The Parish of Dunkeld (Jig) for Wind Quintet

The Parish of Dunkeld - Traditional
Arranged for Wind Quintet by Hugh Levey

© 2026 Hugh Levey - Woodwindly Music - all rights reserved

Dunkeld is a lovely town in the county of Perthshire; positioned at the edge of the magnificent Scottish Highlands. It is an ancient town and was an important established religious centre by the 9th century. The present Dunkeld Cathedral dates from 13th century and is used today as the parish church of Dunkeld.

The traditional Scottish song “The Parish of Dunkeld” tells a rather different story. When a new minister took charge of the parish, he told his parishioners to lay off the whisky and stop their ceilidhs (a ceilidh is a traditional Scottish party with dancing and music). The members were so upset by this, they hanged the minister and drowned the precentor! They proceeded to pull down the church bell tower and install a whisky still, so they could make their own whisky. From then on, “on Sundays they drank it and ranted and sang”. Everyone was happy! The full lyrics, in Scots and English, are included with the score. The original song was first published in 1824.

This wind quintet arrangement tells the story through music. At the opening the folk of Dunkeld are happily going about their business with a spring in their step (the jig), until the bassoon (the minister) pompously takes over the tune, only to be mocked and laughed at by the other instruments (the congregation), who play some deliberate wrong notes. The music then takes a sombre turn when the French Horn takes the melody in a minor key. You can use your own imagination to work out what might be happening here. Soon the mood lifts and the flute reintroduces the jig melody a little faster. From here on to the end, the drinking and partying get well underway and it ends with a flourish.