The Drunken Piper

reel

Key signature: Amixolydian

Submitted on November 6th 2003 by Oranaiche.

This tune has been added to 86 tunebooks.

Also known as Drunken Piper, Far Am Bi Fhin, Far Am Mi Fhin, March Of The Meeatoiteen Bull, March Of The Meena Toiten Bull, March Of The Meena Totten Bull, March Of The Meenatoiteen Bull, March Of The Meenatotten Bull, Reel Of The 51st Division, We Will Take The Good Old Way.

Recordings of a tune by this name:

Another Measure: Scottish Country Dance Music From The 1950's, Volume 2 by Adam Rennie And His Scottish Country Dance Quartet
Caught In The Moment by The Island Girls
Celtic Mouth Music by Various Artists
Contradiction by Fromseier Rose (with Niamh Parsons)
Dawn In The Hills Of Ireland by Marty O'Keefe
Harpbreakers by Sileas
King Of The Melodeon Men by Jimmy Shand
Looking For A Rock by Juniper
Marching Out Of Time by The Fifes And Drums Of Colonial Williamsburg
No Boundaries by Natalie MacMaster
Overland by Randal Bays And Daithi Sproule
Silly Wizard by Silly Wizard
The Celebrated Recordings by John Doherty
The Devils Of Dublin by Celtic Music Society (East Rochester HS)
The Dusky Meadow by Donald MacLellan With Doug MacPhee
The Final Fling Part One by NE66
Trasna Ceilidh Band by Trasna Ceilidh Band

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Details ABC Sheetmusic Comments

Words!

Natalie MacMaster has this tune in a set with Primrose Lasses and a recently composed tune called Father John Angus Rankin. This tune in the set, however, is under the name of 'Far Am Mi Fhin' (Where I Will Be)- because Cookie Rankin SINGS it! It's on the 'No Boundaries' album she has out. No, it's not totally trad, but it's a cool song!

Here are the words she uses-

Far am bi mi fhin is ann a bhios mo dhochas,
Far am bi mi fhin is ann a bhios mo dhochas
Far am bi mi fhin is ann a bhios mo dhochas
Far am bi mi fhin bidh mo dhochas ann.

Suibhal air na cladaichean 's a' coiseachd air a' ghainmhich,
Suibhal air na cladaichean 's a' coiseachd air a' ghainmhich,
Suibhal air na cladaichean 's a' coiseachd air a' ghainmhich,
Far am bi mi fhin bidh mo dhochas ann.

Theid mi fhin is Sine null gu taigh a' phiobair,
Theid mi fhin is Sine null gu taigh a' phiobair,
Theid mi fhin is Sine null gu taigh a' phiobair,
'S ni sinn brod an ruidhle leinn fhin air an lar.

Is mar d'thoir am piobar puirt dhuinn airson ruidhle,
Is mar d'thoir am piobar puirt dhuinn airson ruidhle,
Is mar d'thoir am piobar puirt dhuinn airson ruidhle,
Tha fidheal aig a' chiobair is piob aig a' cheard.

# Posted on November 6th 2003 by Oranaiche

This is a Scottish tune, being part of the Highland bagpipe repertoire, although it has no doubt made its way in to the Cape Breton tradition.

John Doherty played a version of it, called The March of the Meena (although, according to the sleeve notes of 'Bundle and Go', it is a highland, not a march).

# Posted on November 7th 2003 by granama

According to the music I have, Far am Bi Mi-Fhin is Port-a-beul (mouth music) and while similar to the Drunken Piper is not quite the same tune (notes).

The version I have ( of Far am Bi Mi-Fhin) was recorded by Norman MacKinnon on Tir nam Beann

# Posted on November 9th 2003 by Mostlywind

I learned this as a Waulking Song from my colleague Fiona Young of Fort William.
I found John Docherty's march 'The Drunken Piper' to be exactly the same tune.

# Posted on November 25th 2005 by Sharon the Flute

The Dubliner's did a version of this tune to break up the song "Mormom Braes". Does anyone here have their version of it?

