The Battle Of Killiecrankie march

I’ve several takes on this lovely march, slow and a bit more up tempo. This transcription is taken from a rough recording of Mike MacDougall. It is the first tune in the fifth medly on his "Tape for Father Hector", Cranford Publications, and entered on site here.

I’ll return with some other versions and keys for this lovely march later… In some cases it is played without repeats and in another version it is basically only the A-part, for which the B-part is really only a variation that takes it up an octave for part of the melody. I don’t think I’ve heard a version of it I didn’t like…

This is from Cecil Sharp’s collecting:
"Country Dance Tunes", 1909

|: C2 |
G3 A G2 E2 | G3 A G2 E2 | D2 C2 CDEF | G4 G2 G2 |
A3 c A2 G2 | A2 cB A2 G2 | c3 d e2 c2 | A4 A2 cd |
e2 g2 d2 e2 | c3 d e2 c2 | G3 A c2 E2 | G4 G2 G2 |
A3 A c2 c2 | d3 d e3 d | dcBA GAcE | D4 C2 :|

~ links to other ABC’s and to valued information:

http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/index.html

Alphabetic search
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/FCfiles.html

Killiecrankie 1 & 2
http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/KIC_KISI.htm#KILLICRANKIE_[1]

Submitted on May 3rd 2004 by John J.
https://thesession.org/tunes/2937

Scottish, Air and Slow March (cut time). D Major (Aird, O’Farrell): C Major (most versions). Standard. One part = A (Sharp): Two parts = AB (Johnson, Perlman): AABB (Aird): Four parts (variations) =AABBCCDD (O’Farrell). O’Farrell (c. 1806) directs: “Slow.” There appear to be two main versions of “Killiecrankie” tunes, according to Paul Roberts, a Lowland/Williamite version and a Gaelic/Jacobite one…

Scottish, Irish; Slow March (2/4 time) or Set Dance (cut time). D Major. Standard. AB (Kerr): AABB (Roche).

The title commemorates the famous Battle of Killiecrankie, Perthshire, in 1689. ~ the earliest printing of the song appears to be in the Leyden Manuscript of c. 1692, according to John Glen (Early Scottish Melodies). Glen further states: “That portion of (“Killiecrankie”) which is sung to the chorus is still more ancient; it forms part of the tune called “My Mistres blush is bonny” (sic) in the Skene Manuscripts” (c. 1615).

Notes on ‘style’:

McGibbon’s "Scots Tunes, book II", 1746 ~ "Brisk."

The Gow’s 1st Repository, 1799 ~ “very slow.”

O’Farrell’s "Pocket Companion, vol. II", 1806 ~ "Slow."

Played by Maritime fiddlers including on the islands of Cape Breton and Prince Edward…

So, in the earlier suggestion of McGibbon ~ "Brisk"…

I am sadly lacking some of my resources. I would very much like to see the ABC’s added here for the 4-part take on this tune that is in "O’Farrell’s Pocket Companion for the Irish or Union Pipes" 1806 ~ please? I know some of you pipers out there will have it. There was also a reissue done by Patrick Sky, but I’m unsure whether or not this tune was in that. So ~ how’s about it? I still have the D version to place here too…soon…but hope others will contribute too…

Wow. I love this tune as played on Legacy of the Scottish Fiddle, Vol. 2 by Alasdair Fraser. Just in heaven here listening and had to share.

Bit advanced for me at this point, but looking forward to being able to play it one day. 🙂

Pages 102-103: "Killecrankie" ~ with variations

X: 3
T: Killecrankie
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: march
K: Dmaj
N: slow
|: FG |\
A>B{c/}AF A/F/A/B/ A>F | A>B A/B/d/F/ A2 AF/A/ | B/c/B/A/ B/A/B/d/ BA/B/ | d>e d/e/4f/4e/d/ B2 Bf/a/ |
ba/f/ af/e/ {g/}fe/d/ e>f | d>B A/B/d/F/ A2 Ad/c/ | BA/B/ dB/d/ ed/e/ f>e | d>B A/B/d/F/ {tr}e2 D2 :|
|: fg |\
a>baf a/f/a/b/ a>f | a/g/f/e/ d/e/f/g/ a2 af/a/ | b>c’ba b/a/b/c’/ b>a | b/a/f/e/ d/e/f/a/ b2 bf/a/ |
b/a/f/b/ a/f/e/a/ g/f/e/d/ e>f | d>B A/B/d/F/ A2 Ad/c/ | BA/B/ dB/d/ ee f>e | d>B A/B/d/F/ {tr}E2 D2 :|
|: F |\
A>B (3A/G/F/ dF (3A/G/F/ dF A>B | D/E/F/G/ A/B/d/F/ A2 Ad/c/ | B>c B/d/A/d/ B/d/A/d/ BA/B/ | d>e g/f/e/d/ B2 Bf/a/ |
ba/f/ a>b g/f/e/d/ ed/e/ | f/e/d/B/ A/B/d/F/ A2 Ad/c/ | Bd/B/ ce/d/ d/f/b/a/ g/f/e/f/ | d/c/d/B/ A/B/d/F/ E2 D2 :|
|: fg |\
a>b a/g/f/e/ d/e/f/g/ a>b | a/g/f/e/ d/e/f/g/ a2 ad/a/ | b>c’ ba b/a/b/c’/ b>a | b/a/g/f/ e/f/g/a/ b2 bf/a/ |
b/a/f/b/ a/f/e/a/ g/f/e/d/ ed/e/ | f/e/d/B/ A/B/d/F/ A2 Ad/c/ | B/B/B/B/ d/d/d/d/ e/e/e/e/ f/g/f/e/ | d/c/d/B/ A/B/d/F/ {tr}E2 D2 :|]

Hmmmm, weird lead note & first measure to the 3rd part ~ mixed meter?

I’ve been listening to a beautiful recording of this air on Kimberley Fraser’s ‘Heart Behind the Bow’ . Sheumas MacNeil accompanies her on piano. Superb stuff!

This is a rough transcription of Alasdair Fraser’s take of "Killiecrankie" on "Legacy of the Scottish Fiddle Volume 2". He plays it with quite a lot of ornamentation, especially mordents (trills).

And this is a rough transcription of Natalie MacMaster’s take of "Killiecrankie" on "Sketches". Again, a fair amount of ornamentation, mainly single grace notes (cuts, I think they’re called).
Note that she plays high B’s instead of C’s in the B part and doesn’t repeat the parts but plays ABABB.