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STRATHSPEY has been called "the native
country of the sprightly dance" (Captain Fraser of Knockie),
and yet little can be discovered as to the early musicians
and music of the country. Mr Thomas Newt, in his Tour in
Scotland (1791), has some interesting remarks on Highland
music. He says—" Strathspey is celebrated for its reels, a
species of music that happily unites gaiety with grace,
moving now with measured step and slow, and now at a quick
and sudden pace. Music, in general, was divided by
Macrimmon the piper, principal of the Musical College in
the Isle of Skye, into four parts: Music for love, music
for sorrow, music for war, and music for meat. By the last
of these he must have meant Reels, among which the
Strathspey is as highly distinguished among the Reels of
the North Highlands, the Islands, and Perthshire, as the
plaintive melody of the Southern Counties is among the
slow tunes that arose in the other parts of the Lowlands
of Scotland. With regard to the first composers, or even
performers of Strathspey Reels, there are not any certain
accounts. According to the tradition of the country, the
first who played them were the Browns of Kincardine
(Abernethy), to whom are ascribed a few of the most
ancient tunes. After these men, the Cummings of Freuchie,
now Castle Grant, were in the highest estimation for their
knowledge and execution of Strathspey music, and most of
the tunes handed down to us are certainly of their
composing. A successive race of musicians, like the people
of the same caste in Hindostan, succeeded each other for
many generations. The last of that name famous for his
skill in music was John Roy Cumming. He died about 30
years ago, and there are many persons still alive who
speak of his
performance with the greatest rapture. The Cummings of
London, known as the authors of several mechanical
inventions, and descended from the Cummings of Strathspey,
are said to inherit in a high degree the musical powers of
their ancestors." It is so far confirmatory of this
statement, that we find an Alexander Cumming acting as
piper and violer to the Laird of Grant in 1653. His wages
were 20
marks Scots
yearly, and, in his agreement, he bound himself "by the
faith and truth of his body to give bodily service and
attendance" as required. From a letter of John Donaldsone,
Notary Public to the Laird of Grant, dated 28th December,
1638, we learn that at that time the Laird had a clarshear,
or harper, as well as a violer, in his service, and
Donaldsone complains that they had injured one another in
a "drunkin tuillie." Tradition says the Grants
always liked to have a Cumming servant in the house of
Freuchie, and it is said that the hearthstone of the old
Cummings, who originally possessed the castle, was
preserved in the kitchen. This was for good luck. Then as
to the Browns, it is curious to find one of the name, who
was a noted musician, in the service of the Grants about
the beginning of last century. He was the comrade of
Macpherson, the famous freebooter, commemorated by Burns;
but while Macpherson was condemned and hanged
(1700), Brown
escaped. Macpherson is represented as bitterly complaining
of this injustice, in the ballad (Herd’s Collection,
1776)—’
"Both law and justice buried are,
And fraud and guile succeed,
The guilty pass unpunished
If money intercede.
The Laird of Grant, that Highland saunt,
His mighty majestie,
He pleads the cause of Peter Brown,
And lets Macpherson die."
Our Parish has produced not a few good
musicians. The composer of "Tullochgorm," Righ-nam-port,
is said to have been a Dallas from Kincardine. His
fiddle was long preserved at Kinchirdy, and was exhibited
at the British Association meeting in Aberdeen,
1859.
Later, Mr
Donald Grant, Tulloch, called from his lightness of foot
Donull na h’iteag, "Donald
the Feather," published a collection of Highland music,
containing 121
pieces, of which
40 are said to be "old," or "very
old," though, unfortunately, the original Gaelic names are
not given. Two sons of Grant, Francis and John, were also
distinguished performers on the violin, and the former
published some music of his own composition, which
promised well, but he died young. The following tunes are
claimed as having a local habitation and name, connecting
them with our parish, but who their original composers
were is unknown. It is said it was an Englishman, rescued
as a child by Mary Scott, the Flower of Yarrow, from the
hands of Watt of Harden, that was the composer of both the
words and music of many of the best old songs of the
Border. Of him Leyden said—
"He, nameless as the race from which he
sprung,
Saved other names, and left his own unsung."
