The workingman's advocate. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1864-1877, 1866-07-07

At recent socisble gathering Of th,
Congregationslists in Glasgow, Rev. DR.
Macleod made humorous little speech on
the peculiarities of Highland music. Ill
said
remember hearing story OF Scotch
man who was in India, and who asserted
that the Scotch had national music that nj
other country in the world had. Some Eng.
lishman who was present said, Nonsense
we have far better music than yours sPl
wager you," said the Scotchman, that III
sings sangs that'H maxi the company greet
laugh and dance, a. within quarter O. ar
hour And be did it. He first played
rupted by some one saying,'' o man, what
for are We maxim us greet that way y
Then he played another tune-Pm not sure
but it was 'We are ane fou, we're nae that
fou, but jist a drappie In our e'e' [renewed
laughter, and then he struck into Tnlloch-
gorum' and every man in the room to his
legs danced Loud applause.l In regard to
myself, don't know what it il there il
about this Highland music, but have for a
number Of years been hearing music Of the
best kind, and played by the worlds bes,
performers, and l can listen and enjoy il
with all my heart; but the moment hear
that auld bagpipe it tak's me BY the throat
II ever you find a Highlander that does no,
care about the bagpipe, take care to get q
receipt from him when you pay him or
account. [Roars Of laughter.l IL he ha,
no musical ear, don't blame the poor fellow
but pity him but if he has musical ear
and don't like the pipes, take you sare Of
that chap.
"There is q great deal of talk Just nov
about organs, but think there 10 a grea
advantage in an instrument which is mo-
filed with wind by the handle Of a bellows
but by the strong hearty breath of an out.
and-out Highlandman. Great laughter.
Did you ever hear Of an organ being played
in advance Of regiment going up in thu
charge against the French? What would
your organs have done in Egypt and a
Waterloo? Why, a single shot would have
destroyed them. What could they do in tn,
Galway boat with heavy breeze blowing
in Highland glen, or ON the top of oul
mountains? There 10 no music in the
world to be compared with the bagpipe.
say it seriously. Yoa cannot improve The
bagpipe; 10 is the best of its kind. Con
slider its associations. People who dom
know our associations don't understand
them, and the more's the pity. When 70,
and hear the bagpipe it 10 not merely hear
| ing the the sounds that come from its drone
it il more than that, for we dream Of tn,
old glen and the old freside. Whereve
you hear ii throughout the world and
have heard ID in many places-it Away
sets Highlander dreaming. He begins t,
dream Of the old house in the old glen, ans
he sees it in his father, his mother and hi
kinsman he dreams Of the old kirk, and b
sees the people in it; Of the churchyard
and he thinks Of those who are lying lin ii
all comes up to bis imagination at the cal
Of the bagpipe. LoId applause.l
sit is very difficult to define what thi
music IL. There In music in nature that yo
cannot set down for the piano-forte- Ii i
in the roaring Of the winds, i'm she moanin
Of the waves, and in the CRY Of the will
bird-and all this you hear in the bagpipe
It is the music that Highlanders unierstan,
best; and though Highlander may live til
he ID four score years Of age, and may hea
all the music that was ever composed, ye
there il something In the bsgpipe that vii
cheer man when nothing else can"