|
Lucy Cassidy by G. MacIntyre
The Bletherskate by I. I. MacInnes
The Smith of Chilliechassie traditional, arranged by the Tannahill Weavers
| Hornpipes are very much in vogue with pipers
at the moment and Lucy Cassidy is a fine modern example. Lucy was a famous
lady in her own way. For 20 years she was married to a man with a severe
drinking problem; he only had one mouth. One day, after all those years,
he discovered the family nest egg in a bottom drawer: 500 pounds and three
golf balls. "Oh, what a wonderful person you are, Lucy, scrimping and
saving away all these years to make our old age a little bit easier. But,
tell me, where did you get the golf balls?" "Well," said
Lucy, "you know there were nights when I wanted a bit of fun too. But
night after night you'd come home drunk and uncatchable. Night after
night, you would stand at the door of our boudoir with spinning eyes and
say, "The next time that bed comes 'round, I'm getting on."
Night after night, you would ask me for black coffee and I'd refuse. I
didn't want a wide awake drunk on my hands. On some of those nights, I
would creep next door to Harry the golfer for some love and affection.
Every time I did he would give me a golf ball to remember it by. I'd bring
them home and put them in the bottom drawer...then I sold them twelve for
a pound."
The Bletherskate is yet another of Iain's many
compositions. A rough translation of the title would be : one with a
tendency to be ever so slightly loquacious. Iain wrote this as a tribute
to Rab the Ranter, a piper of some prowess, whose association with Maggie
Lauder has been immortalized in piping lore:
Wha widnae be in love
Wi' bonnie Maggie Lauder?
A piper met her gaun tae Fife
And spier'd whit was't they ca'd her
Right scornfully she answered him
Begone you hallenshaker
Jog on your gate ye bletherskate
My name is Maggie Lauder
Maggie quo' he, and by my bags
I'm fidgin' fain tae see thee
Sit down by me my bonnie bird
In troth I winnae steer thee
For I'm a piper tae my trade
My name is Rab the Ranter
The lassie loup as they were daft
When I blow up my chanter
The Smith of Chilliechassie is a pipe reel of some
antiquity which appears in a number of different forms. Like many tunes,
it first appeared with only two parts, which have been added to over the
years, possibly to make it a greater test of dexterity on the competition
platform. The variations are, however, quite imaginative. |
|
|