looking for a song

[haukehaien]

If archangel is correct, and the tune has something to do with Struan Robertson, then the question is which tune?
Major Donald Struan Robertson (Scots Guards Standard Settings, vol. I) is a 6/8 jig.
Struan Robertson (same book) is a 4/4 strathspey.
Struan Robertson's Salute (Piobaireachd Society Vol 8)is a 4/4 piobaireachd, and would be the most likely candidate for a tune that might have existed in 1314. Unfortunately, it is not the song on the Amazon CD. If you can find a copy of The Classic Collection of Piobaireachd Tutorials, Vol. 1 by PM Donald MacLeod, Struan Robertson's Salute is on there. Note that it appears (I don't have the CD and can't confirm) that the pieces are done in Canntaireachd or on the PC, not the full set of pipes. It should still give you some idea of what the tune sounds like.

[Archangel]

If archangel is correct, and the tune has something to do with Struan Robertson, then the question is which tune?
Major Donald Struan Robertson (Scots Guards Standard Settings, vol. I) is a 6/8 jig.
Struan Robertson (same book) is a 4/4 strathspey.
Struan Robertson's Salute (Piobaireachd Society Vol 8)is a 4/4 piobaireachd, and would be the most likely candidate for a tune that might have existed in 1314. Unfortunately, it is not the song on the Amazon CD. If you can find a copy of The Classic Collection of Piobaireachd Tutorials, Vol. 1 by PM Donald MacLeod, Struan Robertson's Salute is on there. Note that it appears (I don't have the CD and can't confirm) that the pieces are done in Canntaireachd or on the PC, not the full set of pipes. It should still give you some idea of what the tune sounds like.

Whoa, and I thought figuring out the lyrics to Manfred Mann's Blinded by the Light was challenging.....

[haukehaien]

Right then, time to untechnical myself.

I found three tunes for pipes with the term "Struan Robertson" in their titles.
The first is Major Struan Robertson, which is found in the Scots Guards Standard Settings of Pipe Music, Volume I, a fairly definitive bagpipe music book. (It may also be found other places, for all I know.) This piece is in 6/8 time and is a jig. It is probably not the same as the piece oldsoldier is looking for, since that piece is supposed to be fairly ancient, and a tune with the title "Major So-and-So" is probably more recent, especially given that legend has the tune going back to the 14th Century. A jig is a lively piece played for people to dance to; I know less than nothing about how one actually dances a jig. Those folks with dance experience may enlighten us here.

The second tune found is simply called "Struan Robertson" and can also be found (among other places) in the Scots Guard book, vol. I. It's a strathspey, which is a dance tune with what's called the "Scots snap" in it: this is a short note followed by a dotted note, which gives it a distinctive "quick-long, quick-long" rhythm. This tune is in 4/4, and is the tune on the CD that Archangel linked. As far as dancing a strathspey, I must again plead ignorance.

The last tune is called Struan Robertson's Salute, and can be found in the Piobaireachd book, volume 8 put out by the Piobaireachd Society. Piobaireachd (also called ceol mor - "big music") is the "classical" music for the pipes, and is also (probably) the oldest, which is why I suspect that the tune being sought out is a piobaireachd. Piob (I got tired of typing out the whole thing) tunes consist of a theme, which is then repeated with variations. Piobaireachd (I remembered that I can copy and paste) is not something I play myself, although I can get through the ground of MacGregor's Salute okay. It is beautiful music, but takes a bit more appreciation to listen to, because (among other things) it doesn't truly have a time signature, notes being allowed to slide from one measure to another to express the emotions of the piece. Because of this, it is generally assumed that piobaireachd can't be learned from books, but requires a teacher to help the piper understand how to express the tune.

The CD I linked to at Midwest Bagpipe Supply is a tutor for piobaireachd, with PM Donald MacLeod playing tunes on the PC or "singing" them in canntaireachd to show how they should be expressed. It is not likely to be something that most people will listen to for fun, but it might be sufficient to give some idea of the tune.

[Retro Red]

Wow, that's pretty disappointing that our clan leaders don't have a handle on our clan's music.

You'd think that finding the official clan song for a prominent & distinguished clan like the Robertson's wouldn't be this difficult!

At this point, I'm thinking that checking with various pipe bands would be your best bet for locating a recording of Teachd Chlann Donnachaidh.

Also, you might send a PM to Pour1Malt about this since he's a Robertson & lives in Scotland.
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