Captain Campbell strathspey

In Tokyo, there are a couple of fiddlers who really love Cape Breton music and are popularizing several strathspeys in the session. This is one of them.

I feel this tune is melodious enough to mix with Irish tunes while I like playing "A.A. Cameron’s" and modern Scottish reel "Islay Rant" after it. Is there any good Irish reel to follow this one? I’ve just found "Lilting Banshee (Ballinasloe Fair)" is nice, but it’s a jig.

Thanks sainte, I like this tune a lot.

This is a version of a very well-known highland that’s a standard in Donegal so no problem mixing it with Irish music. This is the version we play locally

X: 1
T: Captain Campbell
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: highland
K: Amin
EAAB c2BA|GBdc B

Here’s the abc again!

X: 1
T: Captain Campbell
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: highland
K: Amin
EAAB c2BA|GBdc B

I’ve just had the same problem trying to post ABC in the comments. Must be that SARS bug or whatever you call it.

I have removed the "less than" symbol from the abc and replaced it with explicit note lengths. So here goes.

X: 1
T: Captain Campbell
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: highland
K: Amin
EAAB c2BA|GBdc B/2G3/2GD| EAAB cBce |3(dcB) gB B/2A3/2 A2:|
Aaag abge|dBgd BAGB|Aaag abge|dBgB B/2A3/2AG|
Aaag abge|dBgd BAGB |A^GAB cBcd|3(efg) dg B/2A3/2 A2||

It looks like if you use the "less than" sign in the comments section then it deletes everything following. I wonder if that’s because the comments may be converted to html or java code at some stage, and the "less than" sign (and the "greater than" sign for that matter) is used functionally in html and java. Perhaps Jeremy could confirm or otherwise.

to skerries. triplets are (3, not 3(
…and it: 3 😉 can be a cowboy


X: 1
T: Captain Campbell
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: highland
K: Amin
EAAB c2BA|GBdc B/2G3/2GD| EAAB cBce |3(dcB) gB B/2A3/2 A2:|
Aaag abge|dBgd BAGB|Aaag abge|dBgB B/2A3/2AG|
Aaag abge|dBgd BAGB |A^GAB cBcd|3(efg) dg B/2A3/2 A2||

Submitted three times on April 1st 2003 by skerries.
(No comment about April Fool’s Day folks!)
A change has happened that now we can now use the less than symbol in our ABC’s in this yellow space. Here’s skerries notes with that and the usual swing of a highland:

T: Captain Campbell
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: highland fling
K: Amin
|: E>AA>B c2 B>A | G>Bd>c B<GG>D |
E>AA>B c>Bc>e | (3dcB g>B B<A A2 :|
A>aa>g a>bg>e | d>Bg>d B>AG>B |
1 A>aa>g a>bg>e | dBgB B<AA>G :|
2 A>^GA>B c>Bc>d | (3efg d>g B<A A2 ||

Oops! ~

K: Amin
|: E>AA>B c2 B>A | G>Bd>c B<GG>D |
E>AA>B c>Bc>e | (3dcB g>B B<A A2 :|
|: A>aa>g a>bg>e | d>Bg>d B>AG>B |
1 A>aa>g a>bg>e | dBgB B<AA>G :|
2 A>^GA>B c>Bc>d | (3efg d>g B<A A2 ||

K: Amin
|: E>AA>B c2 B>A | G>Bd>c B<GG>D |
E>AA>B c>Bc>e | (3dcB g>B B<A A2 :|
|: A>aa>g a>bg>e | d>Bg>d B>AG>B |
1 A>aa>g a>bg>e | d>Bg>B B<AA>G :|
2 A>^GA>B c>Bc>d | (3efg d>g B<A A2 ||

Dotty?! ~ Problems on this end with my cut-and-paste, weird! I’ll return with another version if I can find the recording I’ve in mind, or filtered through my madness. Hey, skerries had three takes and now so have I. It’s a great tune…

"The Athole Collection" ~ James Stewart-Robertson, 1884

K:Aminor
|: A |
E<AA>B c>AB<G | E<GG>A B>d c/B/A/G/ |
E<AA>B c>Bc>e | d<Bg>B A2 A :|
|: B |
A<aa>g e>dc<e | d>eg>e d/c/B/A/ G>B |
1 A>aa<g e>dc<e | d<Bg>B A2 A :|
2 c<Ad>B e>dc<e | d<Bg>B A2 A ||

Here’s another version, no huge differences but some odd points:

K:A Minor
|: G |
E<AA>B c>AB>G | D<GG>A B>d c/B/A/G/ |
E<AA>B c>Bc>g | d<Bg>B A2-A :|
|: G |
A<aa>g e>dc<g | e>dc>e d/c/B/A/ G>e |
1 A<aa>g e>dc<g | d<Bg>B A2-A :|
2 A<aa>A d>dc<e | d<Bg>B A2-A ||
d<Bg>B A2-A ||

