Lochiel’s Awa’ Tae France reel

On picking up an instrument, I’m now not sure what key it is normally played in. It could be A dorian:

T: Lochiel’s Awa’ Tae France
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Ador
g|eAA/AA e2dc|BGG/G/G BEEa|eAA/AA e2dc|BGAG geeg:|:
dega bgab|gdd/d/d gdde|dega bgab|gee/e/e geeg|
dega bgab|gdd/d/d dega|bgae degd|BAA/A/A geeg||

Huh? ~ why link back to yourself?

And I was awaiting to contemplate some revolutionary ‘comment’… 😏

Whoa! ~ suddenly something more… But what is that weird notation I see ~ |eAA/AA e2dc| ~ etc… There are 9/16 in those bars… 😏 I really am perplexed now…

K: G Major
|: fg |
eA A/A/A e/f/e dc | BG ~G2 Bcdg | eA A/A/A e2 dc | BGAG g/a/g :|
e/f/g |
dega b/b/b ab | gd d/d/d gd B/c/d | dega bgab | ge e/e/e g2 eg |
d2 e/f/g bgaf | gd d/d/d g2 ga | bgag d/d/d gd | BA A/A/A g2 ||

I’ve just checked several sources I have for the tune and they all have it listed and shown as a minor… I’ll do an ABC for one of them and add it here in the comments…

Damn, just realized I’ve screwed up again, cut and paste from a mess of a text document… The K: above is wrong, as it isn’t G Major by any stretch of the imagination. It resolves on A and sounds as spoon has given it ~ Dorian and not minor as the half dozen sources I’ve dug out suggest… The ‘Fs’ tending more toward sharp than natural…

K: A Dorian
|: g |
eA A/A/A e2 dc | BG G/G/G Bddg | eA A/A/A e2 dg | edgB A/A/A A :|
g |
dega g/a/b ab | gd d/d/d gdde | de ga g/a/b ab | ge e/e/e geeg |
dega b/a/g a/g/e | g/e/d e/d/B gd da/b/ | begd e2 dg | BA A/A/A gee ||

Page 49: “Lochiel’s Awa’ to France” Reel ~ old setting

K: A Dorian
|: g |
eA A/A/A e2 dc | B>G G/G/G B<dd<g | e>A A/A/A e2 dc | BGAB gee :|
g |
dega bgab | gd d/d/d gddg | dega bgab|ge e/e/e geeg |
dfga bgab | gd d/d/d gddg | .b.g.a.e degB | BA A/A/A gee ||

(1883-1927) ~ but a pipe arrangement crammed with twiddles does exist in his book. Too often folks ascribe such things to the twiddler having composed the tune. It ain’t necessarily so, and in this case it ain’t. George wasn’t around in the 1700’s. But it is twiddled the hell out of in his book:

“Highland Bagpipe Music, Book 1”, 1929
~ Compositions (not exactly ~ ‘arrangements’) of Pipe Major George Stewart McLennan

A just an ‘example’, here are the first two measures of this tune from said book:

a | eA {gAGAG}A2 {gef}e3{g}d/g/ | {a}B{d}G {dGe}G2 {g}B<d{c}d>f | ~

Here follows his arrangement, the tune twice through, minus his many twiddles:

e3/ || f/ | = e>f

K: A Dorian
a/ |
eA A2 e3 d/g/ | BG G2 B<dd>f | eA A2 e3 d/g/ | BA A2 a2 e>a |
eA A2 e3 d/g/ | BG G2 B<dd>f | egag e3 d/g/ | BA A2 a2 e3/ ||
f/ |
defg a3 g/f/ | gd d2 g2 d>e | defg a3 g/f/ | gece a2 e>f |
defg a3 g/f/ | gedc defg | agfd e3 d/g/ | BA A2 a2 e3/ ||
f/|
eA A2 eAdA | BG G2 B<dd>f | eA A2 eAdA | BA A2 a2 e>f |
eA A2 eAdA | BG G2 B<dd>f | egag egdg | BA A2 a2 e3/ ||
f/|
defg afge | fd d2 f2 d>e | defg agfa | gefe a2 e>f |
defg a3 g/f/ | gedc defg | agfg efde | BA A2 a2 e3/ |]

“But what is that weird notation I see ~ |eAA/AA e2dc| ~ etc…”

Sorry - I’m getting sloppy. It was an impulse posting, see. And it’s such a long time since last posted a tune - they’re all here already.

Did either of you notice the similarity to the Laurel Tree in the 1st part? https://thesession.org/tunes/883, also posted by spoon.

