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Arnish Light reel

By Peter R. MacLeod

There are 3 recordings of this tune.

Arnish Light has been added to 1 tune set.

Arnish Light has been added to 5 tunebooks.

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Two settings

1
X: 1
T: Arnish Light
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amix
ceeA Ac c/c/c|d2dc BGGd|ceeA Ac c/c/c|eAdc AAAB|
ceeA Ac c/c/c|d2dc BGGd|ceeA Ac c/c/c|eAdc AAAe||
ae c2 fece|d2dc BGGe|ae c2 fece|eAdc AAAe|
ae c2 fece|d2dc BGGd|ceeA Ac c/c/c|eAdc AAA||
2
X: 2
T: Arnish Light
R: reel
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amix
|:cee A2 Ac/c/c|d2c2 BGGB|cee A2 Ac/c/c|1 eAdc A3B:|2 eAdc A3e||
ae c2 fe c2|d2c2 BGGe|ae c2 fe c2|eAdc A3e|
ae c2 fe c2|d2c2 BGGB|cee A2 Ac/c/c|eAdc A3a||
|:e2d2 cAAa|e2c2 BGGa|e2c2 fe c2|1 eAdc A3a:|2 eAdc A3e||
a2 ef ceAc|fe c2 BGGe|a2 ef ceAd|cAce aecA|
ceae ceAc|e2c2 BGGf|ecce fe c2|eAdc A4||

Five comments

Arnish Light

By Peter MacLeod Jr.

I heard it being played by the Saint Lawrence O Toole Pipe Band, Dublin.

Re: Arnish Light

I have this tune in a 1937 collection (John Wilson’s Collection Book 1), and it’s a four-parter. Interesting that the St Lawrence band reduced it to two parts. Loch Arnish is in Lewis.

Re: Arnish Light

I think it’s quite common, Nigel, in the pipe band competition scene (reducing the number of parts). After all, there it’s not about showing off the tunes but showing off the band’s skill.

Re: Arnish Light

It’s happened with another tune I recently added, The Strutting Jig, heard with all four parts or only the first two.

Thing is, many composers of Highland pipe tunes come up with a catchy “hook” but the well quickly runs dry, and only the first two parts have interest.

It became very apparent to me when I spent a rainy day reading through a number of Highland pipe collections: there’s Donald MacLeod, and everybody else.

Not only would he continue introducing quality fresh material throughout four parts, but he would sometimes have a unique 2nd ending to the fourth part, as if saying “I haven’t begun to run out of ideas for this tune!”