The One Hundred Pipers

[Birddog]

Can someone point me to where I can find the story of the One Hundred Pipers? I tried Google, but got nothing helpful.

[JS Sanders]

Try searching it with this title.... W' A Hundred Pipers, or A Hundred Pipers.

Her name escapes me at the moment, but the words were composed by a Scottish woman of noble birth. She was daughter/grandaughter of Jacobites and created the words before the mid-19th century. And many others as well.

Great 6/8 pipe tune.

Slainte,
steve

[Birddog]

I was reading the label of the bottle of scotch that was given to me by the name 100 Pipers from Seagrams, and it made reference to a battle involving The Bonnie Prince, but gave no details at all.

[JS Sanders]

My brain kicked in overnight and I remembered more...

The composer was Carolina Oliphant, born in 1766. By marriage she was better known as Lady Nairn, and composed Jacobite songs setting them to old tunes. Will Ye no Come Back Again? and Wi' a Hundred Pipers are examples - there're plenty more.

Hundred Pipers is from the 1745 Jacobite Rising, and refers to Bonnie Prince Charlie leading his army, accompanied by a 100 pipers, into Edinburgh.

Isla St Clair sings a beautiful rendition of this song.

Wi' a Hundred Pipers

Wi' a hundred pipers, a' a', an' a',
Wi' a hundred pipers, a' a', an' a',
We'll up an' gie them a blaw, a blaw
Wi' a hundred pipers, a' a', an' a'.
O it's owre the border awa', awa'
It's owre the border awa', awa',
We'll on an' we'll march to Carlisle ha'
Wi' its yetts, its castle an' a', an a'.

chorus: Wi' a hundred pipers, a' a', an' a',
Wi' a hundred pipers, a' a', an' a',
We'll up an' gie them a blaw, a blaw
Wi' a hundred pipers, a' a', an' a'.

Oh! our sodger lads looked braw, looked braw,
Wi' their tartan kilts an' a', an' a',
Wi' their bonnets an' feathers an' glitt'rin' gear,
An' pibrochs sounding loud and clear.
Will they a' return to their ain dear glen?
Will they a' return oor Heilan' men?
Second sichted Sandy looked fu' wae.
An' mithers grat when they march'd away.

chorus:

Oh! wha' is foremos o' a', o' a',
Oh wha' is foremost o' a', o' a',
Bonnie Charlie the King o' us a', hurrah!
Wi' his hundred pipers an' a', an ' a'.
His bonnet and feathers he's waving high,
His prancing steed maist seems to fly,
The nor' win' plays wi' his curly hair,
While the pipers play wi'an unco flare.

chorus:

The Esk was swollen sae red an' sae deep,
But shouther to shouther the brave lads keep;
Twa thousand swam owre to fell English ground
An' danced themselves dry to the pibroch's sound.
Dumfoun'er'd the English saw, they saw,
Dumfoun'er'd they heard the blaw, the blaw,
Dumfoun'er'd they a' ran awa', awa',
Frae the hundred pipers an' a', an ' a'.

chorus: