Marches, Retreat Airs and Polkas

Titles for marches are listed alphabetically in this section of the Sheet Music Catalogue with links to audio samples and previews, and to where a PDF file can be purchased for download.

As a musical genre, the march has a strong regular rhythm which in origin was expressly written for marching to and most frequently performed by a military band.

There are varieties of military march defined by the marching tempo.  Examples are the 'quick march', the 'slow march', the 'half step march', the 'double march', and the 'easy march'. Military marches can be in 2/4, 4/4, 6/8 and 9/8 times. The 'retreat march' is in 9/8 time and has nothing to do with the battlefield. It is the 3/4 or 9/8 metre of this march that is used to mark the end of the military day. Known as 'beating the retreat', this was originally initiated at sunset by the firing of a single round from the evening gun. Examples of the varied use elsewhere of the march can be found in Beethoven's Eroica Symphony, in the Marches Militaires of Franz Schubert, in the Marche funèbre in Chopin's Sonata in B flat minor, and in the Dead March in Handel's Saul.  Such scores are termed concert marches.

Pipe marches used in dancing circles for the likes of a Canadian Barn Dance are sometimes referred to as polkas, and 2/4 marches in quick time are called hornpipes in piping circles.

72nd Highlanders Farewell To Edinburgh   (ref. 756)  

79th's Farewell To Gibraltar   (ref. 739)    

Auchmountain's Bonnie Glen   (ref. 735) 

Australian Ladies   (081) 

Ballochyle   (Ref. 709)

Bert's Highland Polka   (Ref. 894)

Bratach Bana   (Ref. 406)

Braw Braw Lads   (Ref. 526)

Cabar Fèidh   (Ref. 289)

Campbell's Farewell To Redcastle   (Ref. 423)

Captain Carswell   (Ref. 026)

Cork Hill   (Ref. 562)

Crossing The Minch   (Ref. 352)  

Donald MacLean's Farewell To Oban   (Ref. 264) 

Dovecote Park    (Ref. 429)

Dr. Morrison's Seven Thistles   (Ref. 807)

Dr. Ross's 50th Welcome To The Argyllshire Gathering   (Ref. 022)

Dumbarton Castle   (Ref. 694)

Dundee City Police Pipe Band   (Ref. 723)

Echoes Of Oban   (Ref. 290)

Edgefauld House   (Ref. 805)

Farewell To The Creeks   (Ref. 683)

Flett From Flotta   (Ref. 070)

Fr. John MacMillan Of Barra   (Ref. 260)  

Garry Owen   (Ref. 027)

General Hunt's Welcome To the Queen's Own Highlanders   (Ref. 692)

Glen Caladh Castle   (Ref. 400)

Glendaruel Highlanders   (Ref. 474)

Highland Cathedral   (Ref. 625)

Highland Laddie   (Ref. 328)   

In The Garb Of Old Gaul   (Ref. 517) 

Inveresk House   (Ref. 030)

Irene Meldrum's Welcome To Bon Accord   (Ref. 401)

John D. Burgess   (Ref. 730) 

John MacDonald Of Glencoe   (Ref. 613)

Killiecrankie   (Ref. 595)

Lady Lever Park   (Ref. 082)

Leaving Glenurquhart   (Ref. 825

Leaving Port Askaig   (Ref. 746)

Liberton Pipe Band   (Ref. 001)

Lochanside   (Ref. 262)

Loch Ruan   (Ref. 628)

Lord Lovat's Lament   (Ref. 092)

Lord Of The Glens   (Ref. 274)

Lt. Col. D. J. S. Murray   (Ref. 330)

MacKenzie's Farewell To Sutherland   (Ref. 843)

MacLeod Of Mull   (Ref. 777)

Maggie Lauder   (Ref. 504)

Mairi's Wedding   (Ref. 325) 

March To The Battlefield   (Ref. 734)  

Miss Delicia Chisholm  (Ref. 080)

Mrs. H. L. MacDonald Of Dunach   (Ref. 273)

Murdo MacKenzie Of Torridon   (Ref. 768)

P.M. Donald MacLean Of Lewis   (Ref. 272)