Uh oh, one of the big cahunas has entered the room spoon. Did you ever notice, if the alias wasn’t enough on its own, he even capitalizes it. I’m surprised he hasn’t given it the full shout ~ DOW! ~ Only the ‘n’ is missing…

Come on Dow, I was busy making a fool of myself and winding up spoon and then you show up. Now we’ll have to wash the blood off and change our shirts… But don’t expect genuflection, this ain’t the Spanish inquisition ~ or is it? But since you are hear, in spirit if not in body, what do you think about spoon’s claim that this and ‘The Lougheil March’ are related? Come on, we’ve a threesome now, you gotta take sides one way or the other…

You’re right about the similarity between the A-parts of this and ‘The Laurel Tree’, near identical except one is a single reel and the other a double… I was sure I’d come across elements of this reel elsewhere, and not just with ‘The Laurel Tree’…

K: E Dorian
|: dc |
BE E/E/E B/c/B AG | FD F/E/D FAdc |
BE E/E/E B2 AG | F/G/A dF FE :|
|: E/F/G |
ABde f2 g/f/e |dA A/A/A dA E/F/G |
[1 ABde g/a/g fe |dBAd FE :|
[2 f2 eB ABdA | FE E/E/E =c2 |]

K: A Dorian
a |
eAEA eAdc | BG G/G/G B/c/d gf | eA A/A/A eAdc | BA c/B/A a/b/a ea |
eA A2 eAdA | BG G2 B<dd>f | egag egdg | BA A/A/A a2 eg ||
dega bgab | gd d/d/d gddg | dega g/a/b ab | ge e/e/e a2 eg |
dega b/a/g ab | gd B/c/d gdga | b2 a/g/f e2 f/e/d | BA A/A/A a/b/a e |]

“The Athole Collection” ~ John Stewart Robertson, 1884

K: A Dorian
|: G |
eA A/A/A e2 dc | BG G/G/G Bddg | eA A/A/A e2 dc | BGAB gee :|
g |
dega bgab | gd d/d/d gddg | dega bgab | ge e/e/e geeg |
dega bgab | gd d/d/d gddg | bgae degB | BA A/A/A gee ||

As usual, between this and ‘The Skye Collection’ there’s not much difference…

C - P.M. G.S. McLennan’s arrangement is a beauty. You can hear it in lt full midified glory here: http://chrsouchon.free.fr/lochipip.mid

You can hear an arrangement, of ‘questionable’ aesthetics, of the Aird setting, here: http://chrsouchon.free.fr/lofrance.mid
If you must listen to this one, I recommend doing so with a good pair of earplugs installed.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😲

I’m worried for you spoon…

I did warn you, C.

“‘questionable’ aesthetics”

Actually, make that ‘unquestionably lacking in aesthetics’.


In addition to the suggeted relationship between this tune and The Lougheil March https://thesession.org/tunes/6884 (see comments for that tune - I would not care to say which came first. Do we walk before we can dance or do we dance before we can walk?), I have noticed a similarty between this reel and The Old Maids of Galway https://thesession.org/tunes/978 . Admittedly, it was an alternative title for that, Paddy’s Gone to France, that alerted me to it - maybe I am confusing similarities in titles with actual musical similarities. But the fact remains, whether or not I am delusional, I can hear it.

The evolution of the title seems plausible. The name ‘Lochiel’ might have some signifiacance inThe Glens of Antrim. Moving down to Cavan or Fermanagh, it is just a slightly exotic name. By the time we get to Sligo or Galway, it makes more sense to change the subject to some familiar character, like the ubiquitous ‘Paddy’.

Dow is also right, the A-part bears similarities with The Laurel Tree. Perhaps it is no accident that ‘Laurel’ sounds a bit like ‘Lochiel’…. no, on second thoughts, that’s starting to get silly.

But, perhaps the conclusion to draw is, all tunes are related. It never ceases to amaze me how big the world is, and yet, how small it is.

🙂 ~ is it shrinking?

To my ear the most likely version you’ll come across in a session up my way would be the version posted above by ceolachan, from the Athole collection, which I’ve copied below. The only change being raising the pitch of the initial lead in note up an octave from G to g.

X: 1
T: Lochiel’s Awa’ Tae France
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: A Dorian
|: g | eA A/A/A e2 dc | BG G/G/G Bddg | eA A/A/A e2 dc | BGAB gee :|
g |dega bgab | gd d/d/d gddg | dega bgab | ge e/e/e geeg |
dega bgab | gd d/d/d gddg | bgae degB | BA A/A/A gee ||

I’ve was “pulled” by a local piper (and former ceol mhor champion) who asked where I got the version I’d just played in a session (played as above). Now if he’d just said this or that bit is wrong that would have been fine and the end of it, but given that he just asked where I got it, well thats altogether more intriguing and hints at a difference of opinion or version that I’m not party to. It could also be that I’d just made a bad job of it in my playing, but I’d say there’s perhaps more to it than that. Unfortunately our conversation was cut short when someone started another tune. A conversation to be continued next time I meet him out for a tune.

The discussion by the guys above is quite interesting in that regard. I do know that a tune called “Lochiel’s Awa’ Tae France” was the tune that was played a top Ben Nevis by a piper at the opening ceremony of the observatory up there in the late 1800’s. Was it a 2/4 march or a reel or something else?

