Key signature: Bminor
Submitted on January 28th 2009 by bogman.
This tune has been added to 18 tunebooks.
Recordings of a tune by this name:
X: 1
T: Farewell To Nigg
M: 3/4
L: 1/8
R: waltz
K: Bmin
B>c d2 c>B|Ac B2-B2|d>e f2 d>e|fa f2-f2|
fa f2 B2|de c>B A2|ce f2 e>c|Ac B2-B2:|
d>e f2 f2|a>e f2 B2|d>e f2 fa|f>e c2-c2|
ce f2 B2|de c>B A2|ce f2 e>c|Ac B2-B2:|
B>c d2 e2|cA B2-B2|d>e f2 d>e|fa f2-f2|
a>e f2 B2|de c>B A2|d>e f2 e>c|Ac B2-B2:|
d>e f2 fa|f>e f2 B2|d>e f2 fa|f>e c2-c2|
a>e f2 B2|de c>B A2|ce f2 e>c|Ac B2-B2:|
Farewell To Nigg
I was reminded of the tune when my daughter came home from school playing it yesterday. I'm amazed it's not already here. Written be Duncan Johnstone it's one of the best contemporary Highland pipe tunes. It's also great on Uilleann pipes or any other instrument. It's not really a waltz but a slow march.
# Posted on January 28th 2009 by bogman
Barlines
The barlines are in the wrong place throughout. The first 2 notes are an upbeat to the d which is the first beat of the bar. Many (most?) retreat marches are written down incorrectly but that's the GHB world - key signatures, barlines, what?
# Posted on January 31st 2009 by Matt Seattle
Barlines
Strangely, the version here is not the one I submitted and yes, the version here is now wrong. I submitted the correct version in 6/4 are written by Duncan Johnstone.
# Posted on January 31st 2009 by bogman
"The first 2 notes are an upbeat to the d which is the first beat of the bar."
- That is incorrect. The B is the first beat of the bar.
# Posted on January 31st 2009 by bogman
Barlines again
" That is incorrect. The B is the first beat of the bar."
I would count the first notes
and-a | One Two-and Three-and
The B is not the first beat but the upbeat or anacrusis. Where is the emphasis or downbeat? On the d, whether it's 3/4 or 6/4.
# Posted on January 31st 2009 by Matt Seattle
No Matt, the emphasis is on the B. It is not an anacrusis. Where did you here it played with it being on the d?
# Posted on January 31st 2009 by bogman
I would agree with Matt.
When I hear this tune I hear the downbeat on the d. I would be interested to hear it with the emphasis as written but I don't think I could.
# Posted on February 6th 2009 by DonaldK
Barlines
Well I just checked other sources. The Dysart and Dondonald was the first recording I got of this tune. The emphasis is on the B. The Scots Guards book has it on the B, my daughters sheetmusic photocopied from an unknown book has it on B and myself and the other pipers here play with it on the B. Because that's the way it's written.
# Posted on February 6th 2009 by bogman
Yes, that's usually the way that these pipe tunes are written.
But why, in the underlying harmony, do the chord changes generally take place on the second beat of the bar?
# Posted on February 8th 2009 by DonaldK
What would Duncan Johnstone care about chord changes? Listen to the Dysart and Dundonald play it - downbeat on the first note of the bar B. And are you trying to say pipe tunes are written without anacrusis?
# Posted on February 8th 2009 by bogman
Duncan Johnstone probably wouldn't care anything about chord changes - he probably had no knowledge in that direction.
When I listen to this tune and other retreat marches I generally hear the downbeat on the second beat of the bar, as written. That is, if I was doing my 3/4 body swing I would start my swing on the second beat of the bar.
When I listen to Andy Stewart singing "A Scottish Soldier" (Green Hills of Tyrol) and he gets to the bit "and there were these green Highland hills" I definitely feel the pulse on "these" rather than "there were".
In my, admittedly limited, experience of 3/4 retreat marches I've only ever seen one written with an anacrusis (The Kilworth Hills by GS McLennan).
# Posted on February 9th 2009 by DonaldK