Key signature: Dmajor
Submitted on January 4th 2003 by ScottC.
This tune has been added to 251 tunebooks.
Also known as Hector MacDonald The Hero.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Hector The Hero
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: waltz
K: Dmaj
(DE|:{E}F4) ((3E/2F/2E/2 D)|(B2(3cBA) F2 |( A6| A4) (DE|{E}F4) ((3E/2F
/2E/2 D)|B3 (DF)D |(E4 F2|E4) "Coda"(DE|
{E}F4) ((3E/2F/2E/2 D)|(B2(3cBA) F2|A (D3 E2)|F (d3 (3BcB) |"(4 Slide)"(A D3) ((3FGF|E4){FE}(D2|(D6|[1D4) (DE):|[2D3 ((3A/2B/2c/2 d) c|]
~B3 G B2|(d3 (3c/2d/2c/2)~ B2 |(A6|A4) B2|A4 (FG)|"(4 Slide)"(A D3) E-F|
(E6|"(2nd Time to Coda)"E3)((3A/2B/2c/2 d) c|~B3 G B2|
(d3 (3c/2d/2c/2) ~B2|A D3-E2|F (d3 (3BcB)|"(4 Slide)"(A D3) ((3FGF|E4) {
F
E}D2|(D6|[1D3) ((3A/2B/2c/2 d) c:|]
Hector the Hero
This is from the Johnny Cunningham performance on the CD " Celtic Fiddle Festival - Encore", Track 3 with Kevin Burke and Christian LaMaitre. One of my all time favorite airs. I take the blame for any errors in the transcription as I learned it second hand and had to adjust it once I actually heard Cunningham's version.
# Posted on January 4th 2003 by ScottC
Beautiful tune
I like this Scottish song performed on flute and guitar, but it's clearly a fiddle tune, a favourite, i hear, in funerals. Here's a simpler version which i collated from a few different sources and fixed up a little. Also some history about Hector MacDonald and one set of words, chords, etc.
Notice that i put a couple of rolls in at the end of certain phrases. I play those rolls at glacial speed (i.e.: very slow).
You can repeat the first part on the high octave if you want, i think that's one of the ways it's done usually.
There's also some more info in the "fiddler's companion", as well as still another ABC, more fiddle-y with doublestops and stuff.
http://makeashorterlink.com/?S11256F23
Enjoy!
X:1
T:Hector the Hero
R:waltz
C:J.S.Skinner
H:Chronology from Nigel Gatherer
H:Major-General Hector A. MacDonald
H:1857 - Born in the Black Ilse
H:1870 - Enlisted in 92nd Gordon Highlanders
H:1879 - Served as a colour-sergeant in the Afghan War
H:1880 - Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant at end of Afghan War
H:1881 - Mentioned in despatches in 1st Boer Ware, South Africa
H:1885 - Led military expedition up Nile (Sudan)
H:1888 - Took part in Battle of Sunkin (Sudan)
H:1889 - Won Distinguished Service Order (DSO) medal (Sudan service)
H:1891 - Took part in Battle of Tokar (Sudan)
H:1896 - Led 2nd Infantry Brigade - the Dunglen Expeditionary Force (Sudan).
H: Was now a Brigadier-General. May have been promoted about this time.
H:1897/98 - Khartoum - Battle of Omdurman
H:1898 - ADC (Ade de Camp) to the Queen (Victoria)
H:1899 - Served as a Brigadier-General in Sirhind area of India
H:1900 - Served as a Major-General with Highland Brigade in South Africa
H:1901 - Knighted
H:1902 - Served as a Major-General with forces in Ceylon
H:1903 - Accused of being a homosexual. Committed suicide.
H:Sources: Campbell, David, "Major-Gneral Hector A. MacDonald", Douglas Howard, London, 1903.
H: Chambers Biographical Dictionary.
N:With help from versions of
N:and James Allwright's ABC version of the Nottingham Music Database.
O:Scotland
M:3/4
L:1/4
Q:1/4=105
K:D
D/E/ | "D"F3/2E/D | "G"B2A/F/ | "D"~A3 | "D"A2D/E/ | "Bm"F2E/D/ | "G"B2A/F/ |
"Em"~E3 | "A"E2F/A/ | "Bm"F3/2E/D | "G"B2A/F/ | "D"A2D | "G"d2B | "D"A2D/F/ |
"A"E2D | "D"D3- | "D"~D2 :: F/A/ | "G"B2G/B/ | "G"d2c/B/ | "D"A2-A/B/ | "D"A2F/A/ |
"Bm"B2A/F/ | "Bm"A2D/F/ | "Em"E2-E/F/ | "A"E2F/A/ | "Bm"B2G/B/ | "G"d2c/B/ |1
"D"A2G/F/ | "G"d2G | "D"F2D/F/ | "A"E2D | "D"D3- | "D"D2 :|2 "D"A2D | "G"d2B | "D"A2D/F/ | "A"E2D | "D"D3- | "D"D2 |]
W:Lament him, ye mountains of Ross-shire;
W:Your tears be the dew and the rain;
W:Ye forests and straths, let the sobbing winds
W:Unburden your grief and pain.
W:Lament him, ye warm-hearted clansmen,
W:And mourn for a kinsman so true
W:The pride of the Highlands, the valiant MacDonald
W:Will never come back to you.
W:
W:O, wail for the mighty in battle,
W:Loud lift ye the Coronach strain;
W:For Hector, the Hero, of deathless fame,
W:Will never come back again.
