The irving diaspora
These tunes can be played online or downloaded from this website with their manuscript music
These tunes are all on Soundcloud.
To play a track, click on its red play button OR choose the "play in browser" option (if it appears). If you want to download a track, Soundcloud will require you to set up a free account if you don't aleady have one. Click on the small Soundcloud logo, top right (which will become orange). This will take you to the track on SoundCloud. Underneath the waveform find the ...More button and choose "download file". The track will download to your computer's designated downloads folder.
To download a track's manuscript music click on the manuscript music. If you have a pdf reader your device will open the manuscript file. You can either save the pdf or download it using tools in your pdf reader.
This page is mainly dedicated to Irving descendants living in New Zealand. Most of them are from one large family produced by Irving/MacDonald forebears who emigrated to New Zealand from Scotland early in the 20th century and settled in the far south.
I have also composed tunes for members of the Irving Clan in many countries and about 20 for the Clan Irving website: https://clanirving.com/the_music/the-pipes/. They can be played online there in tribute to ancestors, dignitaries, fortresses, battles and many things Irving!
The origin of the Irvings is Ireland, and they trace their ancestry to High King Niall about 500 AD. They emigrated to the West of Scotland as far north as the town of Irvine (Irvine means ‘Man of the West’), but concentrated on the border with England at Bonshaw, rather near Lockerbie. Bonshaw tower has the inscription above the door Soli Deo Honor et Gloria (Only to God be Honor and Glory). The clan is called Irving of Bonshaw. They were Rievers – professional cattle thieves. From there one of them went with Robert the Bruce in his wars, and was granted land in the extreme north near Aberdeen where they became the clan Irving of Drum.
The Irvine valley area has the longest and shortest place names in mainland Scotland – Ae and Kircudbrightshire. The Irvings created a series of border towers.
Three sprigs of holly is the Irving -Bonshaw symbol
A conventional strathspey, celebrating that part of the diaspora living in New Zealand
Imitating one of Jessie’s horses at speed
Named after my cousin, Catherine Hoekendijk nee Irving. A very talented musician and co-pastor of Harmony Church in Christchurch, New Zealand
A long-time dairy farmer near Invercargill, and my cousin, he has a remarkable collection of restored vintage motors, and produces his own wine and cheese.
For a visiting grandniece about to leave on a mission trip to Nepal
Ann, my cousin has lived for several decades on a farm near the seaside area of Brighton, south of Dunedin, New Zealand
A march for a talented NZ artist specialising in classic vehicles, aeroplanes, historic buildings, and portraits. David Irving is a member of the British Guild of Motoring Artists.
This slow air, unusual in form, celebrates my cousin and a lifetime in Oamaru (NZ).
The late Mrs Irving was of Christchurch, New Zealand
A Reel. Mrs Lois Collett of Invercargill, New Zealand was the youngest (equal) of the Irvings of Taieri (Otago, New Zealand), and has had a lifelong interest in music, particularly Church music.
Miss Jacqueline Irving is the daughter of Mr A. Irving of Waimatua, and a well-regarded secondary school teacher in Dunedin.
At the time of writing Justine was in the COVID diaspora in Canada
An Irving Aunt, who died in her nineties, was a long-time resident of Mosgiel in Southland.
A 2/4 March. One of my late Irving Aunts. Of all my aunts she had the most pronounced Southland accent. Many early Scots immigrants settled in Southland.
An Irving cousin with an amazing ability to sight-read any piano manuscript music placed in front of her.
For an Irving second cousin - a professional artist who creates exceptional and detailed wildlife graphic and oil paintings, often of birds.
This tune celebrates my cousin, a former weaver of Irving tartan. She lives near Taneatua in the Bay of Plenty in New Zealand
Mrs Jessie Irving, my Aunt, a long-time resident of the Taieri plain near Mosgiel. A strathspey.
Julian’s March is the second of two tunes written for three brothers and a sister. The other is The New Irvings
Mr George Irving of Otokia ran a successful trucking business in Southland NZ. A March.
A cousin who has accumulated an impressive local museum on her property in Southland
