played in Cape Breton by Buddy MacMaster, a long time ago - didn’t realize it had words, but it’s always a lovely tune

I heard this played at the Military Tattoo in 2002 by a solo fiddle player on a single microphone at Ednburgh Castle in front of full stadium and the second time through he was backed up by over 600 bagpipers. I can tell you the hair stood up on the back of my neck, and I saw people weep at the beauty of it.

For myself, I play it in Key of G, and after I played on a flute at a concert in 1992, a patron offered to but my flute from me. I still have that flute.

Please note the alternative title. 🙂

I thought this was a strathspey ?

I believe it was composed as an air, and therefore with no specific time-signature. Waltz is probably closest, but it loses a lot if played too "regularly". Pretty sure it was never a strathspey though. In passing, I don’t think "John J’s" alternative title is either necessary or funny.

Sorry, Kenny. That was an "in joke" by others in a recent discussion here so I was just carrying it on, so to speak. On reflection, it was in bad taste as it’s a lovely tunes.

I think I’ve been muddling this up with Sweetness of Mary.

That’s it ! It’s down on the Bothy Band album as a Strathsey !

Yeah, it seems usually played in G, at least in Cape Breton. Fiddlers love to play the first part one actave lower. D major may be best for solo flute.

Here’s a plain setting in G:

K: Gmaj
GA|B3 AG2|e3 dB2|d6-|d4 GA|B3 AG2|e3 dB2|A6-|A4 GA|
B3 AG2|e3 dB2|d3 GA2|B g3 e2|d3 GB2|A4 G2|G6-|G4:|
Bd|e3 fe2|g3 fe2|d6-|d4 Bd|e3 dB2|d3 GB2|A6-|A4 Bd|
e3 fe2|g3 fe2|d3 GA2|B g3 e2|d3 GB2|A4 G2|G6-|G4:|

I still can’t believe Scott Skinner composed such a simple tune.

BegF is wrong above. The Bothy Band played this as an air - which it is - not a strathspey. The strathspey they played was "The Laird O’ Drumblair".

and Skinner composed it in the key of A.

There is a good video of James Alexander playing Hector the Hero at http://www.celtscot.ed.ac.uk/fiddle/clips.htm

Just wanted to clarify what the notation "4 slide" in this tune means - does it imply 4th finger on fiddle sliding down from the A on the D string to the open D ?

.anyone know what ‘4slide’ means in the notation?

domnull, I think that your theory from Sept. 20 is correct — slide your pinky down from an A.

You can view JScottSkinners original manuscript for this at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/scottskinner/display.php?ID=JSS0176

It’s written as a 6/8 Coronach. Not a waltz, and definitely not a Strathspey! Just goes to show that common lowest denominator is maybe fine for imperial measurements but not when it comes to music….otherwise we’d be playing 1/2 marches, 1/1 reels, and 3/2 ballads.

The website http://www.abdn.ac.uk/scottskinner is a fantastic resource, and you can even hear recordings of the man himself.

Sometimes 3/4 does better justice to a melody than the previously used 6/8, as does 4/4 for some black and dense scores that were originally scored as 2/4. It doesn’t reduce the quaility or pleasure in a good tune, it just works better in some cases, IMHO…

Yes, one of my favourite sites sandhbell, brilliant, priceless…

X:1
T:Hector the Hero
S:Kevin Burke
R:waltz
M:3/4
L:1/4
K:D
z D/E/ |\
F3/2E/D | B3/2A/2F | (A3 | A2)D/E/ |\
F3/2E/D | B3/2A/F | (E3 | E2)D/E/ |
F3/2E/D | B3/2A/F | A D E | F/d3/2B |\
A/D3/2F/G/ | E2-E/D/ | D3- | D3/2 :|!
|: A/ d/c/ |\
B3/2A/B | d3/2c/B | A2 B | A2F/A/ |\
B2A/F/ | A D F/D/ | (E3 | E3/2) A/ d/c/ |!
B3/2A/B | d3/2c/B | ADE |F/d3/2B |\
A/D3/2F/G/ | E2-E/D/ | D3- | D3/2 :|!

X: 3
T: Hector The Hero
T: Hero, The
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: air
K: DMaj
|: z DE |\
F3 E D2 | B2 A3 F | A6- | A4 DE |\
F3 E D2 | BA- A2 F2 | E6- | E4 D>E |
F2 (3EFE D2 | B2 A3 F | AD- D2- DE | Fd- d2- dB |\
AD- D2 D/E/F | E4- ED | D6- | D3 :|
|: A dc |\
B3 ^A Bc | d2 (3cdc B2 | A6- | A4 AB |\
AD- D2- DF | Ad- d2- dF | E6- | E3 A dc |
B3 ^A Bc | d2 c2 B2 | AD- D2- DE | Fd- d2- dB |\
AD- D2 F<G | E4- ED | D6- | D3 :|

This air seems to be played in A major/mixolydian for the most part down in Cape Breton. Dougie MacDonald plays it in A mixolydian on his CD "A Miner." He plays it crossed tuned AEAE as well.

