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Lament for the Harp Tree

Title

Alternative Title

Cumha Craobh Nan Teud

Artist

John MacFadyen, Bill Livingstone, James Campbell on goose

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Information

There are many versions of this tune which was thought by Donald MacDonald and Angus MacKay to be very old. MacDonald gives a long story concluding that it was composed by an old huntsman saddened by seeing the entrails of a sheep hanging from a tree where he used to witness, as a boy, sumptuous feasts accompanied by singing and dancing. Angus MacKay mentions that in the north it was called Bean Sith, either from being the "Fairy Tune" or so named from a noted hill in Sutherland distinguished as "The Fairy Mountain"

The name indicates that it is reminiscent of the time when the Harp or Clarsach was the popular musical instrument in the Highlands. There is a tradition is Skye that the famous pipers of the island were in the habit of meeting and having musical competitions at a place called Rudha Craobh nan keud" the headland of the Harp Tree, or tree of chords.

Judges Note 2009

It was generally thought that pipers would choose to play either the Campbell Canntaireachd variation or the one following, but not both. The 4th note in bar 2 of the Campbell Canntaireachd variation would follow the ground more closely if it were F, not E as written. However, E is written, as in the canntaireachd. The length of the tune would tend to suggest that it should not be played too slowly. It was noted that some players might play the taorluath ‘down’. Also, the crunluath is shown in PS 12 as being played ‘up’, whereas in Kilberry it is ‘down’. It was thought that players would probably play the breabach in the conventional ‘round’ manner.

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Available in:

PS Book 12, Kilberry

Donald MacDonald V2 Lament for the Tree of Hundreds
Donald MacDonald Junior Cumadh Chraogh na'n Cheud
Angus MacKay Book The Lament for the Harp Tree
CC V2 51 McLeod's Lament
Peter Reid's Manuscript Lament for the Tree of Hundreds
David Glen's Book Lament, for the Harp Tree
John Smith MS Lament for the Harp Tree