Thanks to permission from the National Library of Scotland we are now able to publish a copy of the hitherto ‘lost’ Lament for Donald MacPhee by John MacColl.
Donald MacPhee (1841-1880) was a prominent professional piper and bagpipe maker during his short lifetime; he published a bagpipe tutor book and bagpipe music.
By John Frater
This from Seumas MacNeill’s ‘Masters of Piping’: ‘…at Bonawe Games young John [MacColl] had heard a man from Glasgow play, a man called Donald MacPhee, who according to Ronald Meldrum was the best piper in Scotland at that time. So Glasgow it was to be….’
John MacColl moved to Glasgow from Oban specifically to receive instruction from Donald MacPhee and did so over a period of around two years.
Donald had been born in Bothwell, Lanarkshire, in 1842, of Islay parentage. He is thought to have been taught by Donald Galbraith, Islay, who may have been a pupil of Angus MacKay in the years when he was piper to the Laird of Islay.
For two years MacPhee’s Glasgow workshop was the centre of John MacColl’s life. Tragedy struck when in 1880 Donald became seriously ill and died aged 39. There was now nothing to keep MacColl in the city and he moved back to his family in Bonawe. The MacPhee business was taken over by Peter Henderson.
I find myself speculating to what extent might the tune reflect John MacColl’s perception of Donald MacPhee’s character and approach to piobaireachd? Is it reasonable to suggest that the date on the score, 1883, three years after Donald MacPhee died, indicates it was not a tune John MacColl already had ‘in the drawer’, but a tune he wrote after the event, perhaps specifically in response to Donald’s tragic early death? I have no idea whether there is information available that might shed light on that.
Here is the main page of the tune from the Dr PH Bett MS in the NLS:
Over the page is the rest of the taorluath and crunluath following same pattern, not written in full, and not really adding to the above.
Here is a quick recording of the ground and first variation:
I hope to continue delving into old manuscripts – maybe there are a few more hidden gems of ceòl mòr and ceòl beag in the archives of the National Library…
For further information about Dr Patrick Bett and William MacLennan see Piping Times: Sept. 1967 Notices of Pipers p20.
My thanks to the helpful staff of the National Library of Scotland, to Jeannie Campbell, to the editor, and to Dale Brown for his excellent John MacColl book and for confirming that Donald MacPhee’s Lament had been missing!
Jeannie, amongst many contributions to piping, found a missing piobaireachd by Peter MacLeod. Still lost is Willie Lawrie’s Lament for Lord Archibald Campbell…
Hi Stewart
As far as I am aware, there is no definite evidence to indicate Robert Meldrum’s source for the tune or the name. His footnote to the score might suggest that he himself named the tune; he was a native of Tomintoul and a soldier, so it is easy to imagine that this historical episode held significance for him. Maybe somewhere on a dusty shelf are forgotten manuscripts that might reveal all…?!
John
Thanks, Stewart. Regarding the tune Robert Meldrum calls The Rout of Glenlivet, there’s a recording of me playing part of the Piobaireachd Society setting on the society’s website listed under “Nameless from John MacDougall Gillies MS”. I do plan to record my interpretation of John MacDougall Gillies’ original setting – I was studying it at Glasgow University Library yesterday!
John, many thanks for the reference to the PS website. I appreciate I am going off at a tangent but I wonder where Robert Meldrum got the title the Rout of Glenlivet. The actual battle is a fascinating piece of highland military history. There are claims that it was the last occasion that the clarsach was heard on the battlefield.
For further information on the Betts mentioned in my articles see the Piping Times of December 2018 ‘James Bett mystery addressed’.
John, excellent detective work and pleasing performance. Would you consider posting a recording of the other tune you mention namely the Rout of Glenlivet?
I don’t have the reference to hand, but there was an excellent write-up of the Bett family in one of the last Piping Times. As amateurs (in the best sense of the word) they have been rather lost to history but were highly regarded in their day. James Bett’s Collection was well ahead of its time.
Very pleased to hear the urlar and 1st variation of this tune by John MacColl. It deftly captures the idiom, whilst remaining a straightforward and pleasing melody.
John MacColl taught Alexander Ross (Sandy) Boyd some 40 years later. Sandy was a relative of Willie Ross. He emigrated to Nova Scotia and influenced many of us there in the latter half of the 20th century.
Allan J. MacKenzie
Morar (via Cape Breton Nova Scotia).
Nice to hear the written page of past years coming to life on the bagpipe! Must have a ‘go’ at it.
Interesting stuff.