Cullen Bay

reel

Key signature: Amajor

Submitted on January 25th 2010 by Trevor Jennings.

This tune has been added to 16 tunebooks.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Auld Springs Gies Nae Price by Cathal McConnell And Duncan Wood
Cullen Bay by The Tannahill Weavers
The Ale Is Dear by Clandestine

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Cullen Bay

I first heard this beautiful little tune at a session in Thornbury, Gloucestershire last Thursday, and, being rather taken by it, thought it worth sharing - especially since Burns' Night is imminent. The composer is Ian Duncan, a Pipe Major of the Scots Guards, so the Scottish credentials are impeccable.

Although I have submitted it as a 4-part "reel", this is merely a technicality to meet the requirements of the database, because it is in fact in 5/4. I don't think it should be played too fast; 1/4 = 108 feels about right.

I must admit that in the session it didn't feel like a 5/4 (as in the "Mars" movement of Holst's Planets Suite, for example) but I think this is because the last two beats of each bar are always a single minim (half-note). This gives the impression that it is in 4/4 with a long pause on the final beat of each bar.

The structure of the tune is simple, the same final bar being used for each part, with a pleasing symmetry, which may indicate its military origin.

In the session it was played on a D/G melodeon, for which it is ideally suited and on which it can be played entirely on one row if desired. As a beginner on the D/G I can appreciate that.

Not knowing much about the Scottish pipes I haven't made any attempt to indicate ornaments - I'll leave that to the experts. I wonder if the original tune would have been in A.

Someone in the session, seeing my interest in the tune, emailed me a print-out of the dots which I have transcribed and checked with Tune-a-Tron and ABCMus before submitting.

# Posted on January 25th 2010 by Trevor Jennings

Cullen Bay

Yes lazyhound, a march normally played in A. No 7ths in the tune so it's easy in either key. Nice tune.

# Posted on January 25th 2010 by bogman

Cullen Bay

Yes, no 7ths, so no F# (in G) or G# (in A). Therefore best not to let any guitarist except the more thoughtful and proficient loose on it :-)

# Posted on January 25th 2010 by Trevor Jennings

Why G ?

Of course the original tune was in A - and should have been posted in that key, with G as an alternative. It was played by Dougie Pincock with the Glasgow band "Kentigern" in the 1980s.

# Posted on January 25th 2010 by Kenny

Cullen Bay

Composed by Ian Duncan, who recently won an award at the Scots Trad Music Awards. He teaches pipes in Dundee schools, and led the Vale of Atholl Pipe Band until 2000 (after which Andy Renwick - of the famous ferret - took over). He's also the brother of the late Gordon Duncan, whose tunes are celebrated over the world.

This is a cracking tune, in my opinion. I have a version here:

http://www.nigelgatherer.com/tunes/tab/tab13/cullb.html

# Posted on January 25th 2010 by nigelg

Not sure...

Not at all sure about that, Nigel - I think it's a different Ian Duncan.

# Posted on January 25th 2010 by Kenny

Cullen Bay

Dash it. Sorry to everyone, then.

# Posted on January 25th 2010 by nigelg

Cullen Bay

Ignore what I said before. "Cullen Bay" was composed by Ian Duncan of Campbelltown, who played with Shotts and Dykehead Pipe Band.

# Posted on January 25th 2010 by nigelg

Cullen Bay

It appears I may have been misinformed (or I may have misheard) about Ian Duncan's association as PM with the Scots Guards. Would someone like to provide definitive information, please?

# Posted on January 25th 2010 by Trevor Jennings

Cullen Bay

I've today reposted the ABC in the key of A, in order to reflect the Scottish origin of this tune.
I posted it in G initially, because that was how I received it, and G was the key used in the Thornbury session.

Shortly, I'll post here, in the comments, a chord version in A, as worked out by member Mix O'Lydian.

The G major version I originally posted is:
G>A BG AB/A/ G4 | B>c dB cd/e/ d4 | eg dB cd/>c/ B4 | G>A BG AB/A/ G4 :|
|: gd dB/d/ ed/B/ d4 | gd dB/d/ ed/B/ A4 | gd dB/d/ ed/B/ d4 | G>A BG AB/A/ G4 :|
|: B>G GA/B/ cB/A/ B4 | dB Bc/d/ cd/e/ d4 | eg dB cd/c/ B4 | G>A BG AB/A/ G4 :|
|: dB/d/ gd ed/B/ d4 | BG GA/B/ dc/B/ A4 | dB/d/ eg e/d/c/e/ d4| G>A BG AB/A/ G4 :||

# Posted on January 27th 2010 by Trevor Jennings

Cullen Bay

Here is the chord version I mentioned in my previous post.

K:A
M:5/4
"A"A>B cA "E7"Bc/B/ "A"A4 | "A"c>d ec "D"de/f/ "A"e4 | "D"fa "A"ec "E7"de/>d/ "A"c4 | "A"A>B cA "E7"Bc/B/ "A"A4 :|
|: "A"ae ec/e/ "D"fe/c/ "A"e4 | "A"ae ec/e/ "D"fe/c/ "E7"B4 | "A"ae ec/e/ "D"fe/c/ "A"e4 | "A"A>B cA "E7"Bc/B/ "A"A4 :|
|: "A"c>A AB/c/ "E7"dc/B/ "A"c4 | "A"ec cd/e/ "D"de/f/ "A"e4 | "D"fa "A"ec "E7"de/d/ "A"c4 | "A"A>B cA "E7"Bc/B/ "A"A4 :|
|: "A"ec/e/ ae "D"fe/c/ "A"e4 | "A"cA AB/c/ "Bmin"ed/c/ "E7"B4 | "A"ec/e/ "D"fa f/e/d/f/ "A"e4 | "A"A>B cA "E7"Bc/B/ "A"A4 :||

# Posted on January 28th 2010 by Trevor Jennings