So it may have been elsewhere.
Rhynetian’s Daughter, "Nighean a
Bhodaich ann Rinaitinn."—This Strathspey is
given by Captain Fraser. He says he obtained it by his
father from General Fraser of Lovat. It was well known in
our Parish, and was a great favourite of the late Rev. Mr
Martin, who was a fine performer on the violin. Most of
the Highland Reels and Strathspeys (see Captain Fraser’s
Notes) were wedded to verse. It might be some incident of
love or war that was sung, and this gave special interest
and charm to the song. Often, also, there was a
correspondence or likeness of sound and movement between
the words and the music which added to the effect. In the
tune called "Tha Biodag air Mac
Thomais," you seem to hear the
very clink and clatter of the dancer’s ornaments—
"Tha biodag air, a’
gliogarsaich,
Oscionn bann na briogaise,
Nam faiceadh e mar thigeadh i,
Gur math gum foghnadh sgian dha!"
On the road to Glenmore, near the Red
Burn, there is a cairn called "Barbara’s cairn." It
has a story. Barbara Grant of Rhynettan was a great
beauty. Her fame was widespread, and she had many wooers.
One of them was a noted Cameron from Lochaber, who came
again and again to plead his cause, but in vain. Barbara
gave her heart to a lad of Nethyside, and the day was
fixed for the wedding. The Cameron, in despair, laid a
plot. He came with his men one Sunday when all but the
bride were at church, and carried off the maiden and much
spoil besides. Her strait was great: but she did not lose
hope. Now and again she tore bits from her shawl, and
dropped them by the way, that they might help those who
would soon be following the trail. Then at last, gathering
courage, she secretly took off her shoe, which had a high
heel of hard wood, and, watching her opportunity, she
struck the man who was leading her pony with all her might
under the ear. The man fell dead on the spot, and in the
confusion Barbara escaped. Her friends by this time were
on the track of the raiders, and great was their joy when
they met the bride. But they were not satisfied with her
rescue. They roused the country, pursued the raiders, and
overtook them in Badenoch, where they put them to flight
and recovered the spoil. There was a merry wedding at
Rhinettan, and the cairn and the tune
remain to
this day memorials of the
event.
The Reel of Tulloch.—Tulloch,
meaning
knoll or
height, is a common name in the Highlands. Owing to this,
and the reel being so popular, it is claimed by several
localities. Our parish seems to have the best right to it,
both on the ground of tradition, and from the existence of
the Gaelic song relating to the Tulloch tragedy, although
it is only fair to state that in the ballad the air is
said to have been composed by a Macgregor from Glenlyon.
Ishbel dhubh, black-haired Ishbel, was the only
daughter of Allan Grant of Tulloch. It is said that at her
birth all
the guns in the house went off together. The night when
Joan of Arc was born (1412),
the cocks crowed all the night long.
This was regarded as a good omen; but it was otherwise
with Ishbel. The going off of the guns was held to presage
bloodshed and death, and the midwife cried out, "Wretch!
put her between pillows" ("A bhradaig! cuiribh cadar
chluasagan i ").
But Ishbel was spared, and grew up a
handsome, strong-minded woman. She had a lover among the
raiders, John Dowgar Macgregor. Black John, because of his
misdeeds, was outlawed. An endeavour was made to arrest
him in his own country, but it failed. He then fled to
Tulloch. Ishbel stood his friend, and put him to hide in
the ox byre. She also smuggled as many guns as she could
get into the place, saying she would help to load them,
and that he was to keep his back to her and shoot away.
