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Piobaireachd. Great Highland Bagpipe music.

 Subject
Subject Source: Local sources
Scope Note: Specifically, the classical music form of the Great Highland Bagpipe consisting of a theme, the Urlar, and a series of variations arranged in a regular pattern or sequence. More loosely, but incorrectly, applied to Highland bagpipe music in general. Other forms of the term are pibrochs, pibrughs, pibroughs. Another name for it is 'Ceòl Mòr' (the 'Big Music'), which separates piobaireachd from all other forms of pipe music (marches, reels, jigs etc.), which are referred to as 'Ceòl Beag' (the Little Music).

Found in 48 Collections and/or Records:

Alexander Skinner's Manuscript of Piobaireachd, so-called from the inscription 'Presented to Mr. Duncan Campbell, Piper to Sir Charles Forbes, Bart., of Newe, by Alex. Skinner, Teacher of Dancing ... London, June 15, 1855'.

 Item
Identifier: MS.3746
Scope and Contents What Alexander Skinner presented was, it seems, the blank volume, cf. MS.3745. The music was almost certainly written by Duncan Campbell.According to a note (folio ii) by Archibald Campbell, Secretary of the Music Committee of the Piobaireachd Society, Duncan Campbell left at least two manuscripts, one referred to simply as Duncan Campbell's Manuscript in the publications of the Piobaireachd Society, the other, this, an incomplete and probably unrevised copy of the first. The...
Dates: [1855, or after.]

Angus MacArthur’s manuscript of piobaireachd music.

 Item
Identifier: MS.1679
Scope and Contents

This is the earliest known manuscript of pipe-music in which modern staff notation is used. It is now known as the Highland Society of London's manuscript and is described in Book I (1925) of the Piobaireachd Society's publications (page ii, number 2).

At the beginning of the volume is a note on the manuscript by Archibald Campbell, Secretary of the Music Committee of the Piobaireachd Society (folio iii verso).

Dates: 18th century.

Bagpipe music, consisting of both piobaireachd and more popular pieces, collected and copied by Donald Dow, Glasgow.

 Series
Identifier: MSS.3750-3752
Scope and Contents

Donald Dow died in Glasgow in 1892, aged 56.

Dates: 2nd half of 19th century.

'Collection of the ancient martial music of Caledonia’ by Donald Macdonald (Edinburgh, 1822), with the signature of Peter Reid dated Glasgow 1826, a poem in his hand, and other material bound in at the back.

 File
Identifier: MS.22118
Scope and Contents Peter Reid's signature is on the flyleaf (folio i) and the poem in his hand on the recto of page 2 of the 'Instructions'.Bound in at the back are:(i) Leaves ruled for music on most of which Reid has written out additional tunes, below which, on some of the leaves, are marginalia, parts of which have been lost due to trimming of the leaves (folio 1);(ii) Unruled leaves on which he has written various poems and songs (folio 35), and a list of the clans of...
Dates: 1822-1826

Collections of piobaireachd music.

 Series
Identifier: MSS.1680-1684

'Kilberry book of Ceol Mor’, 2nd edition, by Archibald Campbell (1953), containing various annotations in Francis Collinson's hand throughout.

 Item
Identifier: MS.22128
Scope and Contents

The annotations are dated between 1960 (page 8) and 1982 (page 9) and most are in pencil.

A photostat copy of a piobaireachd found loosely enclosed has been tipped in at the back.

Dates: 1953, 1960, 1982.

Kilberry book of piobaireachd: papers concerning piobaireachd, being the results of researches into the history of piobaireachd, the quality of the texts available, and problems of performance, compiled by Archibald Campbell, with the assistance of Colonel John P Grant of Rothiemurchus.

 Series
Identifier: MSS.22098-22117
Scope and Contents Archibald Campbell, who entered the Indian Civil Service and retired as Judge of the High Court of Lahore, was the youngest son of John Campbell of Kilberry, and Secretary of the Music Committee of the Piobaireachd Society. The material is arranged tune by tune, approximately in the order of appearance in ‘Ceol mor’ by C S Thomason, and consists of copies of the text of each piobaireachd from all authoritative sources, both printed (including some proof sheets) and manuscript....
Dates: 1892-1963, undated.

