Atholl Highlanders

Parts

(PDF) Violin

Audio

(MIDI) Atholl Highlanders

Source

(Sibelius) Atholl Highlanders - Scorch

Comments

This tune was created as a march. Like many Scottish Marches it is in 6/8 time and is now commonly used as a jig.

From The Fiddler's Companion:

The name Athole (or Atholl) derives from the Gaelic ath Fodla, generally translated as New Ireland, and stems from the first invasion of the northern land by the Irish tribe the Scots in the 7th century (Matthews, 1972). The tune, described sometimes as a Scottish warpipes melody, is dedicated to the private army of the Duke of Atholl, the last private army still legally existing (albeit on a token level) in the British Isles (Boys of the Lough). The original Athole Highlanders (and the ones associated with the tune) were the old 77th Highland Regiment, raised in 1778 and commanded by Colonel James Murray. Musically, the tune contains a characteristic melodic cliché in Scottish music in which a figure is followed by the same or a related figure on the triad one tone below or above (Emmerson, 1971).

This tune is also listed at The Session.