Scottish Folk Songs

Subject: Scottish Folk Songs
From: stringman
Date: 10 Jun 09 - 11:04 AM

Greetings,
I've been trying to find some good, classic Scottish folk songs to sing and learn on guitar and take around to campfires this summer.
Thanks!

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Maryrrf
Date: 10 Jun 09 - 11:14 AM

A good place to start might be by getting a few of the Corrie's albums. Lots of the "classics" there and the arrangements are not too complicated.   Carl Peterson also has some nice selections that would be easy to learn on guitar. Here's a link to his stuff on CD Baby

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: giles earle
Date: 10 Jun 09 - 11:24 AM

A useful basic book-plus-CD, from Taigh na Teud (aka Scotland's Music), is listed at: www.scotlandsmusic.com/scotssong.htm

Guitar chords are given for each song, and the book is small enough to pack easily.

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: goatfell
Date: 10 Jun 09 - 11:30 AM

http://www.musicanet.org/robokopp/index.php
this is the adress to a website with quite a lot of scottish folk songs on it.

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: stringman
Date: 10 Jun 09 - 12:21 PM

thanks folks, great info!

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: maple_leaf_boy
Date: 10 Jun 09 - 05:14 PM

Bonnie Moorhen, The Broom O' Cowdenknowes, Loch Tay Boat Song, by the
Corries are some nice songs if you're looking them up.
Skye Boat Song is also a good one, too. Those are some mellow ones.

Westering Home and Bonnie Annie Laurie, are a little more on the
uptempo side.

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Eric the Viking
Date: 10 Jun 09 - 05:33 PM

Try:"The Scottish folksinger". 118 Modern and tradditional folk songs by Norman Buchan and Peter Hall. Published by Collins. ISBN; 0 00 435695 5

Contains such as:The means test man, the deserter,lamkin,guise o' toughO'm a rover,bonnie ship the diamond. Listen to Iain Bruce on CD. The range is huge.

Best o luck

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Folkiedave
Date: 10 Jun 09 - 05:47 PM

£10.00 post free.............

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Tootler
Date: 10 Jun 09 - 05:58 PM

If you can get it, 101 Scottish Songs, Ed. Norman Buchan.

Been out of print for many years, but you might find a copy second hand. An excellent source of Scots Folksongs.

I have learnt a number of songs from this book.

Geoff

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Jack Campin
Date: 10 Jun 09 - 07:05 PM

"The Scottish Folksinger" and "101 Scottish Songs" are suggestions I would enthusiastically second. So is Ewan MacColl's "Songs and Ballads of Scotland". if you can find it.

Well worth looking at Dick Gaughan's website, he has the lyrics for his repertoire on there.

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Diva
Date: 11 Jun 09 - 06:09 AM

I was just going to say "Scottish Folksinger".....

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 11 Jun 09 - 08:59 AM

Are you thinking of solos or songs for the whole group to sing? Because if it's for a group, it needs to be a little simpler. I suggest

Loch Lomond - (you take the high road and I'll take the low road)
Wild Mountain Thyme
Mairi's Wedding

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: goatfell
Date: 11 Jun 09 - 09:12 AM

just type in scottish folksongs and the websites will appear, that's wht I do and then choose what songs you need

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Pistachio
Date: 11 Jun 09 - 07:17 PM

Road tae Dundee, Come by the Hills, Jacobites, Ye banks and Braes, Uist tramping song, Jamie Foyers, etc.
Take a listen to Dougie MacLean if you want newer work and you've time to spare!
Enjoy!
H.x

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: nutty
Date: 11 Jun 09 - 07:28 PM

This Glasgow University site has some good songs -- you hear them being sung as well

CLICK

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: GUEST,HughM
Date: 12 Jun 09 - 08:01 AM

Killiecrankie, Twa Recruiting Sargeants, The Fair Maid of Fyvie-O.

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Jack Campin
Date: 12 Jun 09 - 08:36 AM

Very few people, even in Scotland, would be able to figure out the chorus of Twa Recruiting Sergeants by ear before the song finishes. They'll need it on paper.

The last song HughM mentioned is more usually called The Bonny Lass of Fyvie.

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 12 Jun 09 - 09:03 AM

stringman, are you still wi' us?

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: BobKnight
Date: 12 Jun 09 - 10:29 AM

"Jock O' Hazeldene," but you'll need a good range to do it justice.
"Bonnie Bessy Logan" is another lovely song.

I have four of my own songs on www.myspace.com/bobknightfolk

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Tootler
Date: 12 Jun 09 - 06:40 PM

Very few people, even in Scotland, would be able to figure out the chorus of Twa Recruiting Sergeants by ear before the song finishes. They'll need it on paper.

The chorus is not too bad, I don't think. I managed to get it orally after about two or three playings through and I last lived in Scotland in 1965. The verses are a different matter. I needed to go to paper for those and to check on the dialect words.

"Jock O' Hazeldene," but you'll need a good range to do it justice.

I don't have a large range and I can manage it quite comfortably. The important thing you need to realise is that it starts on the highest note in the tune, so you need to be careful not to pitch it too low.

