T H E C O V E N A N T E R
accept the consequences for bad debts. mostly the music of either the 26th or the
All this was taking place without being 90th on parades and during the timetable
known to the officers or the members of the regimental day. The 2nd Bn, possibly
of the sergeants’ mess ever finding out. because they saw it as much as a march
What we were doing was possibly illegal or from the 26th, did not play ‘Within a Mile
unacceptable? of Edinburgh Toun’. The 2nd Bn used ‘The
The value of the shares was eagerly Gathering of the Grahams’ as the quick
awaited at the end of each period. None of march for both the pipes and drums and
us knew anything about the stock market the military band. Although ‘Within a Mile
and were unaware that our exorbitant rate of...’ was the 1st Bn quick march, it had
of interest would be inapplicable in the real limited use, for it was only played for the
financial world. march past by the military band if the pipe
The medieval church banned usury band was not on parade. Even at the end of
because of its potential evil. Even today band concerts, according to the 1930 orders,
the Islamic Faith does not allow it. The ‘The Cameronian Rant’ was to be played
result is that Muslims have to engage in the instead of ‘Within a Mile of...’ However,
most complicated financial arrangements during my time in the band ‘Within a Mile
to observe their law and get mortgages. of Edinburgh Toun’ was played after the
I hope that the Editor does not check ‘Cameronian Rant.’
the Queen’s Regulations and the Manual of In my time ‘Within a Mile of Edinburgh
Military Law to find the section to publish Toun’ was played the end of concerts and
me as a minor usurer. I am concerned, mess nights but never on parades. At the
for I live but one hour from the cells of end of Retreats the Military Band marched
Colchester. off in silence behind the pipe band playing
‘Kenmuirs On an’ Awa’ and the ‘Gathering
Bill Couglan. of the Grahams.’ It is likely that ‘Within a
Mile of Edinburgh Toun’ was known to but
Within a Mile of
a few in the battalion.
The Royal Military School of Music, did
Edinburgh Toun
not reply to my letter or respond to my
telephone calls about ‘Within a Mile of
Since writing my article last year, I have tried
Edinburgh Toun.’ I had hoped they would
to discover why the Cameronians choose
have its origin recorded in their library of
‘Within A Mile of Edinburgh Toun’ as their
regimental marches.
regimental quick march. I have some more
I have read that new regimental marches
information but cannot find any record
are now decided by competition. For
of meetings that gave the reasons for the
example, the newest army corps, The
acceptance of the Hook tune.
Corps of Army Musicians recently chose
The British Library records show that
an arrangement of ‘The Minstrel Boy to the
there were close links between Edinburgh
Wars has Gone’, by such a competition, as
and the Cameronians and this may have
their regimental quick march. The origin of
influenced the choice of ‘Within a Mile
their march will never be a mystery.
of Edinburgh Toun’ as the regimental
quickstep in 1878. However, the curator of
Bill Couglan
the Music Collections at the British Library
has confirmed that he cannot identify it as
All this for Eight Minutes!
either being registered as a regimental quick
march or printed in one of military band
The Gallipoli tape at the Regimental
journals.
Museum.
The year 1878 was before the merger
When it reopened in 1999, the new exhibits
and, therefore, it can be established that
in the Regimental Museum at Hamilton
‘Within a Mile of... was selected for the
included a video describing the experiences of
26th Cameronian Regiment and not for
the 7th and 8th Battalions The Cameronians
the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) of 1881.
(Scottish Rifles) at Gallipoli in 1915/16. The
Terry MacKenzie, the Museum Collection
video still is on display, but unfortunately,
at Hamilton, send me ‘The Regimental
apart from the contents of the video itself,
Standing Orders of 1930. Under X1 Music
there is nothing to draw to the visitor’s
one can learn that the 1st and 2nd battalions
attention the subject matter, its location, or
were preserving their origins by playing
its significance to the Regiment. The boards

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