View source for Lord Lovat's Lament

{{Short description|18th Scottish lament for bagpipes}}
'''"Lord Lovat's Lament"''' is an 18th-century tune for [[bagpipes]] associated with an executed Scottish revolutionary nobleman of [[Clan Fraser]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Fionn |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xNlOAQAAMAAJ&dq=%22lord+lovat%27s+lament%22&pg=PA149 |title=The Martial Music of the Clans: With Historic, Biographic, & Legendary Notes Regarding the Origin of the Music, Also Portraits of Highland Chiefs & Distinguished Clansmen, with Their Seats, Arms, Etc. Etc |date=1904 |publisher=J. Mackay |pages=119 |language=en}}</ref> The Lord Lovat of the title is [[Simon Fraser, 11th Lord Lovat]]. Reportedly composed by Ewen MacGregor of ''[[Clann an Sgeulaiche]]'', or his pupil David Fraser,<ref>{{Cite book |last=Collinson |first=Francis |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UjJCEAAAQBAJ&dq=%22lord+lovat%27s+lament%22&pg=PT276 |title=The Bagpipe: The History of a Musical Instrument |date=2021-10-12 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-000-43583-2 |pages=[no page numbers] |language=en}}</ref> the work is said to be "a ''[[pibroch]]'' composed by his own piper to mourn his passing, played at the slow pace of Lord Lovat's final march of 300 paces from the [[Tower of London]] to [[Tower Hill]]."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Nevin |first=Michael |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=wSn5DwAAQBAJ&dq=%22lord+lovat%27s+lament%22&pg=PT239 |title=Reminiscences of a Jacobite: The Untold Story of the Rising of 1745 |date=2020-11-12 |publisher=Birlinn Ltd |isbn=978-1-78885-371-2 |pages=[no page numbers] |language=en}}</ref>
== History ==
One history of the usage of bagpipe music by the armies of the Commonwealth during World War I reported that the troops were played the "crooning, hoping, sobbing of 'Lord Lovat's Lament,' and so went on from hour to hour through the emptiness of Southern Germany."<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Pipes of War, by Brevet-Col. Sir Bruce Seton, Bart., Of Abercorn, C.B. and Pipe-Major John Grant. |url=https://www.gutenberg.org/files/51016/51016-h/51016-h.htm |access-date=2023-12-31 |website=www.gutenberg.org}}</ref>
== In popular culture ==
The tune was mentioned in passing in the [[series finale]] of ''[[The Crown (TV series)|The Crown]]'', in a fictionalized conversation between [[Elizabeth II]] and "Pipes," her character's nickname for the [[Piper to the Sovereign]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Crown S6:E10 "Sleep, Dearie Sleep" |url=https://8flix.com/assets/transcripts/c/tt4786824/The-Crown-transcript-610-Sleep-Dearie-Sleep.pdf |website=8flix.com}}</ref> The scene was meant to illustrate the decision process that led to the real-life performance of the traditional Scottish lament "[[Sleep, Dearie, Sleep]]" at the [[Death and state funeral of Elizabeth II|funeral of Queen Elizabeth II]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Burack |first=Emily |date=2023-12-24 |title=Queen Elizabeth's Funeral Ended with a Rendition of "Sleep, Dearie, Sleep" |url=https://www.townandcountrymag.com/society/tradition/a46095417/queen-elizabeth-funeral-sleep-dearie-sleep-explained/ |access-date=2024-05-21 |website=Town & Country |language=en-US}}</ref>
== References ==
{{Reflist}}
[[Category:18th-century songs]]
[[Category:Clan Fraser]]
[[Category:Compositions for bagpipe]]
[[Category:Music of Scotland]]
[[Category:Scottish folk songs]]
{{Folk-song-stub}}