Cruel Is The Snow That Sweeps Glencoe waltz

The title I’ve used is the beginning of a song about the Glencoe Massacre in the Scottish Highlands in the late c17, perpetrated against members of the MacDonald clan who lived in that place. The song was often enough heard on recordings and in folk clubs some decades back. The tune stands on its own as a useful one for a waltz set and may well have a particular name that I do not happen to know.

I think that’s it, actually…

The song is often called “The Glencoe Massacre”, but the melody is actually based on an older 6/8 pipe march called “Colonel Robertson” which can be found here at https://thesession.org/tunes/5063

Now that i think about it, the songs is as often called “The Massacre of Glencoe”, the words of which were written in the 1960s by Jim McLean.

My lady is a Campbell and she objects to the emotive use of the word massacre in what her people consider to be a legitimate policing operation against a lawless bunch of trouble makers who were terrorizing her clan.

I find the language she and her people use strangely reminiscent of the language currently used about places like Afghanistan, Palestine and Iraq. it does show that history is not always down to the winners. I guess The Legitimate Policing of Glencoe is a less catchy title.
Noel

http://www.electricscotland.com/history/glencoe/

Included in The First Great Garlands Tunebook to be played at the National Windjam 2009 in Westbury Tasmania

Rescued duplication from forestfiddler, but in G this time:

X: 1
T: Ballad Of Glencoe
Z: forestfiddler
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: waltz
K: Gmaj
D2 | B4 AG | D4 D2 | E4 CE | D4 D2 |
B4 AG | D4 G2 | F2 A4 | A4 D2 |
B4 AG | D4 D2 | E2 C2 E2 | D4 D2 |
E2 C2 G2 | F2 D2 A2 | A6 | G4 ||
D2 | G2 B3 D | A2 C3 D | B2 D2 B2 | G4 G2 |
A2 C3 A | D4 D2 | B2 D3 B | A4
D2 | G2 B3 D | A2 C3 D | B2 D2 B2 | G4
D2 | E2 C2 G2 | F2 D2 A2 | A6 | G4 |]

This is my transcription of ‘The Corries’ YouTube video mentioned by nigelg.

X:1
T:Massacre at Glencoe
S:The Corries
M:3/4
R:Waltz
K:G
%Chorus
“G” B3 A G2 | “G” D4 D2 |“C” E2 C2 E2 |“G” B,-D3 GA |
“G” B3 A G2 | “G” D4 G2 | “D” F2 A4- | “D” A4 z2 |
“G” B3 A G2 | “G” D4 D2 | “C”E2 D2 C2 |“G” B,-D3 GF |
“C” E2 C2 G2| “D” F2 G2 A2 | “G”A2-G4-| G4 D2 |
%Verses
“G” G2 B2 G2 | “D7” A2 c2 A2 | “G” B2 d2 B2 | “G” G6 |
“D” A2 c2 A2 | “D” F4 F2 | “G” G2 B2 G2 | “D” D4 D2 |
“G” G2 B2 G2 | “D7” A2 c2 A2 | “G” B2 d2 B2 | “G” G4 G2 |
“C” E2 F2 G2 | “D7” F2 G2 A2 | “G” A2 G4- |1 G4 D2 :|2 G4 D2 ||

The Chorus and Verses are as follows:

Massacre of Glencoe
First line: Cruel is the snow..
Source: The Corries

Chorus
Cruel is the snow that sweeps Glencoe
And covers the grave O’ Donald
And cruel was the foe that raped Glencoe
And murdered the house of MacDonald

Verse
They came in the blizzard we offered them heat
A roof for their heads, dry shoes for their feet
We wined them and dined them, they ate all our meat
And slept in the house of MacDonald

They came from Fort William with murder in mind
The Campbell had orders King William had signed
It all to them saw these words underlined
And leave none alive called MacDonald

They came in the night when the men were asleep
This band of Argylles through snow soft and deep
Like murdering foxes among helpless sheep
They slaughtered the house of MacDonald

Some died in their beds at the hand of the foe
Some fled in the night, were lost in snow
Some lived to accuse them who struck the first blow
But lost was the house of MacDonald

Correctly titled The. Massacre of Glencoe and written by me in 1963, copyright Duart Music.
Jim McLean