CAPTAIN CARSWELL. Scottish, Canadian; Retreat March (2/4 time). Canada, Cape Breton. A Dorian. Standard tuning (fiddle). ABCD. Composed by Pipe Major William Lawrie [1] (1881-1916), of the 8th Argyllshire Battalion of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders, composer of a number of excellent tunes (many of which are part of the core piping repertoire). He became ill while fighting with his unit in France in World War I and was invalided back to England, but did not recover. A "Captain Carswell" is listed as an alternate title for the Irish air "Ned of the Hill (1)" on the Tannahill Weavers album "Capernaum" (1979), but "Ned" is obviously a different tune than Lawrie's air, and the Weaver's source for the connection is not known.
Paul Stewart Cranford (2015) notes that "Captain Carswell" is one of the most popular pipe marches amongst Cape Breton fiddlers.
Additional notes
Printed sources : - Cranford (The Cape Breton Highland Collection), 2015; No. 48, p. 25. Robertson & Ramsay (Master Method for the Highland Bagpipe), 1957; p. 14.
Recorded sources : - Celtic CX23, Little Jack MacDonald - "The Bard of Scottish Fiddling" (1963). Plant Life Records PLR 028, "The Tannahill Weavers IV" (1981). Rounder Records 1166-11592-2, Thresa MacLellan - "The Art of Traditional Fiddle" (2000. Various artists). Shanachie SH 79068, Boys of the Lough - "Sweet Rural Shade" (1988). Whirlie Records, Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham - "Spring the Summer Long" (2002).
See also listing at : Alan Snyder's Cape Breton Fiddle Recordings [2]
