The Marches Mystery Solved

I grew up in a small town called Linlithgow. The town its self is centuries old and boasts a suitably distinguished historical record. Mary Queen of Scots was born there, Robert Burns joined the freemasons there and (for any Star Trek fans out there) Scotty was born there.

As with any place of great age, there are many traditions that have risen up around the place. One of the most notable is the Marches. Today it takes the form of a parade with bands, floats and local dignitaries. This is usually followed by a trip to a travelling fare and much revelry. The origins of this tradition were not quite so relaxed. It was originally a patrol by those that run the town to check the security of the boundaries.

The Marches for me holds many special memories. It is always on the first Tuesday after the second Thursday in June when the whole town shut down and came together to celebrate where we lived. As a kid I remember enjoying the parades, the candyfloss and the strategic planning of my position to maximise the chances of the bands playing when they passed.

Every year, one particular tune was always played. I have heard it on the pipes, by a marching windband and on the flutes and drums. Every time I hear it I get taken straight back to my childhood and the anticipation of a good day out (as well as the certain knowledge that the summer holidays were round the corner).

For years I have wondered what the tune is called. I had always thought of getting a copy for nostalgia purposes. Music has never really bothered me as an activity in itsself but certain pieces can reliably provoke certain memories (hence the eclectic mix on my itunes when it hasn't been wiped). The trouble is, I never had any idea what it was called. I asked everyone I could think of. I even contemplated writing to my former history teacher who is an authority on local history (I didn't because it would have been impossible to describe it other than "the marches tune"). I have heard a tantalising snippet on a holywood pirate film where it was being played as a sea shanty. I also have a copy being played at the Edinburgh Tattoo however it was part of a medley and individual tunes were not identified.

Yesterday was Marches day this year and I idly browsed through youtube watching old parades when I heard this tune again (admittedly in poor quality recording). Coincidentally, there was an article in the paper about the 10 best music identifying websites. I thought that I would give them a try. Sadly none were successful. I blame youtube. I could only find short snippets of poor quality. I tried with the sorftware buit with no luck. Eventually, I hit a random looking link with the hope of finding a better version for searching.

Lo and behold I did along with a full title. A quick search later suggest, 'the marches tune" might not be the worst name for it. It certainly has a long history with the town and is apparently regarded quite posessively by many of it's residents. Unfortunately I'm struggling to find a copy to download although the search will continue.

Overall I'm pleased I finally found this out. Its a sense of satisfaction after so many years spent searching.

JR

Ps, if you're interested, search 'The Roke' on youtube. The first video will take you to the tune in question. Enjoy.