Tune Req: Mo Chuachag Laghach

Subject: Tune Req: Mo Chuachag Laghach
From: Cod Fiddler
Date: 15 Sep 05 - 02:24 PM

On track 10 of Silly Wizard's "Live Wizardry" album is a song called "Donald McGillavry", which is followed by a mad tune called "Mo Chuachag Laghach".

Firstly, can anyone confirm that this is the correct title?

Secondly, does anyone know where I can get the dots?

I've goooogled and looked at JC's tunefinder and theseesion.org to no avail.

Call yourselves folkies? Go hence and seek it out. Eternal thanks (and maybe more) await those who can help.

Richard.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Mo Chuachag Laghach
From: MMario
Date: 15 Sep 05 - 02:56 PM

This should be the tune:

X: 1T: My Kindly Sweetheart
M: 4/4
L: 1/8
R: reel
K: Bmin
|:B2d2 cBBc|B2c2 feef|B2d2 cB B2|cAAc fe e2
|:d2 fe dBAB|d2a2 feef|d2 fe dB A2|A2c2 feef:|

Alternate titles:

Mo Chuachag Laghach
My Gentle Milkmaid

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Mo Chuachag Laghach
From: Cod Fiddler
Date: 15 Sep 05 - 03:05 PM

Egad! The correct reply in a matter of minutes! What a wonderful thing MMudcat is and as for MMario, what can I say but thank you! If you're ever near Hull, I'll buy you several pints.

Richard.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Mo Chuachag Laghach
From: MMario
Date: 15 Sep 05 - 03:08 PM

Everything I know I learned from sorcha.

but if I'm ever near Hull I suspect I'll *need* several pints.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Mo Chuachag Laghach
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 15 Sep 05 - 03:40 PM

Note that the abc above was transcribed from the Silly Wizard recording, and originally posted at http://www.thesession.org/tunes/display.php/2296 by David Meredith. A further transcription, this time made from staff notation included in Christine Martin's Ceol na Fidhle (Taigh na Teud, 1991. vol 4 p 9) was later added, and can be seen via the same link (which may not work in some older browsers), under the "comments" tab.

The tune also appears in Willie Ross's Collection of Highland Bagpipe Music book 2 p 31.

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Mo Chuachag Laghach
From: MMario
Date: 15 Sep 05 - 03:47 PM

Thanks Malcolm. Where do you find that info?

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Mo Chuachag Laghach
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 15 Sep 05 - 03:58 PM

Publication details via google, and the link to lesession via JC. I hadn't got as far as searching for the various translated titles (I'm a bit dubious about "milkmaid", to be honest; there's an almost equally good argument for "cuckoo"(!) but "maiden" seems safe enough, though someone like George Seto would be able to go into more detail).

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Mo Chuachag Laghach
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 15 Sep 05 - 05:09 PM

Cuachag means literally "cuckoo". Chuachag is the same word modified by lenition.
However the term is idiomatic so its meaning could be "maiden" as well.
    Clear as mud??
          Slainte,
                Sandy

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Mo Chuachag Laghach
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 15 Sep 05 - 05:22 PM

If you called a young lady a cuckoo in English, it is also ideomatic and probably insulting her mental capacity , but in Gaelic it would be complimenting her voice. AKA "My little songbird".

Subject: RE: Tune Req: Mo Chuachag Laghach
From: GUEST,Martin Ryan
Date: 15 Sep 05 - 05:45 PM

Similarly in Irish Gaelic - despite the distinctly unmusical voice of the said bird!

Regards