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Jim McLean
Date: 13 Jun 09 - 06:09 AM

The Wild Mountain Thyme is Irish, try The Braes o' Balquhither instead.

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 13 Jun 09 - 07:06 AM

Tootler - is your version of Jock O'Hazeldene the same as Dick Gaughan's? only that one certainly doesn't start on the highest note, goes much higher...

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Jack Campin
Date: 13 Jun 09 - 07:22 AM

Gaughan has a rather weird voice so he might do it differently, but the usual tune has the topmost note at the start of lines 1, 2 and 4 of each verse.

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 13 Jun 09 - 10:19 AM

I've only heard Gaughan sing it. Just checked, and he does start on a higher note on 1st line of 1st verse, but on all others on a lower one. And even that higher note isn't the highest of the tune!

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 13 Jun 09 - 10:26 AM

Just checked the tune given on the Mudcat database, and here too the 1st note of lines 1,2 and 4 is not the highest note in the tune, which comes in line 3.

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Jim McLean
Date: 13 Jun 09 - 11:26 AM

The melody given in the Mudcat database is incorrect. In John Greig's Scots Minstrelsie, Vol. 1, the melodie to Jock o' Hazeldean is given as ' ..an old air, "Willie and Annet", embellished ...'
It is written in E major and the highest note, Eb begins lines 1, 2, and 4, as Jack Campin said.

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Jim McLean
Date: 13 Jun 09 - 11:27 AM

PS that should have read Eb major.

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 13 Jun 09 - 01:08 PM

Many thanks, Jim. Do you have a link to the music, either written or audio?

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Jim McLean
Date: 13 Jun 09 - 01:21 PM

Jock o' Hazeldean

Suegorgeous, This is the notation on Dick Gaughan's Website but I don't know how he sings it. In this case it is written in G major and the top notes are high G as on the lines as previously stated in my previous post. The writing is a bit stilted and could be varied a little.

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 13 Jun 09 - 06:16 PM

Thanks Jim. That's not how he actually sings it, however! :)

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Jack Campin
Date: 13 Jun 09 - 06:54 PM

Another one not in the books suggested so far: The Freedom Come-All-Ye. You will definitely need to hand out words for it, though.

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Tootler
Date: 13 Jun 09 - 07:38 PM

Corries singing Jock O' Hazledean

The tune as I know it. The tune is played as a pipe air in Northumberland which is where I first heard it - well not quite, it was in Gateshead actually :-)

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Jim McLean
Date: 14 Jun 09 - 09:11 AM

Suegorgeous: I found this transcription of the melody in Greig. It shows a t more variation that that on Dick's Web page.
Jock from Greig

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: Suegorgeous
Date: 14 Jun 09 - 10:32 AM

Thanks Jim. The 2 tune variations have a different feel to them, IMHO. No doubt Dick has adapted a bit.

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 14 Jun 09 - 01:03 PM

I'd never perform it because I'm English, but I love listening to the S.Trad. "My Bonnie."

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: s&r
Date: 14 Jun 09 - 03:21 PM

You're OK performing it WAV. Malcolm Douglas who was one of the greatest experts to grace Mudcat believed that it was probably American

"c.1860: 'Send Back My Barney to Me' written and published by Harry Clifton.

The song is quickly taken up by other performers in Britain and America. In the USA in particular it is 'favoured by Irish comedians' and is printed on broadsides and in songsters, frequently uncredited to Clifton and instead assumed to be, or claimed as, Irish.

By 1881 an adaptation or parody, with the tune a bit changed, begins to appear in print as 'My Bonnie'. It seems to have started out as a student song, most likely in America; a song-sheet issued in 1882 by Harms of New York as 'Bring Back My Bonnie to Me' credits it to H J Fulmer (Charles E Pratt) and J T Woods, but the text is reputedly rather different and no conclusions can be drawn without seeing both words and music. Evidently 'Barney' and 'Bonnie' continue alongside each other for a time, with other songs being written that appear to have been inspired by them; or at any rate by the former.

By the early C20, 'My Bonnie' has eclipsed its parent, which is largely forgotten. The song's enormous popularity leads to further parodies and to the tune being adopted for other songs in the same metre like 'My father was hung for sheep-stealing'. This leads even some scholars to assume that the tune is Scottish."

Stu

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: BobKnight
Date: 14 Jun 09 - 03:53 PM

Didn't the Beatles record "My Bonnie" when they were playing in Hamburg, Circa 1961-2?

Another lovely Scottish song. "The Broom O' The Cowdenknowes" and there's a great version by Ed Miller on YouTube.

Subject: RE: Scottish Folk Songs
From: WalkaboutsVerse
Date: 14 Jun 09 - 04:42 PM

I'll keep that in mind, Stu: I first came across "My Bonnie" a few years ago in a recorder tune book, which, I think, mentioned just "trad."; I then did a bit of research, mainly websites, and thought that it's PROBABLY Scottish.
And, yes, as part of an association with Tony Sheridan apparently, Bob.