WHEN Munro Gauld first came across some unpublished fiddle music, he had no idea it would lead to a remarkable story beginning with a Highlander who dressed as a woman to flee a press gang and a coach crash that killed the last descendant of Bonnie Prince Charles.
It also involves the clearance of Glen Tilt by the Duke of Atholl – the first glen to be cleared for shooting rather than sheep – and King George IV’s historic visit to Edinburgh. There are strong links, too, to legendary fiddler Niel Gow and Peter Rabbit author Beatrix Potter.
Now, as a result of the research, the music is to be played at a special event, along with a new play by award-winning playwright Lesley Wilson and a fascinating exhibition which includes a piece of tartan ribbon gifted by Count Roehenstart, the grandson of Bonnie Prince Charles (below).
The story was uncovered during a review of documents held by Dunkeld Community Archive when Gauld found a folder containing sheet music and handwritten music manuscripts written by Dunkeld fiddler James Macintosh (1846-1937).
“I started to dig to find out about him and pretty soon I had disappeared down a crowded rabbit hole exploring this amazing man and his family,” said Gauld.
The tale starts with James’s grandfather, Charles Macintosh, who arrived in the Dunkeld area in 1783 dressed as a woman.
The 22-year-old had come from Glen Tilt which was being swept by a press gang working for the East India Company who wanted men to work on their ships. The duke, who was a shareholder in the company, held a grudge against his tenants in the glen as none had volunteered to fight for his Atholl Highlanders in the American War of Independence.
However, Charles Macintosh escaped and ended up as a neighbour of fiddler Niel Gow whose music is still played today. Four of Macintosh’s sons became talented fiddlers with the eldest being Gow’s last pupil. James Macintosh later played for King George IV when he came to Edinburgh in 1824 with Walter Scott.
James’s brother, Charles, had a dance band and travelled all over the Highlands with it. Some of the tunes the brothers wrote were published but Gauld found more in a manuscript in Blair Castle.
“James and his father and uncle all wrote good tunes,” he said. “They were really respected musicians and I thought it would be nice to get a wee book together of all the family’s tunes – but you can’t have a book of tunes and not play them so having a concert was the next obvious step.”
Two concerts will take place at the end of the month with the music played by the Dunkeld and District Strathspey and Reel Society which was set up by the late James Macintosh in 1932 and is still going strong. His father and uncle also taught singing and the songs they wrote and collected will be sung by Dunkeld’s community choir and the youth music group.
James Macintosh’s own fiddle, which has been restored, will take a central role in the concert, being played by each of the performers.
In addition, Lesley Wilson’s play will tell the story of the remarkable family who were involved in all aspects of community life.
As well as teaching fiddle and playing for dances, Charles (1797-1867) was the precentor at the Church at Little Dunkeld. His son, Charles, carried on this tradition and later played the organ there. He and his brother, James, were involved in the establishment of the Birnam Institute and Dunkeld Musical Society. They both taught singing throughout the parish and beyond.
THE late James Macintosh established the Dunkeld Flute Band around 1870 and joined his father’s dance band which he was to later lead until the 1920s. He was also a keen amateur photographer, having made his own camera, and took photos of local events, people and landscapes.
His brother, also a postman and also, confusingly, called Charles, played the cello and was a respected naturalist who became good friends with Beatrix Potter when she stayed in the area.
Collectively, the Macintosh family wrote approximately 60 tunes and 20 songs, many of which will be showcased at Birnam Arts during the last weekend of September when the play, A Place Fu O Fiddlers, will also be performed.
In addition, there will be an exhibition curated by Dunkeld’s Chapter House Museum Trust of artefacts relating to the family, including some tartan ribbon given by Count Roehenstart after he was injured in 1854 when the coach in which he was travelling overturned near the Macintosh croft. Despite their care, he died two days later.
Gauld said the research and celebrations have taken volunteers the best part of two years to pull together.
“It was a bit like archaeology as we kept uncovering another artefact or another piece of music,” he said.
“It is just great and loads of people have connections with the family.
“They were posties, plumbers and weavers, quite humble people, but they left an incredible legacy and this is a really lovely opportunity to celebrate them and their music.”
