Do any of you know the song MacPhearson's Rant and more specifically the historical information and setting of the song. It's got to have a story. It's also a great slow song for the low whistle! Thanks.
Brent
all i know is that it was composed by a scot named macpherson in 1700, on the eve of his execution. (for what i dont know - possibly stealing someone's pet potato )
there are two different meodies transcribed in scott skinner's "scottish violinist". one called the Traditional melody and the other called the Unwritten melody.
The second version is played on the fiddle by staying on the d string and palying a low g drone in the first part. this involves some position shifting.
Wonderful tale, really! Jamie MacPhearson was hanged for sheep stealing in 1702. He composed his own lament and played it on his fiddle at his hanging. At the end, he offered to sell his fiddle. When no offers were forthcoming he cried "None shall play Jamie MacPhearsons fiddle but me!" whereupon he broke it over his knee and lept to his death (the fragments of the fiddle may still be seen at the Clan Chatten Museum in Newtonmoore Scotland). At the time he was a well known figure. After his death, he became a local Robin Hood like hero; in the ballad his capture is blamed on treachery, when in fact he'd tried to elude his pursuers by running through a graveyard and had tripped over a headstone. His excecution was reduced from justice to murder by the rumour that a pardon from the King was subverted by un-named parties who moved the town clock's minute hand forward ten minutes.
I actually had this song given to me with a short explanation at the top. Quote, "Following a Robin Hood career, MacPhearson was captured at Keith Market and executed at the Cross of Banff in 1700. A famous fiddler, he is reputed to have composed and played the rant at his execution before breaking his fiddle and throwing the pieces into the open grave awaiting him." Pretty gruesome, but it is a lovely song, which I love playing on the flute.
Katy
MacPhearson's Rant
MacPhearson's Rant
Do any of you know the song MacPhearson's Rant and more specifically the historical information and setting of the song. It's got to have a story. It's also a great slow song for the low whistle! Thanks.
Brent
# Posted on July 28th 2002 by bknjholl
Re: MacPhearson's Rant
all i know is that it was composed by a scot named macpherson in 1700, on the eve of his execution. (for what i dont know - possibly stealing someone's pet potato
)
there are two different meodies transcribed in scott skinner's "scottish violinist". one called the Traditional melody and the other called the Unwritten melody.
The second version is played on the fiddle by staying on the d string and palying a low g drone in the first part. this involves some position shifting.
# Posted on July 28th 2002 by donnchad
Re: MacPhearson's Rant
Wonderful tale, really! Jamie MacPhearson was hanged for sheep stealing in 1702. He composed his own lament and played it on his fiddle at his hanging. At the end, he offered to sell his fiddle. When no offers were forthcoming he cried "None shall play Jamie MacPhearsons fiddle but me!" whereupon he broke it over his knee and lept to his death (the fragments of the fiddle may still be seen at the Clan Chatten Museum in Newtonmoore Scotland). At the time he was a well known figure. After his death, he became a local Robin Hood like hero; in the ballad his capture is blamed on treachery, when in fact he'd tried to elude his pursuers by running through a graveyard and had tripped over a headstone. His excecution was reduced from justice to murder by the rumour that a pardon from the King was subverted by un-named parties who moved the town clock's minute hand forward ten minutes.
# Posted on July 28th 2002 by hawk
Re: MacPhearson's Rant
I actually had this song given to me with a short explanation at the top. Quote, "Following a Robin Hood career, MacPhearson was captured at Keith Market and executed at the Cross of Banff in 1700. A famous fiddler, he is reputed to have composed and played the rant at his execution before breaking his fiddle and throwing the pieces into the open grave awaiting him." Pretty gruesome, but it is a lovely song, which I love playing on the flute.
Katy
# Posted on July 31st 2002 by KDJ
Re: MacPhearson's Rant
The Corries do a great version with many extra verses not noted (to my knowledge) elsewhere. Sorry, don't know the exact album.
# Posted on August 5th 2002 by cliff
Re: MacPhearson's Rant
Thanks everyone. I got a great tip from hawk, and got all the story, lots of verses. A great tune!
bknjholl
# Posted on August 12th 2002 by bknjholl