Hi Jack,

At home I had trouble opening the playing links on that page, so I waited until I had the time to try so at work. Now that I have a colleague again to share the workload with, I find that here at work I can't play those either. I can play the midis, though, and they do sound similar to See, do wide see.
(How I would love to learn to sing right from the sheet to cut out confusion like this. All I can say is that the scores look quite similar as well, and plucking my way through it one note at a time does get me something similar.)


OK, then:
- The Bog down in the Valley seems to have only parts of the first form. It may have been an inspiration, but it would seem more likely to me that it used what fit for a stacking song. In the form that I know it in, it's also neither Scots nor unintelligible.
- Lassie Wi' the Yellow Coatie is going into my repertoire as soon as I have the time; I like that one. However, it uses only the first form. Similar to Bog ...
- March to the Battlefield: This one both forms, and apart from the frills is quite close.

So, currently, I'd say the original tune is March to the Battlefield. With National Airs being dated 1818-1827 there's a gap of twenty years to cover, though, so if someone happens to know of an earlier appearance, that would make a nice addition for Guest's thesis on Granny's wooden leg. In all it would seem the original tune was Scottish after all.

On the other hand, since the tune for "See, do wide see" was indicated as "Irish", it would seem that in that case it was taken from Oft in the Stilly Night. As Pieter Jelles was born in 1860, the tune would indeed have had time to reach him.


Anyone who can add to this?
BFN
                                                                Mysha