10th Bat Crossing Rhine jig

IWearing a different hat, Igot very excitied when I saw the word BAT. I wondered if this was a tune written about species expanding their range, possibly because of global warming. Unfortunately this is not the case. However, when Leisler’s Bats do start breeding in County Durham, I shall write a tune called “The 9th Bat crossing the Tees” in celebration.
Noel
Angels of the North

Seriously, this is obviously a pipe march dating back to the liberastion of Europe following D-Day. the piper who wrote it might still be alive. He certainly deserves credit for his tune.
Who wrote it?

Noel

This is The 10th HLI (Highland Light Infantry) Crossing The Rhine by P. M. Donald Shaw Ramsay, copyright owned by Hugh MacPherson (Scotland) Ltd.

I, too, thought that this might be some reference to migrating Rhinolophus ferrumequinum….

Oh, well. I like pipe marches.

This transcription simplified & modernized ~

X: 1134
T: The 10th Highland Light Infantry Crossing the Rhine
C: Pipe Major Donald Shaw Ramsay
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: Amix
|: A |
d>fA d2 f | f>ga f>ed | c2 e A>ce | e>fg f>ed |
d>fA d2 f | f>ga f>ed | c2 e A>ce | d3 d2 :|
|: g |
a2 f d2 f | f<af f>ed | c2 e A>ce | e>fg f>ed |
a2 f d2 f | f<af f>ed | c2 e A>ce | d3 d2 :|
|: A |
d3 A>df | f<af f>ed | c3 A>ce | e>fg f>ed |
d3 A>df | f<af f>ed | c2 e A>ce | d3 d2 :|
|: g |
a2 a A>df | f<a3f f>ed | c2 e A>ce | e>fg f>ed |
a2 a A>df | f<a3f f>ed | c2 e A>ce | d3 d2 :|

Damn, missed a bit again, the D-part, measures 2 & 6 ~ | f<af f>ed | ~

Another march from the World Wars…

http://www.lamm.co.uk/2005/PipeTunes.html

“Pipe Major Donald Shaw Ramsey was made pipe major at the age on 19. On leaving the Army he joined Edinburgh police and led their pipe band to become world champions. He was shot (but not killed) on police duty.”

I only just noticed ~ A Mixolydian? Sorry, but this doesn’t resolve on an ‘A’ in any mode… Here one way I’ve taken this march, taking full blame for where it took me…

X: 1134
T: The 10th Highland Light Infantry’s Crossing of the Rhine
C: Pipe Major Donald Shaw Ramsay
M: 6/8
L: 1/8
R: jig
K: D Major
|: A |
d<fA d2 A | f>ga fed | c<eA c2 e | e>fg fed |
d<fA d2 A | f>ga fed | c>ea g>ec | d3- d2 :|
|: g |
a<Af d2 A | f<af fed | c<eA c2 e | e>fg fed |
a<Af d2 A | f<af fed | c>ea g>ec | d3- d2 :|
|: A |
d3 A>df | f<af fed | c<eA c2 e | e>fg fed |
d3 A>df | f<af fed | c>ea g>ec | d3- d2 :|
|: g |
a<Aa A>df | f<af fed | c<eA c2 e | e>fg fed |
a<Aa A>df | f<af fed | c>ea g>ec | d3- d2 :|

The music here is the highland bagpipe music for the 6/8 March.

Accordion dance bands for years have speeded up 6/8 marches and called them jigs. This achieves two negative things. Firstly it completely loses the great majesty of a four parted 6/8 march. Secondly it completely fails to capture in any way the Scottish Jig idiom.

Sadly it’s a tru comment about the 6/8 playing on the accordion, but many fine tunes have been played on that intrument also.

I too were looking for a flugelmaus … but wait: listen to the funny computer rendition of this tune and you may recognize the cascading hunting notes of a pipistrelle or noctule!
My search also yielded: Adele’s bath! ’tis the clever search engine dhat understands a soudhern brogue! 😉

I believe that this history of this tune was that it was composed whilst Donald Shaw Ramsay was with HLI going onto German soil nearing the end of the was - he composed the tune as he hoped that the PM would play this as they entered Germany - in fact that PM had Hielan Laddie played so he did not get his wish - great tune when played at the right speed !!