The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards did a version of this song, and it is amazing. So emotional.

I bought the CD titled "Kavan From Cavan" and Kavan Donoghue plays a stunning version of this tune, when I first heard it, the world suddenly fell silent and all I could hear was this beautiful melody. It’s just a beautiful rendition. The dots I have submitted are as close as I could get them to Kavan’s beautiful playing.

hearing that fiddle pulse … Nice

I just love this version of it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TCwut-wg7fE

play video

in 6/8…

N: Added by paul95 27/11/15 - adjusted from 6/8 to 3/4 for comparison’s sake…

A friend gave me a CD with a Tommy Peoples version of this, starts on Bb, a beautiful haunting version. Can’t find it online, am learning it, have decided to learn this version. Anyone familiar with it and what do you think?

There is a slight difference between the score as composed by Skinner and the “arrangement” by Gavin Greig when one compares the two hand written scores .The difference is the last
Iine.. Skinner has CBA whereas Greig has fgf . The latter is the way it seems to be played by most people but why not be true to the original. There is also a slight difference in lines 2 and 4 second part where it goes upto high a. but again these are now standardized as line 2 repeated as line 4 instead of playing as written. Some versions notated here in A go upto high b.Dont know where that came from .

I remember learning to play this in Jenny Wrigley’s fiddle class in Kirkwall, Orkney when we were beginners. Jenny would play the first part excellently so that we would be spared the low notes on the G string. We came in when the tune repeated an octave up and it was more within our range. Later on we did tackle the beginning too and it was a pleasure to feel one could play it more confidently on that string! We were told the story of Hector, very sad as it is, and it is very good that he is commemorated so fittingly with Scott Skinner’s memorable tune.

University of Aberdeen –Scott Skinner Manuscript, minus ornaments
https://www.abdn.ac.uk
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/scottskinner/
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/scottskinner/display.php?ID=JSS0176

ID: JSS0176
Title: Hector the Hero
Document Reference: MS2726/176a
Format: 260 x 339 mm
MediumL Handwritten manuscript on music manuscript paper
Item Type: Manuscript
Subject: Music, Scottish, Lament, Pipes, Violin, Piano

Item Description: Manuscript in Skinner’s hand of a his ‘Coronach’, ‘Hector the Hero’. Under the music he has written ‘1st strain loco [played in place - as written] - the Coronach sighing through the trees. Composed [Monikie], 27 March 1903 - For immediate publication -‘. ‘Hector’ was Sir Hector Macdonald (1853-1903) b. nr Dingwall, Ross-shire; d. Paris. He served at the Battle of Khartoum; Knighted in 1901. Aide-de Camp to Queen Victoria, and Major-General in the British army. He had one son with his wife Christina Duncan, secretly married, in the Scottish style, in 1884. Unsavoury rumours and illness drove him to suicide. ‘Fighting Mac’, a Robert B. Service (1874-1958) poem, and Thomas McWilliam’s words for Skinner’s melody (‘O, wail for the mighty in battle, Loud lift ye the Coronach strain; For Hector, the Hero, of deathless fame, Will never come back again’) show the public’s sympathy for his tragic end…

Creator: James Scott Skinner
Creator Manuscript: James Scott Skinner
Arranger: James Scott Skinner
Time Period: 1880’s - 1900’s
Associated Dates: Manuscript: 27 Mar 1903
Related Images: MS2726/176b

Relationships: JSS0177, JSS0178, JSS0622
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/scottskinner/display.php?ID=JSS0177
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/scottskinner/display.php?ID=JSS0178
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/scottskinner/display.php?ID=JSS0622

Location: University of Aberdeen
Collection Name: Harp & Claymore

Just a change in meter to meet modern notation practice and sensibilities…

S: The Harp and Claymore, by J. Scott Skinner, edited by Gavin Greig, 1904, page 152, arranged by Gavin Greig
Notes: Lament, Slow, The Verses may be sung in D.
Transcription given here in 3/4 time, in the book in 6/8 …

S: The Scottish Violinist: As Composed and Arranged by J. Scott Skinner, 1900 - 1913, page 49 (minus chords)

"Talent does what it can; Genius does what it must." - quote from the top of the front cover…

James Scott Skinner – The Other Collections:
https://www.abdn.ac.uk/scottskinner/other.shtml