W:
W:Lament him, ye sons of old Scotia,
W:Ye kinsmen on many a shore;
W:A patriot-warrior, fearless of foe,
W:Has fallen to rise no more.
W:O cherish his triumph and glory
W:On Omdurman's death-stricken plain,
W:His glance like the eagle's, his heart like the lion's
W:His laurels a nation's gain.
W:
W:O, wail for the mighty in battle,
W:Loud lift ye the Coronach strain;
W:For Hector, the Hero, of deathless fame,
W:Will never come back again.
W:
W:O rest thee, brave heart, in thy slumber,
W:Forgotten shall ne'er be thy name;
W:The love and the mercy of Heaven be thine;
W:Our love thou must ever claim.
W:To us thou art Hector the Hero,
W:The chivalrous, dauntless, and true;
W:The hills and the glens, and the hearts of a nation,
W:Re-echo the wail for you.
W:
W:O, wail for the mighty in battle,
W:Loud lift ye the Coronach strain;
W:For Hector, the Hero, of deathless fame,
W:Will never come back again.
# Posted on January 22nd 2003 by glauber
Hector the Hero
A real hero this guy. His career reads like an inspiration for the writer Bernard Cornwell's fictional character Richard Sharpe ! The uniforms and weapons of his day may have changed radically, but,unfortunately, the intolerance of some sections of his society that led to his death is still alive and kicking.
# Posted on February 21st 2003 by Atanos
I heard this song played in Cape Breton by Buddy MacMaster, a long time ago - didn't realize it had words, but it's always a lovely tune
# Posted on July 4th 2004 by tualha04
Hector: Like a national anthem
I heard this played at the Military Tattoo in 2002 by a solo fiddle player on a single microphone at Ednburgh Castle in front of full stadium and the second time through he was backed up by over 600 bagpipers. I can tell you the hair stood up on the back of my neck, and I saw people weep at the beauty of it.
For myself, I play it in Key of G, and after I played on a flute at a concert in 1992, a patron offered to but my flute from me. I still have that flute.
# Posted on October 6th 2004 by windybaer
Alternative title
Please note the alternative title.
# Posted on October 7th 2004 by Johannes J
I thought this was a strathspey ?
# Posted on November 9th 2004 by BegF
Air
I believe it was composed as an air, and therefore with no specific time-signature. Waltz is probably closest, but it loses a lot if played too "regularly". Pretty sure it was never a strathspey though. In passing, I don't think "John J's" alternative title is either necessary or funny.
# Posted on November 9th 2004 by Kenny
Apologies
Sorry, Kenny. That was an "in joke" by others in a recent discussion here so I was just carrying it on, so to speak. On reflection, it was in bad taste as it's a lovely tunes.
# Posted on November 9th 2004 by Johannes J
I think I've been muddling this up with Sweetness of Mary.
# Posted on November 10th 2004 by BegF
That's it ! It's down on the Bothy Band album as a Strathsey !
# Posted on November 11th 2004 by BegF
Hector the Hero
Yeah, it seems usually played in G, at least in Cape Breton. Fiddlers love to play the first part one actave lower. D major may be best for solo flute.
Here's a plain setting in G:
K: Gmaj
GA|B3 AG2|e3 dB2|d6-|d4 GA|B3 AG2|e3 dB2|A6-|A4 GA|
B3 AG2|e3 dB2|d3 GA2|B g3 e2|d3 GB2|A4 G2|G6-|G4:|
Bd|e3 fe2|g3 fe2|d6-|d4 Bd|e3 dB2|d3 GB2|A6-|A4 Bd|
e3 fe2|g3 fe2|d3 GA2|B g3 e2|d3 GB2|A4 G2|G6-|G4:|
I still can't believe Scott Skinner composed such a simple tune.
# Posted on May 10th 2005 by slainte
Bothy Band
BegF is wrong above. The Bothy Band played this as an air - which it is - not a strathspey. The strathspey they played was "The Laird O' Drumblair".
# Posted on September 11th 2005 by Kenny
Key
and Skinner composed it in the key of A.
# Posted on September 11th 2005 by Kenny
Video clip
There is a good video of James Alexander playing Hector the Hero at http://www.celtscot.ed.ac.uk/fiddle/clips.htm
# Posted on April 17th 2006 by springbrae
"4 slide" ??
Just wanted to clarify what the notation "4 slide" in this tune means - does it imply 4th finger on fiddle sliding down from the A on the D string to the open D ?
# Posted on September 20th 2006 by domnull
Hector the Hero
.anyone know what '4slide' means in the notation?
# Posted on September 22nd 2006 by domnull
4 Slide
domnull, I think that your theory from Sept. 20 is correct -- slide your pinky down from an A.
# Posted on September 28th 2006 by crazy_fingerz
Air or Waltz
You can view JScottSkinners original manuscript for this at http://www.abdn.ac.uk/scottskinner/display.php?ID=JSS0176
It's written as a 6/8 Coronach. Not a waltz, and definitely not a Strathspey! Just goes to show that common lowest denominator is maybe fine for imperial measurements but not when it comes to music....otherwise we'd be playing 1/2 marches, 1/1 reels, and 3/2 ballads.
The website http://www.abdn.ac.uk/scottskinner is a fantastic resource, and you can even hear recordings of the man himself.
# Posted on November 6th 2006 by sandhbell