Wren Hunting - Scotland et al.

Subject: Wren Hunting - Scotland et al.
From: sian, west wales
Date: 24 Jul 01 - 08:08 AM

I know this is out of season but ...

A friend of mine is preparing a lecture for an ethnomusicology conference in Bangor (Wales - the real one!) on the topic of Wren songs. She's concentrating on *tunes* and has Wales covered, and a fair selection from Ireland, Isle of Mann and (I think) England. However, she says that she hasn't anything from Scotland.

Now, I've done a search for previous threads and have come up with all kinds of wonderful stuff from across the UK and Ireland, including Rich's ref. to "Salmon Tailing up the River" and Irish Rover's ref to a wren song turning up in England as "Three Ships A-Sailing" (for which I'd love further details!)

On the Scottish front, Bruce O. mentions the 1776 Cutty Wren in Herd's Scots Songs, but says that there's no tune there. There's another reference to Bonnie Prince Charlie being referred to as The Wren. Beyond Mudcat (yes, there is life beyond Mudcat) I've got the Golden Bough ref. to the Scottish "Malisons, malisons, mair than ten, that harry the Ladye of Heaven's hen", but again no tune.

So, can anyone help? Either with specific Scottish examples or any other tunes from elsewhere which might be wren associated, but not necessarily with wren in the title (hence, avoiding detection)? Oh, and on the Welsh front, there was a thread contribution from Joy Bennett about the Welsh Please to see the King being from a 14th C. manuscript; I've PMed Joy for more details but, in case she misses it, more on this would be useful too!

with many thanks

sian

Subject: RE: Wren Hunting - Scotland et al.
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 24 Jul 01 - 08:59 AM

In the DT, you might look at

THE WREN SHE LIES IN CARE'S BED,  the tune for which is The Wren; or Lennox Love to Blantyre

ROBIN CAM' TO THE WREN'S DOOR;  tune is The Wren's Nest (not the Irish one).

Both tunes are given in, for example, Kinsley's Burns: Poems and Songs; the former taken from the Scots Musical Museum (I'm not sure where the other one came from).

Subject: RE: Wren Hunting - Scotland et al.
From: sian, west wales
Date: 24 Jul 01 - 09:20 AM

Malcolm, thank you. That's just what I'm looking for.

sian

Subject: RE: Wren Hunting - Scotland et al.
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 24 Jul 01 - 09:59 AM

On the subject of  The Wren Song  and  Three Ships,  I think that Irish Rover had noticed the similarity between the tunes and had decided that must mean that the Wicked English had stolen it.  It's rather more likely that the borrowing was in the opposite direction.  As it happens, the tune is practically ubiquitous as Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush amongst other things; it enjoyed wide popularity as Nancy Dawson, but first appeared in print, so far as I know, in Scotland around the 1740s as Piss On the Grass!  Some background on the tune, and a midi of its early incarnation, is available at  The South Riding Folk Network:

The South Riding Tunebook vol.1: Nancy Dawson

Subject: RE: Wren Hunting - Scotland et al.
From: Les from Hull
Date: 24 Jul 01 - 10:11 AM

Nancy Dawson was also the tune of choice in the sailing Royal Navy played by the ship's fiddler (if available) or Marine fifer to announce the daily spirits issue.

Subject: RE: Wren Hunting - Scotland et al.
From: sian, west wales
Date: 24 Jul 01 - 10:54 AM

You guys are marvellous! Thanks. I particularly love "Piss on the Grass" - that's a must-find! I have a Newfoundland (recent) song, "Peeing in the Snow" so ...

I shall pass this all on to my friend.

Many thanks again

Sian

Subject: RE: Wren Hunting - Scotland et al.
From:
Date: 24 Jul 01 - 04:25 PM

There is a reference to the Cutty Wren in the DT, with a midi file.