# Posted on March 18th 2006 by PaddyCmusic

The version I know is the 3-part one posted above. Presumably this is a Donegal title referring to the village of Meenatotten in Co. Donegal. I'm interested to find out about the story of the bull if anyone knows about it. A while ago I came across an archived document on the net - I think from the 1950s - which mentioned that the village of Meenatotten had finally acquired a bull which had been donated from elsewhere. I can't remember the exact details and that page doesn't seem to be on the net anymore. I wish I'd cut & pasted it here at the time but I wasn't sure if it even had anything to do with the title of this tune and I didn't want to look like an idiot if this is a famous legend or something. Can anyone shed light?

# Posted on June 23rd 2006 by Dow

Question for 'c'

I've read that this is sometimes played as a highland fling. Does it make a good one in your opinion? It doesn't quite sound right to me.

# Posted on June 23rd 2006 by Dow

I found that link. It looks like Google can't find it anymore but I tracked it down using a simulaneous search with multiple search engines:

http://www.oireachtas-debates.gov.ie/D/0130/D.0130.195203200037.html

# Posted on June 23rd 2006 by Dow

DÁIL DEBATES - Díospóireachtaí Dála / Parliamentary Debates:

The extract ~ in case it goes bye-bye again:

Dáil Éireann - Volume 130 - 20 March, 1952

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Donegal Bull Station.

Mr. O'Donnell Mr. O'Donnell

Mr. O'Donnell asked the Minister for Agriculture if, in view of the fact that there is no bull within a radius of seven miles of Meenatotten, Dungloe, County Donegal, he will take immediate steps to have a Polled Angus bull allocated to the area.

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture (Mr. Bartley) Gerald Bartley

21

Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Agriculture (Mr. Bartley): An Aberdeen Angus bull was available in the Meenatotten area under my Department's special scheme for congested districts up to the 1st October last, when its term of location expired. No application for a replacement bull was received until the 10th of this month. This application will be favourably [21] considered, if it is found that a suitable bull is available after the prior applications from the congested districts have been dealt with.

Mr. O'Donnell Mr. O'Donnell

Mr. O'Donnell: Will the Parliamentary Secretary take every possible step to ensure that a bull is allocated to the area? The Parliamentary Secretary will appreciate that it is a very isolated area and that considerable hardship will be caused if a bull is not made available. There may be surplus bulls in other constituencies, one of which might be transferred to that particular area.

Mr. Bartley Mr. Bartley

Mr. Bartley: I can assure the Deputy that that will be done but priority must be given to the cases whose applications were in at the usual time.

Mr. O'Donnell Mr. O'Donnell

Mr. O'Donnell: Hardship should be taken into consideration.

# Posted on June 23rd 2006 by ceolachan

Thanks 'c'. I've been trying to cut & paste that for about 20 minutes and it was rejected each time. Probably because you were trying to do the same thing? :-/

# Posted on June 23rd 2006 by Dow

So are you going to ignore my question, 'c'?

# Posted on June 23rd 2006 by Dow

Sharon's comment about it being a 'waulking song' definitely rings bells. Unfortunately I don't have that many resources here to draw on, but I do have our tune book from the Gaelic choir I used to sing with. I'll see if I can find that and get any more information on that point. On your question too Dow, let me see if I've a relative for this first, and then, if not, I'll give it a go. I was just dancing to it in a fling sort of way, but I am so used to it as a march and I need to work past that... I do love the tune, but I have a few differences in the way I know it, but nothing major...

# Posted on June 23rd 2006 by ceolachan

Well it's mixolydian anyway :-)

# Posted on June 23rd 2006 by Dow

Hey Dow, how about some lessons on making smilies. My wink is becoming a tick... As you can see, no, I wasn't ignoring your question, I was dancing, thank you...

# Posted on June 23rd 2006 by ceolachan

And don't blame me for your inability to master the fine arts of cutting and pasting... :-P

# Posted on June 23rd 2006 by ceolachan

~ or proper gurning...

# Posted on June 23rd 2006 by ceolachan

There seem to be many versions of this that I've heard but most would have e3f in the bars 1 & 5 where the sheet-music here has d3e (excuse my poor abc), and B2 in bar 8 where they have c here; and so on for those phrases in part B.

The Dubliners play it at more of a reel tempo in the middle of "Mormond Braes" but it's pretty much the notes as I've outlined above with some Barney twiddles

# Posted on March 7th 2007 by Bren