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Gillie Callum strathspey

Also known as Ghillie Callum, Ghillie Challum, Gille Calium, Gille Callum, Gille Callum Da Pheighinn, Gille Calum, Gillie Callam, Gillie Callam Da Pheithein, Keelum Kallum, Keelum Kallum Taa Fein, Kheellum Khallum Taa Fein, The Lad Malcolm, Lasses Gar Your Tails Todle, Sword Dance, The Sword Dance, Tail Toddle, Tail Todle.

There are 14 recordings of this tune.

This tune has been recorded together with

Gillie Callum has been added to 2 tune sets.

Gillie Callum has been added to 58 tunebooks.

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Six settings

1
X: 1
T: Gillie Callum
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amix
A2 c>A d2 B>G|A<e c>A e2 c>A|e2 c>A d2 B>G|A<e c>e d>B e2:|
A2 c>e g2 d>B|A<e c>e a2 e>f|g>a g>e d<g B>G|A<e c>e d>B e2:|
2
X: 2
T: Gillie Callum
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amix
|:A<Ac>e d2 B>G|A<Ac>e d2 c>A|1 E<EG>B d2 B>G|
A<Ac>e dB e2:|2 BEBe d2 B>G|A<Ac>e B/c/d e2||
|:A<Ac>A g2 B>G|A<Ac>A a2 a>e|1 G2 g2 d2 B>G|
A<Ac>A dB e2:|2 g2 a/g/f/e/ d2 B>G|A<Ac>A B/c/d e2||
|:A<Ac>A AgBG|A<Ac>A AacA|1 aefd egBG|
A<Ac>e B/c/d e2|2 gbeg dgBG|A<Ac>E B/c/d e2||
|:A<Ac>A G/G/G BG|A<Ac>A A/A/A c>A|c>ABA G/G/G B>G|A<Ac>A B/c/d e2:|
|:A<Ac>e dgBG|A<Ac>e AacA|a/g/f/e/ fd gdBG|A<Ac>e B/c/d e2:|
|:A2 cA BGBG|A2 cA cAcA|cAcA BGBG|A<Ac>A B/c/d e2:|
|:A<Ac>e AgBG|A<Ac>e AacA|gaeg dgBb|gaeg dg e2:|
3
X: 3
T: Gillie Callum
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amix
|:A2 c>A d2 B>G|A2 c>A d2 c>A|B2 g>e d2 B>G|A2 c>A d>B e2:|
A2 c>A g2 B>G|A2 c>A a2 c>A|a2 c>A g2 B>G|A2 c>A d>B e2|
A2 c>A a2 B>G|A2 c>e a<ea>e|g>a (3gfe d<gB<g|e<a (3efg (3Bcd e2||
4
X: 4
T: Gillie Callum
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Ador
|:A<Ac>e d2 B>G|A<Ac>e d2 c>A|B>EB>e d2 B>G|A<Ac>e d>B e2:|
A<Ac>e g2 B>G|A<Ac>e a2 c>A|a2 c>A g2 B>G|A<Ac>e d>B e2|
A<Ac>e g2 B>G|A<Ac>e a>ba>f|g>ag>e d/c/B/A/ G2|A<Ac>e d>B e2||
5
X: 5
T: Gillie Callum
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amaj
AA/A/c>A d2 B>=G|A<Ac>A e2 cA|e2 cA d2 B=G|AA/A/ce d<B e2:|
A<Ace =g2 dB|A<Ace a>ga>e|=g>ag>e d<gB<g|A<Ace d<B e2|
A<Ace =g2 dB|A<Ace a>ga>e|=g>ag>e d<gB<G|A<Ace d<B e2|
6
X: 6
T: Gillie Callum
R: strathspey
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Amix
AAce d2 (BG)|AATcA e2 T(cA)|BEBe d2 (BG)|AATcA (B/c/d) e2:|
AATcA g2 (BG)|AATcA a2 (ae)|g2 Tge d2 (BG)|AATcA (B/c/d) e2:|
AATcA G2 (BG)|AATcB A2 (TcA)|cATBA G2 (BG)|AATcA (B/c/d) e2:|
AATcA BgBG|AATcA AacA|aeTfd egBG|AATcA (B/c/d) e2:|
AATcA G/G/G BG|AATcB A/A/A (TcA)|cATBA G/G/G (BG)|AATcA (B/c/d) e2:|
AAce dgBG|AAce AacA|(a/g/f/e/ f)d gdBG|AATcA (B/c/d) e2:|
# Added by Tadhg .