MacRae-Fairley Collection of highland bagpipe music.

 Collection
Identifier: Acc.12810(1)-(21)
Scope and Contents

A collection of Piobaireachd and other music, consisting of bound books, groups of unbound sheets, and disparate sheets. Includes "Captain Chisholm's manuscript", possibly one of the oldest manuscripts of Ceòl Beag.

The descriptions are taken from an assessment made by Dr Roderick Cannon.

Dates: Majority of material found within [1st half of the 19th century-1st half of the 20th century], 2007, undated.

Microfilm of Angus MacArthur’s manuscript of piobaireachd music.

 Item
Identifier: Mf.Sec.MSS.477
Scope and Contents

MS.1679.

Dates: 18th century.

Microfilm of bagpipe music copied by Donald Dow.

 Item
Identifier: Mf.Sec.MSS.962
Scope and Contents

The contents are as follows: Bagpipe music copied by Donald Dow, 2nd half of 19th century (MS.3750);

Bagpipe music copied by Donald Dow, the piobaireachd corresponding, according to Archibald Campbell, to settings recorded and played by the sons of Donald Cameron, piper to Seaforth, and by J MacDougall Gillies, 2nd half of 19th century (MS.3752).

Dates: 2nd half of 19th century.

Microfilm of collections of canntaireachd and piobaireachd.

 Item
Identifier: Mf.Sec.MSS.887
Scope and Contents

The contents are as follows: ‘Canntaireachd: articulate music’ by John Francis Campbell (Glasgow, 1880), with manuscript notes, [1880, or after], by Alexander K Cameron (MS.9614);

"Collection of piobaireachd or pipe tunes as verbally taught by the M'Crummen Pipers" by Neil MacLeod (Edinburgh, 1880), with manuscript corrections by Simon Fraser, and other notes by Alexander K Cameron, [1880, or after] (MS.9615).

Dates: 1880, [1880, or after].

Microfilm of copy, 1892, in three volumes, of two manuscript volumes of piobaireachd music compiled by Angus MacKay, Piper to Queen Victoria, in 1826-1849; with index.

 Item
Identifier: Mf.Sec.MSS.480
Scope and Contents

The contents are as follows: Copy of piobaireachd music compiled by Angus MacKay, Piper to Queen Victoria: [volume I] (MS.1681);

Copy of piobaireachd music compiled by Angus MacKay, Piper to Queen Victoria: [volume II]. (MS.1682);

Copy of piobaireachd music compiled by Angus MacKay, Piper to Queen Victoria: [volume III]. (MS.1683);

"Index to Angus MacKay's MS" (MS.1684).

Dates: 1826-1849.

Microfilm of copy of piobaireachd music, with index compiled by Angus MacKay, Piper to Queen Victoria; and, MacKay’s 'Specimens of Canntaireachd'.

 Item
Identifier: Mf.Sec.MSS.775
Scope and Contents The contents are as follows: Copy of piobaireachd music, 1826-1849, compiled by Angus MacKay: [volume I] (MS.1681), 94 frames;Copy of piobaireachd music, 1826-1849, compiled by Angus MacKay: [volume II] (MS.1682), 105 frames;Copy of piobaireachd music, 1826-1849, compiled by Angus MacKay: [volume III] (MS.1683), 86 frames;"Index to Angus MacKay's MS", [1892, or after] (MS.1684);Transcript of Angus Mackay's 'Specimens of Canntaireachd', of...
Dates: 1826-[1892, or after], 1950.

Microfilm of four untitled manuscripts of bagpipe music of Angus Mackay.

 Item
Identifier: Mf.Sec.MSS.68
Scope and Contents

The contents are as follows: Manuscripts, [?1826-?1840], of Angus Mackay containing piobaireachd (MSS.3753-3754);

Manuscripts, [?1826-?1840], of Angus Mackay containing marches, strathspeys, reels, jigs, and other dance music for bagpipe (MSS.3755-3756).

Dates: [1826-1840.]

Microfilm of manuscripts of Piobaireachd.

 Series
Identifier: Mf.Sec.MSS.938-939