The Braemar Gathering March jig

The tune was composed by Pipe Major George Stewart McLennan in France in 1918, but was not titled. The title “The Braemar Gathering” was latter given by a D.R. MacLennan.

Here is a simpler transcript of this march:

K: A Major (some transcriptions give it as A Mixolydian)
|: e |
A2 A A>Bc | A>ce f>ec | B2 B B>cA | B>ce f>ga |
A2 A A>Bc | A>ce f>ec | f2 f e>Bc | A2 A A2 :|
|: e |
f2 f f>ga | f2 f f2 c | e2 e e>fa | e2 e e2 B |
c2 c c>BA | A2 A B>ce | f2 f e>Bc | A2 A A2 :|
|: e|
A2 A c>BA | c>eA c>BA | B2 B B>ce | f>ga f2 e |
A2 A c>BA | c>eA c2 e | f2 f e>Bc | A2 A A2 :|
|: g |
a2 f f>ef | f2 a f>ec | f2 e e>ce | f2 c e2 B |
c2 B A2 A | B>ce f2 e | f2 f e>Bc | A2 A A2 :|

Key signature: A Major (though listed as Mixolydian)
Submitted on March 4th 2007 by spoon.
https://thesession.org/tunes/6893

Played on the bagpipes, it would be A mixolydian - more or less.

The A part is very similar to Lochiel’s Welcome. I don’t know which was composed first. Any idea, Ceolachan?

Polygamy is rife in traditional music.

“Played on the bagpipes, it would be A mixolydian - more or less.”

I take that back - I see you were talking about the other tune. (In terms of the suggested harmony, I suppose A major would have been more appropriate - although there are no Gs or G-naturals in the melody. But that’s another tune).

Seems to have pieces of O’Sullivan in it… maybe a hand or a foot

What spoon, you missed the g’s? You forgot your reading glasses again didn’t you? Tisk, tisk… 😉

I have another transcript to add later, Northumbrian, a favourite fiddler…

If the composer of “Lochiel’s Welcome to Glasgow” was Pipe Major Alexander Cameron, 1848 - 1923, of the 92nd or Gordon Highlanders, then he is by date senior to Pipe Major George Stewart McLennan, 1883 - 1927, which while they were also contemporaries, may suggest that “Lochiel’s Welcome to Glasgow” predates “The Braemar Gathering”?

I’ve asked a friend to ask a friend and will get back to you on it. But this may be seed enough for the Scottish pipers out there to set us right? I hope so… Maybe they both got their start from elsewhere, some even earlier source? 😏

The following is a transcript of made from the playing of this tune by Willy Taylor, shepherd, fiddler, 2-row melodeon player and composer from Wooler, Northumberland:

K: A Major
|: e |
A>AA A>Bc | A>ce f>ec | B>BB B>cA | B>ce f>ga |
A>AA A>Bc | A>ce f>ec | f<af e>Bc | A>AA A2 :|
|: e |
f>ff f>ga | f>af f2 c | e>ee f>ga | e>fe e2 B |
c>ec c>BA | A>AA B>ce | f<af e>Bc | A>AA A2 :|
|: e|
A>AA c>BA | c<eA c>BA | B>cB B>ce | fea fec |
A>AA c>BA | c<eA B>ce | f<af e>Bc | A>AA A2 :|
|: f/g/ |
a>ff f>ef | a>ff f>ec | f>ee e>ce | fec ecB |
c>BA A>AA | B>ce f2 e | f<af e>Bc | A>AA A2 :|

Where did you get this “version” of it , “C” ?

I’m not sure where I first learned this Kenny, but any twists out of the norm are my fault, transcribed from memory. That’s also why I gave the other two transcripts ~ for balance, realizing that some ways I had with it were ‘otherwise’… Apologies to anyone if my brain has done this lovely melody a disservice. When you get comfortable with a tune it sometimes has a mind of its own and nudges you this way and that… Usually I do that in the ‘comments’ and would have normally given the Willy Taylor take as the transcript, except that in this case Taylor takes the tune in a fairly ‘regular’ fashion, but lovely just the same, and I went from memory first, doing the Taylor transcript afterwards. Willy Taylor is a favourite listen…

‘slainte’ got me going on this when he commented about the shared A-part, and I then discovering, surprised, that this wasn’t already on site. 😏

I suspect you’ll have another way with it Kenny? I’d love to see that and give it a try…

It is also likely that I’ve danced to this tune…

Hear it here in C on the sweet gaita gallega:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mk_gESHF8PM

play video