Twelve comments

I learned this tune from Marijan Rudel in Ljubljana, Slovenia. He transcribed it from Dave Swarbrick’s playing - LP “Smiddyburn” (1981)

Sword Dance

This tune is actually called ‘Ghillie Challum’… though, yes, it is known to most people as the Sword Dance.

“Lasses Gar Your Tails Todle” / “Tail Toddle” ~ closer to the usual air

Key signature: D Major
Submitted on March 7th 2003 by gian marco.
https://thesession.org/tunes/1484

“Gille Callum” ~ 1786 ~ in 7 parts

“A Collection of Reels”
Alexander McGlashan
(nicknamed ‘King M’Glashan’ because of his dress sense)
Published by Neil Stewart, Edinburgh, 1786

K: A Mixolydian
|: A<Ac>e d2 B>G | A<Ac>e d2 c>A |1 E<EG>B d2 B>G | A<Ac>e dB e2 :|
2 BEBe d2 B>G | A<Ac>e B/c/d e2 ||
|: A<Ac>A g2 B>G | A<Ac>A a2 a>e |1 G2 g2 d2 B>G | A<Ac>A dB e2 :|
2 g2 a/g/f/e/ d2 B>G | A<Ac>A B/c/d e2 ||
|: A<Ac>A AgBG | A<Ac>A AacA |1 aefd egBG | A<Ac>e B/c/d e2 |
2 gbeg dgBG | A<Ac>E B/c/d e2 ||
|: A<Ac>A G/G/G BG | A<Ac>A A/A/A c>A | c>ABA G/G/G B>G | A<Ac>A B/c/d e2 :|
|: A<Ac>e dgBG | A<Ac>e AacA | a/g/f/e/ fd gdBG | A<Ac>e B/c/d e2 :|
|: A2 cA BGBG | A2 cA cAcA | cAcA BGBG | A<Ac>A B/c/d e2 :|
|: A<Ac>e AgBG | A<Ac>e AacA | gaeg dgBb | gaeg dg e2 :|

Apologies ~ forgot the repeat :| at the end of the four bars for the C-part:

|: A<Ac>A AgBG | A<Ac>A AacA |1 aefd egBG | A<Ac>e B/c/d e2 :|
2 gbeg dgBG | A<Ac>E B/c/d e2 ||

“Gille Callum” / “Keellum Kallum”

“Waifs and Strays of Gaelic Melody”
Captain Frances O’Neill, Chicago, 1922
~ collected from William Walsh, police officer and highland piper

The following is based on that transcription:

K: A Mixolydian
|: A2 c>A d2 B>G | A2 c>A d2 c>A | B2 g>e d2 B>G | A2 c>A d>B e2 :|
A2 c>A g2 B>G | A2 c>A a2 c>A | a2 c>A g2 B>G | A2 c>A d>B e2 |
A2 c>A a2 B>G | A2 c>e a<ea>e | g>a (3gfe d<gB<g | e<a (3efg (3Bcd e2 ||

“Gille Callum” ~ without the G#

The following is much more familiar to me, without the G#, very close to “The Athole Collection”, 1884, which has G#s in the A-part…

K: A Dorian
|: A<Ac>e d2 B>G | A<Ac>e d2 c>A | B>EB>e d2 B>G | A<Ac>e d>B e2 :|
A<Ac>e g2 B>G | A<Ac>e a2 c>A | a2 c>A g2 B>G | A<Ac>e d>B e2 |
A<Ac>e g2 B>G | A<Ac>e a>ba>f | g>ag>e d/c/B/A/ G2 | A<Ac>e d>B e2 ||

A Mixolydian!!! (= F# & C#)

GOOF! ~ Damn, I need a rest, not A Dorian, the confusion being that “The Athole Collection” transcript I had started in A Major, but the same as all the rest here ~ A Mixolydian…

Also a ‘note’ contributing to the confusion, that the transcript I had for O’Neill’s “Waifs and Strays” was given accidental free, or as ‘a minor’ and the notation given above could be played as that…

Gille Callum

A simpler and perhaps older version for GHB

L:1/8
M:4/4
K:A
AA/A/c>A d2 B>=G | A<Ac>A e2 cA | e2 cA d2 B=G | AA/A/ce d<B e2 :|
A<Ace =g2 dB | A<Ace a>ga>e | =g>ag>e d<gB<g | A<Ace d<B e2 |
A<Ace =g2 dB | A<Ace a>ga>e | =g>ag>e d<gB<G | A<Ace d<B e2 |

Gillie Callum, X:7

The version presented in Robert Bremner’s 1769 collection of scots reels, or country dances, where it is called ‘Kheellum khallum taa fein.’

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