Ian Lawther wrote:
I was playing through Tom Clough's Bobby Shaftoe this evening and
realized that the 6th part is identical in pattern to the 4th part
of the highland pipe march The Barren Rocks of Aden (P/M A MacKeller
c. 1843).
A very interesting observation, Ian! The version I have of Barren Rocks
in David Glen's Tutor corroborates what you say. Further observation
shows that the harmonic foundation of Tom Clough's Bobby Shaftoe is
consistent with itself and with all other versions, whereas Barren
Rocks is harmonically built on shifting sands, and it is, strangely,
only the 4th part which follows the Bobby Shaftoe harmonic pattern.
What does it all mean? We know which tune came first.
On an semi-related note, as you will have seen on the dunsire forum, I
have been pursuing the original Teribus (the Hawick Toun Tune) as
distinct from the Teribus which Highland pipers play, which is related
to - wait for it - Bobby Shaftoe. This weekend being the Teribuskers
Festival in Hawick, yesterday Bill Telfer and I played the original
Teribus on Border pipes in the town for the first time since Toun Piper
Walter Ballantyne laid down his pipes in 1797. It rocked.
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