More Mysteries of Donald Duaghal MacKay

[RonTeague]

Well now I'm on a hunt. The Piobaireachd Society's book 13 p.433 clearly shows
the wierdness in the end of the repeat of the first line of the taorluath and
curnluath. They claim that this is Angus MacKay's setting. Yet in my version
of Angus MacKay, p.7 there is NO SUCH MOVEMENT. Instead of, in the taorluath,
he darid che darid hio darI en he darid, it is the very simple he darid che
darid hio darid he darid. Where did they get this interesting but wierd
embelishiment. It isn't in simon frasiers canntaireachd nor is it in
MacAurthur's mss either. What gives? What's the timing on it?

Cheers

Ron Teague the very cheezy piobaireachd player

[John Broadwell]

Ron, as always you have found something of interest in a very well known
piobaireachd, does a "Hornet's nest" sound like a good description of this
problem?

I have checked out what you say and agree there are questions to be asked
here!!

I am no expert and not good enough at canntaireachd to offer an opinion
about that, however there are some points I may be able to help you
clarify - so here goes.

Ron teague wrote : -

> Well now I'm on a hunt. The Piobaireachd Society's book 13 p.433 clearly
shows
> the wierdness in the end of the repeat of the first line of the
> taorluath and curnluath. They claim that this is Angus
> MacKay's setting. Yet in my version
> of Angus MacKay, p.7 there is NO SUCH MOVEMENT.

Which movement (specifically) are you refering to, perhaps the grip from B
to high A??

> Instead of, in the taorluath,

> he darid che darid hio dari en he darid, it is the very simple

> he darid che darid hio darid he darid. Where did they get

> this interesting but weird embelishment. It isn't in Simon
> Frasier's canntaireachd nor is it in MacArthur's mss either.

MacKay's (original book) shows 7, 2 x crotchet bars prior to the 1st repeat
all at 6/8 timing and no (apparent) grip to high A in the second repeat, the
PS A. MacKay setting has 3, 4 x crotchet bars to the same place but includes
the B grip to high A in the 2nd repeat, Kilberry p118 shows similar to
MacKay with 7 bars to the 1st repeat but at 2/4 timing and the B grip to
high A in the 2nd repeat not shown in the MacKay (original).

Hey, that's as clear as Humber mud to me too ;-)

According to the PS, MacArthur has four even barred lines, they also state
that the Simon Fraser setting is regular and that no authorities agree as to
the "correct" setting.

I think I may have it, the old way of writing the B grip to high A as chosen
by Mackay is very different from that adopted by most others AND if you look
at the original MacKay setting you will notice a small gracenote type of
High A near the end of the grip movement, could the B grip to high A, be a
transliteration of the style as then written??

This high A gracenote is between the low A's as written at the termination
of the grip movement and before the next Taorluath on F, this matches the
music as written by the PS and Kilberry, it's just written or expressed
differently by MacKay.

Whew!! I think that maybe explains some of it!!

I need a rest - my brain hurts ;-)

Back to the film on telly, where I can slide into neutral again.

Cheers

John B

[EdASmith]

Hey, guys -

Thanks for a good thread! It's not a tune I play, and I do not have A.
MacKay's book, but I learned a lot.

Edward Smith
Burton, Michigan, USA
>Subject: Re: More Mysteries of Donald Duaghal MacKay
>From: "John Broadwell" crow...@dircon.co.uk
>Date: 07/08/2001 5:39 PM Eastern Daylight Time
>Message-id: <sz427.29$c03....@news.dircon.co.uk>

Edward Smith
Burton, Michigan, USA

[RonTeague]

Well, Well the plot thickens.
the movement in question is e taorluath g grace on b grip to high A low a to f
followed by another taorluath (che darid hiobre I em he darid). Still no where
to be seen in MacKay, unless there are more than one version of MacKay(eek).
and why does the Piobaireachd Society print 4 VERSIONS of the tune. Ive been
through all of the ps books and this is the only one that has so many
varriations. Is this a random tune or is it like the second declention in
Latin, so very popular that there are too many ideas about it. Humph. It is a
great tune and Bob Brown says that it was one of Donald MacDonalds favorites,
and why not?--what a melody in the Urlar. BUT it is the varriations which
plague us. What is a poor cheese ball to do? I've been trying to get that
taorluath movment up to speed but it is still like a hicup, sigh. I'll keep
digging and let you all know what I come up with.

[RonTeague]

Oh my it gets even weirder. in macKay the odd movment is written as an odd
taorluath. Has any one heard of a toarluath like this: G grace note on b, grip
to low A then a high A grace note on low a? I think that this is a mis print
and the high A grace note should have been an E grace note. Thanks John for
bringing this to my attention.

Cheers

Ron Teague the Cheezy piobaireachd player

ps the movment is weird to play. Try it for your self.