The Garb of Old Gaul

A soldier of the Black Watch at the time of the Seven Years' War

The Garb of Old Gaul (sometimes given as "Auld Gaul") is an 18th-century patriotic Scottish march and song about Highland soldiers during the Seven Years' War.

Origins

The music was written by General John Reid, who was a senior officer of the 42nd Regiment of Foot (The Black Watch) during the Seven Years' War. The words have traditionally been attributed to Sir Harry Erskine (1710 -1765). Robert Burns described it as "This excellent loyal Scottish song" and states that it first appeared in print in Herd's Collection of 1769. Alternative titles include The Highland Character and The Highland or 42nd Regiment's March.^[1] The tune was originally a quick march but was later rearranged as a slow march.^[2]

Lyrics

The lyrics of the song are about the martial prowess of Highland soldiers and the perceived British tradition of freedom and fighting against the despotic French.^[3] The phrase "Garb of Old Gaul" refers to the traditional Highland dress, ancient Gaul being thought of at the time as the heartland of the Celtic peoples.^[4]

The first stanza runs:

In the garb of old Gaul with the fire of old Rome,

From the heath-covered mountains of Scotia we come;

When the Romans endeavoured our country to gain,

Our ancestors fought, and they fought not in vain.

Military use

The tune is used by a number of Scottish military units as their regimental march. These include:

• Royal Scots Dragoon Guards
• Queen's Royal Hussars
• Scots Guards
• Royal Scots (now the 1st Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland)
• Black Watch (now the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland)
• Ayrshire (Earl of Carrick's Own) Yeomanry (now "A" Squadron, Scottish and North Irish Yeomanry)
• West Nova Scotia Regiment (Canadian Forces)
• Royal Newfoundland Regiment (Canadian Forces)

References

1. Robert Burns, Stephen Clarke, William Stenhouse, David Laing and Charles Kirkpatrick; The Scottish Musical Museum: consisting of upwards of six hundred songs, William Blackwood & Sons, Edinburgh 1839
2. The Traditional Tune Archive: Annotation to Garb of Old Gaul (The)
3. Ian Bradley, Believing in Britain: The Spiritual Identity of 'Britishness', I B Taurus & Co Ltd 2007, (p120) ISBN 978-1-84511-326-1
4. Celeste Ray, Highland Heritage: Scottish Americans in the American South, University of North Carolina Press 2001 (p.175)