Black John was tracked by an officer and twelve men, who
surrounded the byre. Helped by Ishbel, he made a brave
defence. One of Ishbel’s brothers was with the party, and
this so incensed her that she kept saying, "Hold at the
man with the red waistcoat "—that was her brother
; but Black’ John
was wiser, and let him alone. According to the song, John
killed or wounded the whole party, and he was so elated
with his success that he cried, "Love, since I have done
this brave deed, haste to give me a draught of beer, that
I may dance the Tullichan!" and then he breaks out into
praise of the tune. Tullochgorm and Seann Trews and the
Cutach-chaol-dubh were good, but they could not come near
the Tullichan. It was the delight of all gatherings, and
old and young felt its charm and stirring power. It is
said that Black John was shot some time after, near
Ballindalloch, and that his head having been brought to
Ishbel, the shock caused her death. She was buried at
Kincardine, and a plain slab, without any inscription,
marks her grave. The men killed at Tulloch were buried
under the knoll called "Torran Mhortaidh" (The Knoll of
the Murder). This is the story according to tradition, but
the facts, as found in the records of the Court of
Justiciary, Edinburgh, are somewhat different. The fight
took place on 25th
December, 1636. The soldiers were commanded
by Commissary John Stuart, and the only persons alleged to
have been killed were the Commissary and Donald M’Inleith,
one of his men. John Grant, alias M’Jockie, and his two
sons, Patrick and John, were delated at the instance of
Sir Thomas Hope and Elspet Stuart, relict of John Stewart,
for the resetting of John Dowgar and other Macgregors, and
for the murder of the two soldiers, and were duly tried.
The Decreet contains some matters of interest which are
worth noting. ‘The Macgregors are called that "unhappy
race." John Grant and his two sons are charged with
"keeping divers trysts and meetings" with John Dowgar and
other rebel Macgregors, and with "furnishing them with
meat and drink" within the house of John M’Phadrick Grant,
alias M’Jockie, elder. In particular they are charged with
intercommuning with them in the month of May, 1636,
"within an ale
house in Rimoir, and in the barn thereof"
; also in the
July following, "within the wood of Tullichie"
; and here comes
in an amusing glimpse of the scene: "Maister Collin
M’Kenzie, Minister, forgathering with you, and said John
Dowgar, in the said wood, in the said Minister’s coming
from the Kirk of Kincardin, when you stayed and conferred
for the space of ane hour, and took sneising and
tobacco together." The gravest part of the complaint
is that John Grant and his two
sons, "being hoddin with swords, targets,
and gunns," had "assisted and taken plaine
pairt with John Dowgar and his complices, rebels and
fugitives, against John Stewart, Commissioner," when "the
said Commissioner, with Donald M’Inleith, one of his
company, was treasonably slain." When the assize was held,
the Grants were acquitted of the charge of murder, but
were found guilty of resetting the Macgregors, and of not
giving "concurrence and assistance" to the Commissioner.
Final sentence was pronounced on the 14th July,
1637, when the
three prisoners were, by command of the Secret Council,
and by the mouth of James Graunt, Deemster of Court,
adjudged to he taken to "the Borough Muir of Edinburgh,
and Execution place thereof and then to be hanged untill
they be dead, and thereafter to be hung up in iron chaines
within the said place of execution whill they rot and
consume, their whole moveable goods to be escheated and
inbrought to his Majesty’s use—which was given out for
doom."
Other Parish tunes are :—"The
Deserts of Tulloch"; "John Roy Stewart," a fine Strathspey,
called after the famous soldier; "The Bonnie Wife of
Revack," in praise of Captain Gordon’s first wife,
Margaret Knight, a noted beauty; and "Mrs Forsyth of the
Dell," by the late Mr Sweton Fraser, Achernack; "K. K.,"
by the late Major Patrick Cruickshanks. "Mhuinter mo ghaol,"
the Highland "Good-Night," might also be claimed. One
other tune deserves special notice,
"Cairngorm."
Neil Gow gives it in his collection, and calls it a
Lament. Captain Fraser also gives it, and says that it
used to be sung to the "Pursuit of the Deer." It is a
sweet and plaintive air, very touching and suggestive. To
Highlanders at home it would call up happy memories of
sport and adventure; to Highlanders in foreign lands it
would speak of the dear country they should see no more,
and of friends and kindred from whom they were parted for
ever.
"From the dim sheiling and the misty
island
Mountains divide us, and a waste of seas;
But still our hearts are true, our hearts are Highland,
And we in dreams behold the Hebrides." |
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