Parahandy   (Ref. 046)

Pibroch O' Donuil Dhu  (Piobaireachd Dhòmhnaill Duibh)  (Ref. 261)

Pipe Major Sam Scott   (Ref. 812)

Rab's Wedding   (Ref. 770) 

Roses Of Prince Charlie   (Ref. 596) 

Ross-shire Volunteers   (Ref. 047)

Scotland The Brave   (Ref. 327) 

Scott Skinner's Welcome To Inverness   (Ref. 648) 

Seamus MacNeill   (Ref. 018)

Shorelines Of Skye   (Ref. 818)

Sprig Of Ivy   (Ref. 031)

Standing Stones   (Ref. 271) 

Sweet Maid Of Glendaruel   (Ref. 617) 

Sweet Maid Of Mull   (Ref. 611) 

Tam Bain's Lum   (Ref. 784) 

The 72nd's Farewell To Aberdeen   (Ref. 638)

The 74th's Farewell To Edinburgh   (Ref. 644)

The Atholl Highlanders   (Ref. 259) 

The Athole Highlanders March To Loch Katrine   (Ref. 662)

The Balkan Hills   (Ref. 402)

The Balmoral Highlanders   (Ref. 425)

The Banks Of Allan Water   (Ref. 414)  

The Barren Rocks Of Aden   (Ref. 654)

The Battle Of The Somme   (Ref. 403)  

The Battle Of Waterloo   (Ref. 881)

The Battle's O'er   (Ref. 454)   

The Black Bear   (Ref. 788) 

The Bloody Fields Of Flanders   (Ref. 277)

The Bluebell Polka   (Ref. 789)    

The Bonawe Highlanders   (Ref. 716)

The Bonnie Lass O' Bon Accord   (Ref. 096) 

The Bonnie Lass O' Fyvie   (Ref. 637)  

The Braemar Gathering   (Ref. 267)     

The Braes Of Castle Grant   (Ref. 700) 

The Burning Of The Piper's Hut   (Ref. 093)

The Cameron Highlanders   (Ref. 674)   

The Cock O' The North   (Ref. 339)

The Conundrum   (Ref. 263) 

The Dream Valley Of Glendaruel   (Ref. 430)

The Duke Of Fife's Welcome To Deeside   (Ref. 689)

The Earl Of Mansfield   (Ref. 681) 

The Garden Of Skye   (Ref. 258)  

The Green Hills Of Tyrol   (Ref. 699)  

The Headlands   (Ref. 829)

The Heights Of Cassino   (Ref. 750)  

The Highland Brigade At Magersfontein   (Ref. 889)

The Highland Wedding   (Ref. 471)  

The High Road To Dundee   (Ref. 433) 

The High Road To Gairloch   (Ref. 859)

The Hills Of Alva   (Ref. 450)  

The Hills Of Lorne   (Ref. 834)

The Inverness Gathering   (Ref. 650) 

The Kilworth Hills   (Ref. 633)

The Lewis And Harris Gathering   (Ref. 275) 

The Liberty Bell   (Ref. 837)

The Lovat Scouts   (Ref. 060)

The Mad Hornpipe   (Ref. 891)

The Man From Skye   (Ref. 867)

The McNeils Of Ugadale   (Ref. 781)

The Peat Fire Flame   (Ref. 268)

The Rose Of Allendale   (Ref. 485) 

The Sands Of Loch Bee   (Ref. 448)   

The Siege Of Delhi   (Ref. 420)  

The Tartan   (Ref. 487)  

The Thistle Of Scotland   (Ref. 269)

Thingummyjig Polka   (Ref. 764) 

Tug Argan Gap   (Ref. 266) 

Wade's Welcome To Inverness   (Ref. 476) 

Wae's Me For Prince Charlie   (Ref. 498)  

Walter Douglas MBE   (Ref. 329) 

We're No Awa' Tae Bide Awa'   (Ref. 324)

Whistle O'er The Lave O't   (Ref. 265)

White Water   (Uisge geal)  (Ref. 551) 

Willie's Brogues   (Ref. 055)

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