Annotation:Kantara to El 'Arish
X:1 T:Kantara to El Arish M:2/4 L:1/8 R:Pipe March C:W. Ferguson B:Ferguson's Bagpipe Melodies Book 1 (1939, No. 22, p. 17) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:Amix E|A/>B/c/A/ c/<e/A/>B/|cc/e/ fa/>f/|ea/>e/ cA/>c/|e/>c/B/A/ B>e|A/>B/c/A/ c/<e/A/>B/| cc/e/ fa/>e/|cA/e/ d/c/B/><e/|cA A::f/g/|a>e c/<e/A/e/ |d/>c/B/A/ ca/f/| ea/>e/ cA/c/|e/>c/B/A/ Bf/g/|1 a>e c/<e/A/>c/|dc/e/ fa/>e/|cA/e/ d/c/B/>e/|cA A:| |2 e|A/>B/c/A/ c/<e/A/>B/|cc/e/ fa/>e/|cA/e/ d/c/B/>e/|cA A|:A/c/|c/<ed/>f/ c/<e/A/>e/| d/>c/B/A/ ca/f/|e/<a/f/>e/ c/<e/A/c/|e/>c/B/A/ BA/c/|c/<e/d/>e/ c/>e/A/>c/|dc/e/ fa/>e/| cA/e/ d/>c/B/>e/|cA A::f/g/|a/e/c/<e/ c/A/e/>f/|f/e/c/<e/ e/>d/d/c/|a/f/e/<a/ f/e/c/<e/| A/c/e/>c/ Bf/g/|1a/e/c/<e/ c/A/e/>c/|dc/e/ fa/>e/|cA/e/ d/c/B/>e/|cA A:| |2 A/c/|c/<e/d/>f/ c/<e/A/>c/|dc/e/ fa/>e/|cA/e/ d/c/B/>e/|cA A||
KANTARA TO EL 'ARISH. Scottish, March (2/4 time). A Mixolydian. Standard tuning (fiddle). 'Kantara' was the Allies name for the northeastern Egyptian town of Al Qantarah El Sharqiyya [1], which was, during World War I, an important supply depot and headquarters for the Middle Eastern theater. El Arish was the scene of an action in the war, and the tune itself is named for a march between the two. The piece was composed by Pipe Major Willie Ferguson, Pipe Major of the City of Glasgow Pipe Band, which he led in winning several major competitions in the 1920's, including the World Championships in 1921, 1922, 1923 and 1925. He emigrated to Canada in 1929, where he died some twenty years later. Ferguson saw action at Gallipoli with the 7th Highland Light Infantry, where he was Pipe Major.
