Previously, we defined laments as tunes fulfilling the following three defining characteristics:

• double-beats, including hiharin (which are double-beats) and dari movements (himbari, vedari, chedari, etc.)
• pitch height (high tessitura - minimum of half the theme notes are D and above)
• more lyrical structure

The following only meet two of the criteria:

Preponderance of Double Beats, Lyrical Structure

PS 22 Lament for the Lady of Arnaboll
PS 74 Lament for Lord Breadalbane
PS 124 Lament for Brian O’Duff
PS 155 Lament for MacSwan of Roaig
PS 185 Lament for Catherine
PS 207 Lament for John Garve MacLeod of Raasay
PS 259 Lament for MacLeod of MacLeod
PS 285 Lament for Allan Og

Pitch Height, Lyrical Structure

PS 39 Lament for Donald Duaghal MacKay
PS 100 Lament for Alasdair Dearg
PS 126 Lament for Cameron of Dungallon
PS 135 Lament for the Harp Tree
PS 150 Lament for the Old Sword
PS 223 Lament for MacLen of Lochbuie

Pitch Heights, Double Beats

PS 41 Lament for Carwhin
PS 44 Lament for Captain Archibald Campbell of Glenyon
PS 114 Lament for the Viscount of Dundee

Other

The most interesting aspect about providing these criteria as a strict definitional approach is the number of “Lament” tunes (26, in fact) that do not have these characteristics.

PS 47 Lament for MacKinnon

PS 49 Lament for Hugh

PS 61 Lament for Sir James MacDonald of the Isles

• woven structure; high pitched; few double beats

PS 65 Lament for Ian Ciar

• woven structure; high pitched; no double beats

PS 78 Lament for John Garve MacLean of Coll

• woven structure; low pitched; no double beats

PS 82 Lament for MacDonald of Kinlochmoidart

• lyrical structure; low pitched; hiharin only

PS 85 Lament for the Duke of Hamilton

• woven structure; low pitched; double beats

PS 93 Lament for MacDonald’s Tutor

• woven structure; low pitched; no double beats

PS 109 Lament for Lochnail

PS 136 Lament for Cameron on Dungallon

PS 141 Dead’s Lament

PS 146 Lament for Dunyvaig Castle

• woven structure; low pitched; hiharins, only

PS 189 Lament for Lord MacDonald

• woven structure; high pitched; no double beats

PS 195 Lament for MacKenzie of Gairloch

• woven structure; high pitched; no double beats

PS 234 The Lament for the Union

• lyrical structure; not predominantly high pitched; hiharins, only

PS 245 Lament for the Son of King Aro

PS 247 Lament for Colin Roy MacKenzie

• lyrical structure; not predominantly high pitched; no double beats

PS 249 Lament for Glengarry

• woven structure; low pitch; no double beats

PS 258 Lament for King George III

• lyrical structure; not predominantly high pitched; no double beats

PS 262 Lament for MacLeod of Colbeck

• lyrical structure; low pitch; no double beats

PS 263 Prince Charles Lament

• woven structure; low pitch; hiharins, only

PS 271 Lament for Duncan MacRae of Kintail

• lyrical structure; low pitch; one hiharin

PS 279 Lament for Mary MacLeod

• lyrical structure, not high pitched; hiharins, only

PS 283 Lament for Captain MacDougall

• woven structure; not high pitched; double-beats

PS 306 Lament for Sir James Macdonald of the Isles

• lyrical structure; not high pitched; one hiharin

PS 315 Abercairney’s Lament

• lyrical structure; not high pitched; two double-beats

PS 318 Lament for Captain Wemmys Sutherland

• woven structure; high pitched; no double-beats