Annotation:Killiecrankie (1)

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X:1 T:Keele Cranke M:C| L:1/8 B:Daniel Wright - Aria di Camera (London, 1727, No. 50) N:”being A Choice Collection of Scotch, Irish & Welsh Airs N:for the Violin and German Flute by the following masters N:Mr. Alex. Urquahart of Edinburgh, Mr. Dermot O'Connar of Limrick N:Mr. Hugh Edwards of Carmarthen” F: https://ia600808.us.archive.org/20/items/AriaDiCamera1727/Wright-AriaDiCamera-1727.pdf Z:AK/Fiddler's Companion K:D V:1 clef=treble name="1." [V:1] FG|A3B A2 FG|A3 B A2FG|AGFE DEFG|A4 A4| B3c B2A2|d3c B2A2|d3e fedc|B4 B2 fg| a2f2a2d2|e2d2e2f2|d2B2d2F2|A4 A3c| B4 d4|e3d e2f2|d2B2d3F|E4 D2|| fg|agab a2 fg|agab a2 fg|agfe defg|a4 a4| b3c'b2a2|d'3ab2a2|bagf efga|b4 b2A2| dcde fefg|agab a2 gf|e2d2c2B2|A4 A3c| B4d4|e3d e2f2|(dB3) d3F|E4 D2||

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KILLIECRANKIE [1]. AKA - "Gilly Crankie," "Keele Cranke," "Killycrankie," "Killiekrankie." AKA and see "Giolla," "Planxty Davis." Scottish, Air and Slow March (cut time). D Major (Aird, Köhler's, O'Farrell, Wright): C Major (most versions). Standard tuning (fiddle) One part (Sharp): AB (Johnson, Perlman, Wright): AABB (Aird): AABBCCDD (O'Farrell). O'Farrell (c. 1806) directs: "Slow." There appear to be two main versions of "Killiecrankie" tunes, according to Paul Roberts (who has written modern, definitive notes on the tune), a Lowland/Williamite version and a Gaelic/Jacobite one; in this index "Killiecrankie [1]" describes the Lowland version, as printed by James Aird, the Gows, and in the Northumbrian Bewick's Pipe Tunes. "Killiecranke (2)" describes the Gaelic/Jacobite version. Allison Kinnaird (The Harp Key, Kinmor Music, Shillinghill, Temple, Midlothian, Scotland, 1986) remarks that "Killiecrankie" "has a very mixed musical pedigree" and is of the opinion it is related to one degree or another with many tunes going back to the early 17th century. She believes it relates to the English melodies "Clean Country Way," "Gilderoy (1)" and the "Miller of Dee," and the Irish "Star of the County Down" and the Irish Gaelic song "Gleanntan Araiglin Aobhinn."

The title commemorates the famous Battle of Killiecrankie, Perthshire, in 1689 between the upstart Highland forces led by John Graham (1649-89), Dundee, of Claverhouse, in support of the Catholic King James II, and the Protestant Major-General Hugh Mackay, leader of the army of English King William III (although composed primarily of Lowland Scots). Although the Jacobites won the day, they ultimately lost the war as the key figure of Claverhouse himself perished in the battle. Mackay later crushed Scottish resistance at the Battle of Dunkeld.

The name 'Killiecrankie' is derived from the Gaelic root word coille, meaning a wood, coupled with crankie, which refers to aspens; thus the phrase means 'wood of the aspens' (Matthews, 1972). Johnson (1983) states it was later renamed after another (different) battle called Tranent Muir, East Lothian, fought in 1745 {which battle is usually known as the Battle of Prestonpans}. He suggests on stylistic reasons that the tune may be the surviving opening for a battle pibroch (see "Highland Battle, A"), although no other parts have come down. The tune, as "Keel Cranke" was published by Henry Playford in his 1700 collection of Scottish tunes (Original Scots Tunes), however, the earliest printing of the song appears to be in the Leyden Manuscript of c. 1692, according to John Glen (Early Scottish Melodies). Glen further states: "That portion of ("Killiecrankie") which is sung to the chorus is still more ancient; it forms part of the tune called "My Mistres blush is bonny" (sic) in the Skene Manuscripts" (c. 1615). Glen dates the Leyden Manuscript by its inclusion of tunes referring to 'King James March to Ireland' and the "Watter (sic) of the Boyne," a reference to the Jacobite Wars. As "Irish Gilicrankey" it is included in the Henry Atkinson manuscript of 1694/95. "Killiecrankie" was set for violin and continuo by William MacGibbon (1695-1756), and was printed by Oswald in his Caledonian Pocket Companion.

Paul Roberts (2004), also referenced above, notes that Northumbrian musician Henry Atkinson's c. 1694 version predates the appearance of the tune in the James Thomson manuscript (1702-c. 1720) and the "somewhat fragmentary setting" in Playford's Original Scotch Tunes (London, 1700). Atkinson's title, "Irish Gilicrankey," comes at the end of the tune in the ms. (as do a number of other tunes in the ms.), while the name at the top of the tune is "A Highland Pibroch." The word Pibroch (there have been various spellings) literally means "pipe music", and Roberts suspects the latter title was added sometime later, observing that the tune goes beyond the nine note range of the Highland bagpipe, an apparent conundrum. However, as Roberts suggests, at least some (and possibly many) Scottish pibrochs were based on older harp forms. Harp repertory was in decline but not extinct in Atkinson's time, and becoming increasing associated with the pipes. Therefore, reasons Roberts, labelling the tune "Highland Pibroch" may "not literally [be] Picroch/pipe music, [but] a harper's piece...in a genre increasingly though of, and described as, "pibroch." David Johnson also cites "Killiecrankie" as a probably harp pibroch on internal structural grounds, and as such has become part of revivalist harp repertory. Roberts is also not troubled by Atkinson's description of the tune as "Irish," pointing out that the culturally akin Irish and Highland gaels were often described interchangeably into the 18th century.

There is some confusion in the literature with "Killiecrankie" and "Planxty Davis." For example, the Gow printing of "Killiecrankie" has been called in print a variant of "Planxty Davis", an Irish version of the tune that has been attributed to Thomas O'Connellan and Turlough O'Carolan. Kinnaird (1986) believes the "Planxty Davis" title became attached to the tune by mistake, belonging instead probably to a tune for which O'Carolan wrote the words "The Two William Davises." Kinnaird's own version was learned from a Cape Breton fiddle player named Gillies, who maintained that the Nova Scota traditional music where he lived was descended from that of the old harpers, and, while Kinnaird placed no particular veracity on the assertion, it did indicate to her the value Nova Scotians placed on keeping musical tradition alive. Modern Cape Breton fiddlers (like Mike MacDougall and Jerry Holland) play the tune in the key of C Major.

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