Here’s a 2/4 march version that I’ve rendered to abc by just missing out the wee dots, with the exception of bar 7 where I summed the wee notes to a G which I added to even things up arithmetically, this also occurs in the second from last bar in the B part:

X:1
T:Locheil’s away to France
C:Traditional
M:2/4
L:1/8
R:March
K:Ador
a>f |: e2A2 A2Bd | e2ef gedB | G2GG B2AG | B2d2 d2a>f |
e2A2 A2Bd | e2ef gedB | A2G<A B2AG | g2e2 e2 :|
d>B | A2a2 a2gf | e2ef g2fg | a>gf<a d2Bd | g2d2 d4 |
e2a2 a2gf | e2ef g2fg | a2e2 e2e2 | a2e2 e2 |
d>B | A2a2 a2gf | e2ef g2fg | a>gf<a d2Bd | g2d2 d4 |
a2gf g2fe | e2ef gedB | A2G<A B2AG | g2e2 e4 ||

Could this be where my unfinished conversation was leading? I don’t know.

Here’s the link where I got the march:

http://gordonpb.stormpages.com/music/lochiel.gif

I don’t know much about pipe gracing/movements and how to approach the interpretation when rendering pipe music to non piping dots where time is left out of the “main” melody (the big dots) to accommodate them, especially with tunes I have no mental reference to, or how representative this version of the march actually is. But there is a similarity between the last two bars of each part of the march and elements of the reel. To my ear there’s some dotting still required to make the march abc march a little more, feel free.

Anybody know anything about the evolution? I’d be keen to know and in the mean time if I find out myself I’ll report back.

Mmmm, could this be why my piper pal didn’t like my playing of this tune?

X: 1
T: Locheil’s away to France (From the Scots Guards Vol 2 page 96, Tune No: 686. The 4 part pipe version).
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: Reel
K: Amix
a | eAA2 e2d<g | B<GG<G B<dd>a | eAA2 e2d<g | B<AA2 a>ee<a |
eAA2 e2d<g | B<Gd>G B<dd>f | e>Af>d e2d<g | B<AA2 a>ee<f ||
d>ef>g a2g<f | g>ed>B g>dd>e | d>ef>g a2 g<f | g>ec2 a>ee<f |
d>ef>g a2 g<f | g>ed>c d>ef>g | a>ef<a e2d<g | B<AA2 a>ee<a ||
eAA2 e>Ad>A | B<GG<G B<dd>a | e<AA2 e>Ad>A | B<AA2 a>ef>d |
eAA2 e>Ad>A | B<Gd>G B<dd>f | e<gf>d e<gd<g | B<AA2 a>ee<f ||
d>ef>g a>fg>e | fdd2 g>dd<e | d>ef>g a>fg>e | a>ec<e a>ee<f |
d>ef>g f>ga>f | g>ed>c d>ef>g | a>ef<a e<gd<g | B<AA2 a>ee ||


Just dropping the dotting and i can hear how it is we arrive at the “popular” two part version played at non piping sessions:

X: 2
T: Locheil’s away to France, without the dotted time
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: Reel
K: Amix
a | eAA2 e2dg | BGGG Bdda | eAA2 e2dg | BAA2 aeea |
eAA2 e2dg | BGdG Bddf | eAfd e2dg | BAA2 aeef ||
defg a2gf | gedB gdde | defg a2 gf | gec2 aeef |
defg a2 gf | gedc defg | aefa e2dg | BAA2 aeea ||
eAA2 eAdA | BGGG Bdda | eAA2 eAdA | BAA2 aefd |
eAA2 eAdA | BGdG Bddf | egfd egdg | BAA2 aeef ||
defg afge | fdd2 gdde | defg afge | aece aeef |
defg fgaf | gedc defg | aefa egdg | BAA2 aee ||

I’ll be sticking with the two part “popular” version, Locheil’s awa, rather than away ;~) It’s popular for a reason, to my ears at least

Thanks Solid, a valued contribution to the discussion and mayhem… 😉 I like it swung, but that’s no surprise to anyone…

The 1st part similarity to The Laurel Tree has been noted but the 2nd part sounds also like this other tune, albeit vaguely (it has at least a similar contour); Rolling in the Rye Grass https://thesession.org/tunes/87

The march posted above by Solidmahog, as ‘Locheil’s Away to France’, is pretty much the same tune as the Lougheil March https://thesession.org/tunes/6884 - which is what I was trying to argue 5 years ago. It’s a small leap for a resident of the shores of Lough Eil, Co. Antrim, to hear a tune named after Locheil (or Lochiel), the Scots hero, subtly tweak its name and claim it as his/her own. (I think there may have been a split infinitive in tere somewhere, for which I would like to humbly apologise).

Creadur, that makes sense to me

A tune popular with older Cape Breton fiddlers. Very, very old. Author unknown. As learned from Andrea Beaton.

I know I up set the apple cart with your Rant submission, but you need to post that setting Tate, it had some chords and also that little something, so here’s the place for it ……./