K:a minor
|: A>G |
E<AA>B c>AB<G | D<GG>A B>d c/B/A/G/ |
E<AA>B c>Bc<e | d<Bg<B A2 :|
|: A>B |
A<aa>g e>dc<e | d>eg>e d/c/B/A/ G>B |
1 A<aa>g e>dc<e | d<Bg<B A2 :|
2 c<Ad>B e>dc<e | d<Bg>B A2 ||

K: a minor
|: A>A |
E<AA>B c>AB>G | D<GG>A B>d c/B/A/G/ |
E<AA>B c>Bc<e | d<Bg<B A2 :|
|: A>B |
A<aa>g e>dc<e | d>eg>e d/c/B/A/ G>B |
1 A<aa>g e>dc<e | d<Bg<B A<A :|
2 c<Ad<B e>dc<e | d<Bg<B A2 ||

K: a minor
|: E<AA>B c2 B<A | D<GG>A B2 c/B/A/G/ |
E<AA>B c>Bc<e | d<Bg<B A2 A2 :|
|: A<aa>g e2 c<e | d>eg>e d/c/B/A/ G2 |
1 A<aa>g e>dc<e | d<Bg<B A2 A2 :|
2 c<Ad<B e>dc<e | d<Bg<B A2 A2 ||

K: ADor
|: A>G |\
E2 (3GAB c>Bc>A | G2 d>c B<GG>D | (3EFG A>B c>Bc<e | d<Bg>B A2 :|
|: (3efg |\ ~ etc…

Even I carried forward this giving the wrong key above… 😛

X: 4
T: Captain Campbell
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: strathspey / highland fling
K: ADor
|: E>AA>B c2 B>A | G>Bd>c B<GG>D |
E>AA>B c>Bc>e | (3dcB g>B B<A A2 :|
|: A>aa>g a>bg>e | d>Bg>d B>AG>B |
[1 A>aa>g a>bg>e | d>Bg>B B<AA>G :|
[2 A>^GA>B c>Bc>d | (3efg d>g B<A A2 |]

# Posted on October 18th 2006 by ceolachan

"Captain Campbell" ~ a bit of history on the side - 1884

X: 5
T: Captain Campbell
B: "The Athole Collection" ~ James Stewart-Robertson, 1884, page 46
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: strathspey
K: ADor
|: A |\
E<AA>B c>AB<G | E<GG>A B>d c/B/A/G/ |
E<AA>B c>Bc>e | d<Bg>B A2 A :|
|: B |\
A<aa>g e>dc<e | d>eg>e d/c/B/A/ G>B |
[1 A>aa<g e>dc<e | d<Bg>B A2 A :|
[2 c<Ad>B e>dc<e | d<Bg>B A2 A |]

# Posted on October 18th 2006 by ceolachan

Here’s another version, no huge differences but some odd points:

X: 6
T: Captain Campbell
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: strathspey / highland fling
K: ADor
|: G |\
E<AA>B c>AB>G | D<GG>A B>d c/B/A/G/ |
E<AA>B c>Bc>g | d<Bg>B A2-A :|
|: G |\
A<aa>g e>dc<g | e>dc>e d/c/B/A/ G>e |
[1 A<aa>g e>dc<g | d<Bg>B A2-A :|
[2 A<aa>A d>dc<e | d<Bg>B A2-A |]


# Posted on October 18th 2006 by ceolachan

"Captain Campbell" ~ Cape Breton notes

X: 7
T: Captain Campbell
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: strathspey / highland fling
K: ADor
|: A>G |\
E<AA>B c>AB<G | D<GG>A B>d c/B/A/G/ |
E<AA>B c>Bc<e | d<Bg<B A2 :|
|: A>B |\
A<aa>g e>dc<e | d>eg>e d/c/B/A/ G>B |
[1 A<aa>g e>dc<e | d<Bg<B A2 :|
[2 c<Ad>B e>dc<e | d<Bg>B A2 |]

# Posted on October 18th 2006 by ceolachan

"Captain Campbell" ~ a Scottish transcription

X: 8
T: Captain Campbell
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: strathspey / highland fling
K: ADor
|: A>A |\
E<AA>B c>AB>G | D<GG>A B>d c/B/A/G/ |
E<AA>B c>Bc<e | d<Bg<B A2 :|
|: A>B |\
A<aa>g e>dc<e | d>eg>e d/c/B/A/ G>B |
[1 A<aa>g e>dc<e | d<Bg<B A<A :|
[2 c<Ad<B e>dc<e | d<Bg<B A2 |]

