Peacock's tail feathers

For all instruments -- please read F.A.Q. before posting.
Post Reply
User avatar
StevieJ
Posts: 2189
Joined: Thu May 17, 2001 6:00 pm
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: Old hand, active in the early 2000s. Less active in recent years but still lurking from time to time.
Location: Montreal

Peacock's tail feathers

Post by StevieJ »

BTW - haven't listened to the original clip to which madjackoftheboneyard referred in the recent ID thread (YT clip is no longer available), but re. Peacock's Feather, the major hornpipe of the pair recorded by Frankie Gavin under that name, you all may be interested in the following mystery, to which I finally found the answer a while ago after many years of searching.

A long time ago in Ireland or in England someone (can't remember who or where) told me that this tune was the theme tune, played by Jimmy Shand, for a regular BBC radio program, and was picked up by Irish musicians from the radio.

I made periodic efforts to discover the truth of this story, asking many far and wide, with no luck.

A couple of years ago I found what I took to be the Scottish parent of the tune while browsing this page: http://www.raretunes.org/performers/will-starr/ Go down to the clip of "Glasgow Highlanders".

With this information I asked some aging Scottish button box players (i.e. about my own vintage), one of whom replied as follows:
"The Glasgow Highlanders" was the theme music for the BBC (Scottish Home Service) programme The McFlannels. Think "The Broons" on radio, or "The Archers" relocated to Govan.

I remember hearing it when I was about 5 years old. I'm sure it was on on a Saturday night, probably immediately before "Scottish Country Dancing".
Decades-old mystery solved. So there you go. You can all call it the Glasgow Highlanders now :P
User avatar
colomon
Posts: 2140
Joined: Thu Aug 30, 2001 6:00 pm
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: Whistle player, aspiring C#/D accordion and flute player, and aspiring tunesmith. Particularly interested in the music of South Sligo and Newfoundland. Inspired by the music of Peter Horan, Fred Finn, Rufus Guinchard, Emile Benoit, and Liz Carroll.

I've got some compositions up at http://www.harmonyware.com/tunes/SolsTunes.html
Location: Midland, Michigan
Contact:

Re: Peacock's tail feathers

Post by colomon »

You're talking about https://thesession.org/tunes/665 ?
Sol's Tunes (new tune 2/2020)
User avatar
MTGuru
Posts: 18663
Joined: Sat Sep 30, 2006 12:45 pm
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Location: San Diego, CA

Re: Peacock's tail feathers

Post by MTGuru »

Nice detective work, Steve. :thumbsup:
colomon wrote:You're talking about https://thesession.org/tunes/665 ?
Based on that clip of "Glasgow Highlanders", I should think so. And The Session 665 is indeed the second tune of the Gavin & Finn set.
Vivat diabolus in musica! MTGuru's (old) GG Clips / Blackbird Clips

Joel Barish: Is there any risk of brain damage?
Dr. Mierzwiak: Well, technically speaking, the procedure is brain damage.
User avatar
StevieJ
Posts: 2189
Joined: Thu May 17, 2001 6:00 pm
antispam: No
Please enter the next number in sequence: 8
Tell us something.: Old hand, active in the early 2000s. Less active in recent years but still lurking from time to time.
Location: Montreal

Re: Peacock's tail feathers

Post by StevieJ »

Yes, that's the tune. I see Kenny has referred to The Glasgow Highlanders in the comments on thesession.org.

He may or may not have learned of the connection from me, because I revealed this story some time before on a now-dead forum we were both members of. At that time this page on the BBC Scotland website linked to a clip of a bit of the McFlannels program, but no more. A pity, because it was fascinating stuff.

I just wish I could remember who told me that musicians in Ireland got it off the wireless. :(
Post Reply