The Battle Of The Somme slip jig

A Scottish pipe lament from the first world war.Dave Swarbrick used to play it very slowly,but I have heard it played as a slip jig.

Wasn’t this originally a march?

Possibly my favourite Scottish set dance tune. I played this for a couple of Scottish dancers at a folk festival a long time ago. It was a dance for one man and one woman and was taken at a very steady, slightly slow pace. A ‘lilt’ I believe is the correct term.

Yes, it’s originally a Scottish bagpipe march in 9/8 time. Hence the feeling of a slip jig if it’s played fast!

This was wriiten by Pipe Major Robert Meldrum as a lament for the Scottish dead at the Battle Of The Somme .

Jocklet, one of my tunebooks and the sleave notes of Malinky’s album inform us that it was written by William Laurie. It seems he was involved in the campaign and died of the wounds shortly after the tune became popular.

I note in Peter Loud’s Collection of Fiddle Tunes he assignes the tune to Willie Laurie (and as a March)

“Composed shortly after the infamous battle by Pipe Major William Laurie of the 8th Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, The Battle Of The Somme was commonly regarded as the best composition of the First World War. Unfortunately Pipe Major Laurie died later that year of illness after being invalided home.”

K:D Major
|: A |
f<af d3 d2 c | e>dG B3 A2 d | B<GB A3 d2 A | f<af e3- e2 A |
faf d3 d>cd | e>dG B3 A2 A | B<GB A3 f2 A | e>fe d3- d2 :|
|: d |
d>cd e3 A2 e | e>fg f<af d3 | f>ef g3 A2 g | f<af e3- e3 |
f<af d3- dcd | e>dG B3 A2 B | B<GB A3 f3 | e>fe d3- d2 :|

|: f |
f>ef a3 f2 d | d>cB B3 A2 d | d>cd f3 A2 f | f<af e3- e2 f |
f>ef a3 f2 d | d>cB B3 A2 d | d>cd f3 A2 e | e<dc d3- d2 :|
|: A |
d>cd e2 A e2 c | efg f<af d2 A |d>cd e2 A e2 c | f<af e3- e2 f |
f>ef a3 f2 d | d>cB B3 A2 d | d>cd f3 A2 e | e<dc d3- d2 :|

A march, this second way is from rough notes and memory but differs from the previous which is closer to the piping traditions for this tune…. The ‘formal’ way of piping tends not to vary the tune from the written form, but both these versions given do vary from the usual piper’s transcript for this tune, though the first one above deviates from the ‘usual’ in only a few small ways…

“The Fiddler’s Companion” ~ Andrew Kuntz
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/BARN_BB.htm

You’ll find an ABC transcript by Nigel Gatherer on site there that is even more ‘on point’ with the usual piper’s transcription. Here are important notes from the entry there for this tune:

“This pipe tune, a retreat from Army Manual (Book 2) and composed by William Laurie (1882-1916) commemorates one of the greatest and most terrible battles of World War I. Jack Campin communicates that Laurie ”just lived to see it become an immediate success before dying of his wounds a few months later.” “The retreat march is not necessarily a march time tune which would be marched to,” explains Stuart Eydmann; rather, “as often as not it was played as part of the evening ritual in military camps as day duties gave way to night ones. It was not linked to the military manoeuvre of retreating in or from battle but was linked to the idea of refuge and safety in the camp.” Gatherer (Gatherer’s Musicial Museum), 1987…"

A colleague plays this (as a lively dance rather than a lament) followed by the “Hills of Dargai”
https://thesession.org/tunes/9821

This is on track 12 of The Dubliners album ‘Ireland’s Prodigal Sons’
https://thesession.org/recordings/3129

I’ve always known this as a 6/8 pipe march, and it needs played with gravitas given the bloody conflict it recalls.
Sits nicely with The Scottish Horse March as a set, the latter giving a nice key lift.
Imagine the steady swing of the kilt as the squaddies march away from the battlefield ….

Don’t you mean a 9/8 pipe march?

Thanks Bogman. 9/8 indeed.

Hi Joddy,
You posted a year ago about your relative who served with the Scottish Horse. I manage the Dunkeld Community Archive and we hold the Scottish Horse archive here. I’d love to chat and find out if you have any documents, photographs etc. as well as the spurs and flask you mentioned.
My email address is archives@historicdunkeld.org.uk
Thanks,
Ruth.