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Men Of Argyll march

Also known as The Men Of Argyll.

There are 3 recordings of this tune.

Men Of Argyll has been added to 41 tunebooks.

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Two settings

1
X: 1
T: Men Of Argyll
R: march
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Bmin
|:f>e|d2 B2 B2 d>e|f2 a2 f2 e>d|c2 A2 A2 A>B|c>Ac>d e>gf>e|
d2 c>d B2 d>e|f2 a2 f2 d>e|f>ef<a c2 A2|1 B4B2:|2 B4B g||
|:f>g|a2 d2 f2 e>d|f2 a2 f2 c>d|e2 A2 c2 c>d|e>cA<c e>gf>g|
a2 d2 f2 e>d|f2 a2 f2 d>e|f>ef<a c2 A2|1 B4B g:|2 B4B2||
|:f2|B4 c>Bc<e|f>ef<a f2 e>c|A4 B>AA>B|c>Ac<e f>ec<A|
B4 c>Bc<e|f>ef<a e2 c>e|f>ef<a c2 A2|B4B2:|
|:d>e|f2 B2 f2 f>e|f>ef<a f2 e>c|e2 A2 e2 e>f|e>cA<c A>Bc<e|
f2 B2 f2 f>e|f>ef<a e2 c>e|f>ef<a c2 A2|B4B2:|
2
X: 2
T: Men Of Argyll
R: march
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
K: Bmin
f>e|:d2B2 B2d>e|f2a2 f2e>d|c2A2 A2A>B|c>Ac<d e2f>e|
d2c<d B2d>e|f2a2 f2d>e|f>ef<a c2A>c|1 B4 B2f>e:|2 B4 B2g2||
|:a2d2 f2e<d|f2a2 f2c>d|e2A2 c2c>d|e>cA<c e2f>g|
[1 a2d2 f2e<d|f2a2 f2d>e|f>ef<a c2A>c|B4 B2g2:|
[2 d2c<d B2d>e|f2a2 f2d>e|f>ef<a c2A>c|B4 B2e2||
B2B>c B2c<e|f>ef<a f2e<c|A2A>B A2A>B|c>Ac<e f>ec<A|
B2B>c B2c<e|f>ef<a c2A>c|f>ef<a c2A>c|1 B4 B2e2:|2 B4 B2c<e||
|:f2B2 f2f>e|f>ef<a f2e>c|e2A2 e2e>f|e>cA<c A>Bc<e|
[1 f2B2 f2f>e|f>ef<a c2A>c|f>ef<a c2A>c|B4 B2c<e:|
[2 f2e>c B2c<e|f>ef<a c2A>c|f>ef<a c2A>c|B4 B4||

Seven comments

Men of Argyll

This is an authentic Scottish pipe march, but it’s such a nice tune, so I couldn’t resist posting it on this site.

I came to know this tune through the recording of the band Keep It Up. Simon Thoumire and Eilidh Shaw’s slow and steady playing of it is very touching. I did my best to transcribe the tune as accurate as possible from the recording, but it may have some minor mistakes. I hope many people will enjoy it.

Nice tune Hiroyuki! This is the sort of thing I’ll learn and haul out toward the end of a session, in the lull as people are packing away their instruments, or milling toward the bar. And it’s always good to have something handy for Burns night. Our local piper will also be interested. Thanks!

Posted .

You’re welcome, Will. Yes, it’s not a kind of tune to be played in the very middle of the session. But it sounds very traditional to my ears and will be a nice solo or duet piece.

Just remind you, this tune is played in a more bouncy, strathspey-like rhythm.

This tune is actually a pipe march. It was composed by P.M. John MacLellan of Dunoon, a WWI era piper. John MacLellan made many beautiful melodies, such as “Road to the Isles.” It’s too bad KEEP IT UP didn’t credit him. Pipe marches when played at a lively tempo sound quite a bit like hornpipes or even strathspeys. It depends on how much of a roll you put into the basic hold-cut rhythm.
This tune was originally published in the 5th Cowal Gathering Collection, 1958, but it might have been in circulation before that.

Men Of Argyll, X:2

Here it is as played by the fine Argyll fiddle player Archie McAllister. Notated in the more common 2/4 march style.

X: 2
T: Men Of Argyll
C: P.M. John MacLellan
M: 2/4
L: 1/16
K: Bmin
f>e |: d2B2 B2d>e | f2a2 f2e>d | c2A2 A2-A>B | c>Ac<d e2f>e |
d2c<d B2d>e | f2a2 f2d>e | f>ef<a c2A>c |1 B4 B2f>e :|2 B4 B2g2 ||
|: a2d2 f2e<d| f2a2 f2c>d | e2A2 c2-c>d | e>cA<c e2f>g |1
a2d2 f2e<d | f2a2 f2d>e | f>ef<a c2A>c | B4 B2g2 :|2
d2c<d B2d>e | f2a2 f2d>e | f>ef<a c2A>c | B4 B2e2 ||
B2-B>c B2c<e | f>ef<a f2e<c | A2-A>B A2-A>B | c>Ac<e f>ec<A |
B2-B>c B2c<e | f>ef<a c2A>c | f>ef<a c2A>c |1 B4 B2e2 :|2 B4 B2c<e ||
f2B2 f2-f>e | f>ef<a f2e>c | e2A2 e2-e>f | e>cA<c A>Bc<e|1
f2B2 f2-f>e | f>ef<a c2A>c | f>ef<a c2A>c| B4 B2c<e :|2
f2e>c B2c<e | f>ef<a c2A>c | f>ef<a c2A>c | B4 B4 ||