Blair Collection > Celtic monthly > Volume 5, 1897

THE CELTIC MONTHLY.
169
place which he had designated. This occasioned
a useless delay, and contributed to our military
misfortiuies. At six o'clock the cor|)se was
removed, and we saw all the generals, with
their retinues on the hill, assisting at the funeral
ceremony. The English chaplain, Mr. Brudenel,
officiated. Cannon balls flew around and above
the assembled mourners. General Gates pro-
tested afterwards, that had he known what was
going on, he would have sto|iped the fire
immediately. Many cannon balls flew close by
me, but my whole attention was engaged bj' the
funeral scene, where I saw my husband exposed
to imminent danger."
( To be concluded. )
OUR MUSICAL PAGE.
IplpHE following air is the composition of
y^ Mr. Archibald Ferguson, Leader of the
■,j^ St. Columba Gaelic Choir, Glasgow, to
whose labours more than those of any other
individual is due the present revival of Gaelic
music. Many old melodies have been given in
this magazine, but of modern compositions few
indeed. As a rule little or nothing is known
of the composers of the older melodies or the
circumstances which led to their creation ; and
when a story is associated with a particular
air, it is to be feared it does not always convey
the truth. This being in my opinion a very
pretty air and well suited to the words of the
Rahoy bard's song, it may not be out of place
to record the circumstances which contributed
to bringing it into existence. When the
Children's Song Book — An Uiseinj — was in
course of preparation it occurred to me that
" A' Chuthag " would be an excellent song to
include if it had an appropriate air, and I
made the suggestion to " Fionn " We both tried
to make a tune for it and failed to satisfy
ourselves. I, however, sent on one of the
compositions to Mr. Ferguson, who thought it
of too heavy a cast for the sentiment of the
song. In the course of a day or two I received
from him the air given below with which I was
charmed, and I straightway adopted it for An
Uiseag where it was published for the first
time. I was not aware that the song was sung
in the Highlands to an air of its own until Mr.
Ferguson informed me that he heard it given by
Archie Campbell, coach driver on the Glencoe
and Glen Etive route.
M. MF.
A' CHUTHAG.
(Tlie Cuckoo.)
O, innis c' ^it an robh do thriall
'N uair bha na siantan fionnar ;
No 'n robh thu 'd tliosd gun chail gun toirt
An cijs a' chnoic fo dhubhar ?
'S mor m' fharmad riut, a chuthag chuir :
Cha dean thu bron 'nad shiubhal,
Chionn tha do dhoire daonnan gorm,
'S do chridh' an comhnuidh subhach.
Ged theicheas tu roimh 'n fhuachd air am,
Gu 'm faic do ghleann thu rithis,
Acli, 'n uair bheir mise ris mo chid,
Cha bhi mo dhiiil ri tilleadh.
Is truagh nach b' urrainn dorah leat trial!
Air a.star sgiath 'nar dithis,
Le caismeachd bhinn 'toirt fios gach Jim
'N uair bhiodh an Samhradh 'tighinn.