# Posted on October 18th 2006 by ceolachan

"Captain Campbell" ~ yet again

X: 9
T: Captain Campbell
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: strathspey / highland fling
K: ADor
|: E<AA>B c2 B<A | D<GG>A B2 c/B/A/G/ |
E<AA>B c>Bc<e | d<Bg<B A2 A2 :|
|: A<aa>g e2 c<e | d>eg>e d/c/B/A/ G2 |
[1 A<aa>g e>dc<e | d<Bg<B A2 A2 :|
[2 c<Ad<B e>dc<e | d<Bg<B A2 A2 |]

# Posted on October 18th 2006 by ceolachan

X: 10
T: Sarah Casey’s Highland Fling
T: Sarah Casey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: highland fling
K: ADor
|: A>G |\
E2 (3GAB c>Bc>A | G2 d>c B<GG>D |
E>GA>B c>Bc<e | d<Bg>B A2 :|
|: eg |\
a2 a>g e>d (3Bcd | g>[fa]g>e d<BG>B |
[1 a>ba>g e>dB<e | d<Bg>B A2 :|
[2 A>^GA>B c>Bc<e | d<Bg>B A2 |]

Oops! The lead-in for the B-part… 😀

& - I find myself playing the first ending so…

(Volume I, but no other volumes have been released.)
by Joseph M. Reavy, 1979
http://www.reavy.us/
http://www.reavy.us/corktown.html

Another transcription for this can be found here, given straight, sans > & <:

"Sarah Casey" - highland fling - page 4

Here’s my version, not sure where I learned it. I just pulled it out of the air, and I found here that it’s called Captain Campbell. I think I heard a Cape Breton fiddler play it somewhere, but I’m not sure who.

One hell of a fine transcription job, Tate! Beautifully done and, coincidentally, very timely. I was arranging this for fingerstyle guitar from the Folk Tune Finder transcription which is decidedly inferior. With thanks …

When played straight, it resembles:
https://thesession.org/tunes/1501

Recently learned this one. Anyone know why it has the same name as the highland, but is clearly not the same tune? *Chords are my addition.

X:1
T: Captain Campbell
C: Traditional
C: from Ron Jappy
R: Strathspey
L: 1/8
M: 2/2
K: D
A3/d/|:"D"f4f3/e/ f3/g/|"D/A"f/a3/ g3/e/d4|"A"e4e3/g/ f3/e/|"D"d3/A/ d3/f/ "A"e3/g/ f/a3/|
"D"f4f3/e/ f3/g/|"D/A"f/a3/ g3/e/d4|"A"e3/A/ c/e3/ "A7"e3/g/ f/a3/|"D"d4d2A/d3/:|
|:"D"f3/A/ d/f3/ "D/A"a4|"D"f/A3/ d3/e/f4|"G"g3/a/ g3/f/ "A"e3/A/ c3/e/|"A7"e3/g/ f3/e/ "D"d2A/d3/|
"D"f3/A/ d/f3/ "D/A"a4|"D"f/A3/ d3/e/f4|"G"g3/a/ g3/f/ "A"e3/a/ f/d3/|"A/E"e2a2"D"d2A/d3/:|
|:"D"f3/A/ d/f3/ "D/A"a3/A/ d/e3/|f/a3/ g/a3/"D"f2A/d3/|f3/A/ d/f3/ "A"a3/A/ c/e3/|"G"e3/g/ f3/e/ "D"d2A/d3/|
"D"f3/A/ d/f3/ "D/A"a3/A/ d/e3/|f/a3/ g/a"D"f2 e3/f/|"G"g3/a/ g3/f/ "A"e3/a/ f/d3/|"A/E"e2a2"D"d2A/d3/:|
|:"D"f3/A/ PA2 "A"a3/A/ PA2|"D"f/a3/ g/a3/f2A/d3/|"D"f3/A/ PA2 "A"a3/A/ PA2|"G"e3/g/ f3/e/"D"d2 A/d3/|
"D"f3/A/ PA2 "A"a3/A/ PA2|"D"f/a3/ g/a3/f2e3/f/|"G"g3/a/ g3/f/ "A"e3/a/ f/d3/|"A/E"e2a2"D"d2A/d3/:|

What you have there, violinjenn, is what I call Captain Campbell’s March (as opposed to Captain Campbell). It’s what pipers would call a 2/4 and it’s not a strathspey (or highland, for that matter).

The first three parts of this tune first appeared in print in [William] Ross’s Collection of Pipe Music in 1869. At a later date (sometime after 1876) David Glen added two more parts, the first of which has become the fourth part of this setting.

Here’s a recently recorded socially distanced take after we picked the tune up from Rua MacMillan:
http://www.riddellfiddles.co.uk/index.php/aiovg_videos/captain-campbells-march-a-foray-into-video-editing/
You’ll also find it in The Glengarry Collection Volume 2 [Mel Bay] - the fiddle music of Aonghas Grant. Since Rua was a student of Aonghas’ maybe that’s where Rua learned the tune.

Campbell is a fairly common name, especially in the Highlands of Scotland and it’s not unusual for there to be more than one Captain Campbell.