I heard the this tune was played at George Washington's funeral back in 1799. I
think it was chosen because he was not only the Father of the USA but also
because he was a prominent mason. I don't know what instrument it was played on
or if it was really played then. I don't know the source of this claim.
Best wishes,
Tom Childs
www.tomchildsbagpiper.com
-Original Message-
From: Rev John Clifford cliff...@universalist.ednet.co.uk
Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2010 17:04:00
To: theborderpi...@googlemail.com
Cc: rich...@lizards.force9.co.uk; nsp@cs.dartmouth.edu
Subject: [NSP] Re: Rosslyn Castle
Hi,
Intending to learn the Scottish Small Pipes after I'd gained some
competence with NSP, I bought a second hand Colin Ross chanter (will try
to send a photo in the next couple days, Julia) and a book of tunes The
choicest bagpipe music from the Scottish Borders and Lowlands edited by
Gordon J Mooney in 1982 and 1990. I've never felt competent enough with
the Northumbrian pipes to branch out but have kept the chanter and book.
The book has 71 tunes, vitually all in A, a few in D, and Roslin Castle.
The notes for Roslin Castle say:
This was one of the hit tunes of the 18th Century, and appears first in
print under the title 'The Howe of Glamis'. We have notice of it being
played on the 'Irish pipes by the Perth Town piper. These Irish pipes
were probably the Improved Pastoral Bagpipe which was fashionable in the
18th century and possessed a chromatic scale over two octaves thus
enabling tunes like Roslin Castle to be played.
The source is given as song 8, page 9 The Scots Musical Museum, Edinburgh,
4 volumes 1853 edition, James Johnson.
I hope this provides some useful information.
John Clifford
retired in Scotland
I only know a couple of things about Roslyn Castle (and I think one 's'
is
correct in the name).
Here's sleeve notes from Hamish Moore's LP ''Cauld Wind Pipes'' :
''Found in Kerr's Collection. This tune is played on the Pastoral Pipes
with
Patsy Seddon on Clarsach and Dougie MacLean on fiddle. The tune, first
known
as 'The House of Glamis' was a successful 'weel kent' tune of the 18th
Century, and was popular among the Pastoral Pipers of Perth. The title was
changed at some time and is more widely known as Roslyn Castle.''
The other thing I know is that Robert Burns used the tune for at least
for
one of his songs, entitled only ''Song'' (unsurprising because the words
are
not one of his best songwriting achievements).
As for Hamish's performance of the tune on Pastoral pipes these are a
notoriously elusive, problematic instrument and I don't think has ever
been
repeated. Despite one or two claims I doubt whether any pipe-maker has
managed to successfully make or restore a satisfactory playable set. Also
the suggestion from the sleeve note that there was somehow at one time a
corps of ''Pastoral Pipers of Perth'' seems slightly fanciful. These were
early days in the Scottish bellows pipes revival of the 1980's and we were
all a bit over-excited about all kinds of discoveries about old Scottish
bellows-piping lore and new possibilities. Mind I could be totally wrong
and maybe in days of yore there were lots of Pastoral pipers in Perth.
Anyway it is a lovely haunting tune.
Bill
where the tune is played on Pastoral pipes (a deeply problematic
instrument)
state:
-Original Message-
From: lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu [mailto:lute-...@cs.dartmouth.edu] On
Behalf
Of Richard York
Sent: 26 April 2010 13:11
To: NSP group
Subject: [NSP] Rosslyn Castle
Rosslyn/Roslyn/Roslin Castle is a tune I love, and it's in the NPS
books. I'd like to find more about the origin.
The story about the mason, from Andy May on his CD insert, is a great
tale, but of course doesn't explain the tune's beginnings - I sort of
assumed from there it was perhaps a lament related to the terrible deed.
But it never seems very Scottish in its shape - all those major 7th
leaps in a minor tune.
We have a CD by the Welsh triple harp player Llio Rhydderch (OT
thought... so was Lliopatra really Welsh, not Egyptian??!) who is very
steeped in her tradition and takes it very studiously.
She writes that there's a tradition that a relation of the famously
Eponymous David of the White Rock, (and he died early mid C19th),
travelled to Rosslyn Castle where he worked as a gardener, and took the
tune with him from Wales. Certainly, once you hear her playing of it,
it's absolutely Welsh. And very much the same feel as the David Of etc
tune.
On t'other hand she doesn't actually say who wrote it or when.
While it's not strictly a Northumbrian Question, it's now in the nsp
repertoire, so does anyone know any more of it, please?
Thanks,
Richard.
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