The Angus MacKay Manuscript

Angus MacKay’s MS, was compiled during the 1830’s and early ’40s by Angus MacKay, principle piper to Queen Victoria from 1843 to 1854.   It contains almost 200 tunes and is one of the largest MS collection assembled during the 19th century.  The manuscript is written out in fair copy using shorthand conventions pioneered by John MacGregor in the MacArthur – MacGregor MS.  The contents include transcripts from existing MS sources, and material collected from Angus’s father, John MacKay, and other tradition-bearers.  The thorough and systematic nature of Angus MacKay’s  work suggests a mind of great energy and ability.  He marks the transition of piping from an oral to a predominantly literate mode and his notational style is characterised by a concern to develop a simplified and standardised approach to ornament, and to reduce the rhythmical ambiguities of earlier scores by specifying note values with a new precision. Although the suggestion that all later piper-editors simply copied Angus MacKay’s work has no foundation, his influence on later collectors and editors was very great.

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Abercairney’s Lament
Battle of Athole
Battle of Auldearn
Battle of Balladruishaig
Battle of Bealach nam Brog
Battle of Glenshiel
Battle of Lochcarron Point
Battle of Sheriffmuir
Battle of the Bridge of Perth
Battle of the Pass of Crieff (The Laird of Coll’s Barge)
Battle of the Red Hill
Battle of Waternish
Beinn a’ Ghriann
Beloved Scotland
Ben Cruachan
Black Donald’s March
Blind Piper’s Obstinacy
Brother’s Lament
Camerons’ Gathering (The Gathering of the Clans)
Catherine’s Lament
Catherine’s Salute
Chisholm of Strathglass’s Salute (The MacKay’s March)
Clan Campbell’s Gathering
Clan Chattan’s Gathering
Clan Ranald’s Tutor
Cluny Macpherson’s March
Cluny Macpherson’s Salute
Colin Roy Mackenzie’s Lament
Daughter’s Lament
Desperate Battle (Cachullin)
Desperate Battle of the Birds
Dispraise of MacLeod
Donald Gruamach’s March
Drizzle on the Stone
Duke of Hamilton’s March (Lament for the Duke of Hamilton)
Duke of Perth’s Lament
Duncan Macrae of Kintail’s Lament (1)
Duncan Macrae of Kintail’s Lament (2)
Duntroon’s Salute (MacDonald’s Salute)
Earl of Antrim’s Lament
End of the Great Bridge
End of the Little Bridge
Ewen of the Battles
Extirpation of the Tinkers by the King’s Order
Fair Honey
Fare thee well, Donald
Finlay’s Lament (1)
Flame of Wrath for Squinting Peter
Frasers’ Salute
Fuinachair
Glengarry’s March
Grain in Hides and Corn in Sacks
Highland Society of London’s Salute
Home thoughts from Bengall
I am proud to play a pipe
Inverness Piobaireachd
John Ciar’s Lament (1)
John Ciar’s Lament (2)
King James’s Salute
King’s Taxes
Lachlan MacNeill Campbell of Kintarbert’s Fancy
Lachlan Macneill Campbell of Kintarbert’s Salute
Lady Anapool’s Lament
Lady Margaret MacDonald’s Salute
Laird of Anapool’s Lament
Laird of Contullich’s Lament
Lament for Alasdair Dearg MacDonald of Glengarry
Lament for Captain Donald Mackenzie
Lament for Captain MacDougall
Lament for Donald Ban MacCrimmon
Lament for Donald of Laggan
Lament for Hector Roy MacLean
Lament for Lord MacDonald
Lament for MacDonald’s Tutor
Lament for MacSwan of Roaig
Lament for Mary MacLeod
Lament for Ronald MacDonald of Morar
Lament for Sir James MacDonald of the Isles (1)
Lament for Sir James MacDonald of the Isles (2)
Lament for the Castle of Dunyveg
Lament for the Children
Lament for the Dead
Lament for the Departure of King James
Lament for the Duke of Hamilton
Lament for the Great Supper
Lament for the Little Supper
Lament for the Old Sword
Lament for the Only Son
Lament for the Union
Lament for Young Allan
Leaving Kintyre (1)
Leaving Kintyre (2)
Lord Breadalbane’s March
MacCrimmon’s Sweetheart
MacDonald of Boisdale’s Salute
MacDonald of Kinlochmoidart’s Lament
MacDonald of Kinlochmoidart’s Salute
MacDonalds are Simple
MacDonalds of Clanranald’s Gathering
MacDonalds of Clanranald’s Gathering; Battle of Sheriffmuir
MacDougall’s Gathering
MacDougall’s Salute
MacIntosh of Borlum’s Salute
MacIntyres’ Salute
Mackenzie of Gairloch’s Salute
MacLeans’ Gathering
MacLeod of Gesto’s Salute
MacLeod of Talisker’s Salute
MacLeod’s Short Tune (A Taunt on MacLeod)
Marion’s Wailing
Mary’s Praise
Melbank’s Salute
Mrs MacLeod of Talisker’s Salute
Mrs. Smith’s Salute
Nameless, Hiemto cherede, cherede cherede
Nameless, Hien cheve, cheen cheo
Nameless, Hienotrao hiobandreo
Nameless, Hiharin hiento
Nameless, Hiharin hihioedre, hiharin hihioenem
Nameless, Hiharinhioen, hiodroenhioen
Nameless, Hiharinodin, hiharindro, hiemenodin hiementra
Nameless, Hihio tro tro
Nameless, Hihorodo hao
Nameless, Hindohindo, hindorodin
Nameless, Hindohinto, hinocheve
Parading of the MacDonalds
Park Piobaireachd (1)
Park Piobaireachd (2)
Pride of Barra (MacNeill of Barra’s Lament) (1)
Pride of Barra (MacNeill of Barra’s Lament) (2)
Prince’s Salute
Queen Anne’s Lament
Salute on the Birth of Rory Mor MacLeod
Salute to Inverary
Scarce of Fishing
Sir John Garbh MacLean of Coll’s Lament
Sobieski’s Salute
Sound of the Waves against Duntroon
Sutherlands’ Gathering
The Bard’s Lament
The Bicker: Two faced Englishman
The Big Spree
The Blue Ribbon
The Boat Tune
The Comely Tune
The Company’s Lament
The Crunluath Tune
The End of Ishberry Bridge
The Fairy Flag
The Finger Lock
The Frenzy of Meeting
The Frisky Lover
The Groat
The Hen’s March o’er the Midden
The King’s Taxes
The Little Finger Tune
The Little Spree (You are drunk You’ve drank a quart)
The MacKay’s March
The Men went to Drink
The Middling Spree
The Old Men of the Shells
The Old Woman’s Lullaby
The Parading of the MacDonalds
The Red Ribbon
The Red Speckled Bull (The British Army)
The Rout of Glenfruin
The Rout of the Lowland Captain
The Rout of the MacPhees
The Sauntering
The Sister’s Lament
The Stewarts’ White Banner
The Sword’s Lament
The Tune of Strife
The Unjust Incarceration
The Waking of the Bridegroom
Too long in this condition
Tulloch Ard (1)
Tulloch Ard (2)
We will take the Highway
Weighing from Land
Welcome Johnny Back Again
Young George’s Salute
Young Neill’s Salute
You’re Welcome Ewan Locheil
INDEX – VOLUME ONE (English and Gaelic)
INDEX – VOLUME TWO (English and Gaelic)