National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-03-28
HARP AND PIBROCH.
A Sketch Of General BallOch's Essay on
Scotch Music.
Description OF GNllic Melodies and q
Brief History OF Ge1Ilc Instruments.

Before George @. Whiting lodge last night |
Gen. George w. Balloch read highly in
teresting paper on Scotch music. General
Ballock has made an exhaustive study OF
this subject for twenty years, and is probably
better acquainted with it than any man liv'
ing.
In referring to the NATIONAL music Of Scot.
Napoleon-grand, solitary, alone, without
model or a master. Grand, whom in simple
"hodden grayn he stood amid the elite of
Edinburgh and received their homage.
Grand, when singie.handed and alone, in
defiance Of that social barrier with which
titled wealth had intrenched itself, he boldly
procla lined to tho great brotherhood of man,
whether rich or poor, peor or peasant, in that
immortal Scottish declaration Of independ-
ence: 1.-THE rank is but the guineas stamp
the mans the goud for a. that" But grander
STILL on that November night, in his own
harvest field while lying on the ground with
his eyes steadily fixed Sp bTshS star in tho tho
soul to his lost Mary in his lines. to
Highland Mary" is equally beautiful.
1t would hardly be gallant, to say the least,
not to refer to those female writers who have
added such luster to Scottish song and have
uOnb bO IuuCL 70 tlbNtJo puu puNllJ iho oV'hN-
ard. The Countess OF Marine, Miss Elliott,
Lady Ann Barnard, aud Jean Adams are. tho
best known. Lady Marine gave us the
"Ronan Tree" Land O. the LealH "Hundred
Pipers," "Motherlcss Lammie," and others.
Miss Elliott contributed Flowers of the
Forest" Lady Ann Barnard's only gush of
melody was "Auld Robin Gray" and Jean
Adams is only known to us by There is Nae
Luck About the House." In this connection
the sacred song writers of Scotland deserve
passing notice.. No nation on the face of the
globe has history so full of interest to tho
Christian as that of Scotland. Her soil has
been consecrated by conflicts nobler than
those immortalized by Homers song. Battles
for Christs crown and covenant have been
fought on her hillsidos and in her gleps that
have shaped the destinies of man tn On ex-
tent that nothing but eternity can fully dis
close. Among this class of poets best known
to us are Knox, Blair, Graham, Montgomery,
Mrs. Duncan, and others; The favorite hymn
of President Lincoln, ooh, Why Should the
Spirit of Mortal be Proud" is of Scottish
parentage. | have spoken of the vocal
music of Scotland. and now let me
for a moment briefly refer to her instru-
mental music, The harp appears to have
been the more ancient instrument of music
among the Scotch. 1t was long heard in the
halls Of Caledonas chieftains, aud to its
music the bards sang their heroic deeds. In
yocations to the harp and to the ancient
bards of Albn are seen through Scottish
poetry and literature from Ossian to our
present times. The invocation and farewell
10 the harp in the opening and closing cantos
of Scotts Lady of the Lake are exquisite
specimens of the great poets art. The aged
harper Is a familiar character in all of Scotts
poems, and how vivid is his description of
him in the "Lay of the Last Minstrel"
Following the harp and finally supplanting
it came the bagpipe, and the martial and
festal music of Scotland, best known to us is
largely made up of airs adapted to that in
strument. On whatever field Of strife or
scene Of innocent pastime Its notes are heard,
II carries with it tho meaning of bygone
centuries. 90
1t was we'll said by old Fletcher of Saltoun,
"Let me write the ballads of the people l
care not who makes their laws" l will add
to this, Show me the music of nation and
! will tell you the character of its people,
How true this is Of the martial music of Scot
land 1t breathes of liberty and independence
and. proclaims q spirit as bold as one of her
own mountain turrets as free rs tho breezes
that sweep ever that mountainous summit.
The bagpipe is not an instrument for the
parlor or salon-it is the music of the hills
the imitator of nature in her grand sym
phonies, blended with the full diapason OF
the cataract and tempest. The bagppe is
sacred to Scotland and it speaks 0 language
which Scotchmen only feel. 1t talks to them
of home and MI the past, and brings before
them on tho burning shores of India the
lonely wastes of Australia, tho wild hills and
oft-frequonted dells of Caledonia the friends
that are thinking of them, and the sweet.
hearts and wives that are weeping for them
there
= Gen Balloch referred to the formation Of
society in Scotland, especially among the
Highlands, its former division into clans oil
families, each OF which had its ohieftain OF
1aadar IN urbn all lonkpl far protnptinn and
owed allegiance In abiding to the pibroct
as n martial musical instrument Gen. Balloch
said every clan had one of its own, 20 recount
in its wild, weird music some daring deed Of
the elan or its chieftain. Continuing, hi
said: "Kpowpg, as we do, something Of the
can we wonder that under the inspira
ton Of the strains OF the pibroch
filled with all the memories and
glories of the past, these brave sons of Tho
mountain, in tho excitement of battle, with
their we'll known war cry Of Highlanders
shoulder to shoulder, should like roapers
descend to the harvest of death ~. .....
For festive occasions the music of the pipes
Is unsurpassed, and q piper is always IN
attendance at weddings and other socis
gatherings The bagpipe has in more than
one instance turned tho tide of battle, and
became, as it were, the voice of salvation to
beleaguered garrison. A striking instance o
this was related in the siege Of Lucknow.
Gen. Balloch closed his lecture with til,
invocation
Harp Of the north, that moulderlng long has huns
And down the atfui, breeze my numbers flung
TIL enyions ivy did around thee cling, ~
Mutllipg with yerdant rlnglot every string.
o minstrel harp still must thy accents sleep
Mid rustling leaves aud fountains mnrmuring.
still must thy sweeter sound their silence keep
Nor bid YaTriQr smile, nor teach Il maid K
weep