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Salute Abercairney’s

Title

Alternative Title

Failte Obaircharnaig

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Information

This tune is the composition of Angus MacArthur the most celebrated member of a celebrated family of hereditary pipers - "Esteemed" as Angus MacKay said, "next in excellence to the MacCrummons." According to Angus MacKay "His musical education was perfected by Patrick og MacCrummen....He was so much admired for his musical taste that a gentleman in MacLeod's country prevailed on Malcom MacCrummen to send his son Donald Roy, afterwards Captain, for six months to reside with MacArthur - not that he could learn more music, but would be improved by studying MacArthur's particular graces.

Judges Note 2014

Composed by Angus MacArthur and included in the Mac Arthur MacGregor MSS and also in Angus Mackay's book. The tune is of standard secondary construction in 4/4 time. It is quite repetitive. A crunluath movement appears in the ground, but with slightly different timing from conventional crunluaths in that the E after the crunluath movement is written as a full quaver, rather than as a semi quaver. Also, the two low Gs after these crunluaths are shown as semi quaver/quaver rather than semi quaver/dotted quaver. This may be an attempt to indicate how the tune should be expressed - possibly suggesting a more even expression of the low G couplets.

It is also in Ceol Mor, where there are some minor differences in timing.

MacArthur has a run-down through low A to low G instead of the double low G in bar 2 of the ground (bar 4 in MacArthur, which is in 2/4 time) and subsequently. Another slight difference is in bar 3 and elsewhere, where the second D is dotted rather than cut.

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Available in:

PS Book 11, The Music of Scotland The MacArthur MacGregor Manuscript of Piobaireachd (1820)

Angus MacKay Book Abercairney's Salute
Angus MacKay's Specimens of Canntaireachd Failte Oborcarnic
MacArthur-MacGregor MS 12 Murray of Abercairnie's Salute