Lyr Req: Charles in France

Subject: Charles in France
From: GUEST,Adolfo
Date: 14 Nov 00 - 03:48 PM

Greetings. I have always wondered what The Johnstons were saying in this fabulous Jacobite song. What I get doesn't make much sense. Has anyone out there ever heard of it? Thanks.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Charles in France
From: Wolfgang
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 04:01 AM

Adolfo,
I thought I knew nearly all Johnstons songs, but I don't know this. Have you more details like which LP it was on?

Wolfgang

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Charles in France
From: Lena
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 04:32 AM

Hm.How does the song go like,I heard something about King Charles coming back from the Poitiers battle in italian,apparently was a translation of a french ballad.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Charles in France
From: GUEST,Adolfo
Date: 15 Nov 00 - 10:40 AM

A friend of mine recorded some of his favourite ballads and songs and gave the tape to me. That was ages ago and, unfortunately, I haven't been able to keep in touch with him, so I can't ask him which LP he took the song from, but he included another song, a version of My Johnnie was a Shoemaker. Does it give you any clue? Most probably both songs come from the same source. The refrain of Charles... goes like:

Trusty Cambpell, stout Glengarry, gallant Gordon wise Locheill, bid the clansmen altogether, fast and fell and firm as steel. Or so I get. Thanks.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Charles in France
From: GUEST,JTT
Date: 16 Nov 00 - 05:28 AM

From the title and the context I'd assume it's about the time when Bonnie Prince Charlie went off to France; there's a whole genre of poetry and music in Irish which refers to his expected return, referring to him as "the young boy", "the merchant's son" etc; his return was the hope of the Jacobites.

---

Messages from multiple threads combined. Messages below are from a new thread.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: Lyr Req: Charles in France
From: GUEST,Adolfo
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 04:43 PM

Greetings. From time to time I pop in and make this question. Perhaps some day someone will provide an answer...
Does anyone of you know of a song that goes by the name of Charles In France, one of those JAcobite songs about Bonnie Prince-You-Know-Who?
It might be by the Johnstons but the MacCalmans have also been suggested. The last verse of three goes like this:

Let me feel the breezes blowing
Fresh along the mountainside!
Let me see the purple heather,
Let me hear the thundering tide,
Be it hoarse as Corrievreckan
Spouting when the storm is high,
Give me but one hour of Scotland,
Let me see it ere I die.

Thanks very much.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Charles in France
From: GUEST
Date: 19 Apr 04 - 04:58 PM

Dreadful rubbish!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Charles in France
From: GUEST,Adolfo
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 02:26 AM

IS that the opinion of a professional or a missing line in the song?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Charles in France
From: Dave Hanson
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 04:37 AM

It is the opinion of an ignorant guest who does not have the courtesy
to use hie own name.
eric

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Charles in France
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 11:38 AM

It is a poem by William Edmondstoune Aytoun, called by him Charles Edward at Versailles. It appeared in his Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers. You can see the entire book (edition of 1852, New York: Redfield) at  Making of America Books (University of Michigan):

Lays of the Scottish Cavaliers

The poem is long and rather turgid (Scott would have made a better job of the matter), and runs from page 212 to page 223. It is preceded by an essay on the '45 (pp. 165 - 211) and further notes (224 - 229); you might want to read them before deciding whether or not the poem should really be considered Jacobite in the partisan sense. Like most such productions it was written long after the events concerned.

Charles Edward at Versailles (page 212).

I haven't ever heard the poem sung, but if someone has set it they will have to have shortened it quite drastically.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Charles in France
From: GUEST,Adolfo
Date: 20 Apr 04 - 03:41 PM

Thank you very much. It's always comforting to know there are such knowledgeable people out there.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Charles in France
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 22 Apr 04 - 10:16 PM

I found the quote "Let me feel the breezes blowing," etc., repeated many times in the forum at www.scotland.com. There, it is attributed to Hilda, Lady Murray of Elibank, 1924.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Charles in France
From: OldPossum
Date: 23 Apr 04 - 04:15 PM

I was going to suggest to Adolfo that his tape must be the McCalmans, since he mentions that the songs "My Johnny is a Shoemaker" and "Charles in France" are both on his tape. These two songs are performed on the McCalmans' LP "An Audience with the McCalmans", a live LP. But in his message at 19 Apr 04 - 04:43 PM he quotes a verse that isn't sung by the McCamans, so now I am confused! Adolfo, do the songs have close harmony singing, especially the choruses? Is it a live performance, I mean can you hear any applause from an audience? If so, I am sure it must be the McCalmans.

Anyway well done Malcolm Douglas for finding the source. I have used the link you provided to help me transcribe the way the McCalmans sing it (see following message). Apart from shortening it drastically like you said, the only changes they have made are as follows:
Verse 1, line 4: they sing "Hear" where the poem has "Hark"
Verse 4, line 1: "cries" for "sobs"
Verse 4, line 3: "For" for "Oh!"

Subject: Lyr Add: CHARLES IN FRANCE
From: OldPossum
Date: 23 Apr 04 - 04:21 PM

CHARLES IN FRANCE

Had we but a thousand troopers,
Had we but a thousand more!
Noble Perth, I hear them coming! -
Hear! the English cannons' roar.

What kind draught can nature offer
Strong enough to lull their sting?
Better to be born a peasant
Than to live an exiled king!

CHORUS:
Trusty Keppoch! stout Glengarry!
Gallant Gordon! wise Locheill! -
Bid the clansmen hold together,
Fast and fell, and firm as steel.

Styled an equal - deemed a servant -
Fed with hopes of future gain:
Worse by far is fancied freedom
Than the captive's clanking chain!

Bitter tears and cries of anguish,
Unavailing though they be.
For the brave - the brave and noble -
That have died in vain for me!

(chorus)

Woman's love is writ in water!
Woman's faith is traced on sand! -
Backwards - backwards let me wander
To the noble northern land:

Be it hoarse as Corrievreckan
Spouting when the storm is high -
Give me but one hour of Scotland -
Let me see it ere I die!

(chorus)

As sung by the McCalmans on the LP "An Audience with the McCalmans", RCA LSA 3179

Subject: Tune Add: Charles in France
From: OldPossum
Date: 23 Apr 04 - 04:33 PM

X:11
T:Charles In France
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:Ab
(FG) (AB) c3 B-|B B2 A G2 E2 | (FG) (AB) c3 c | e3 f c4 |
w: Had_ we_ but a _thou-sand troop-ers, Had_ we_ but a thou-sand more!
w: What_ kind_ draught can _nat-ure of-fer Strong_ e_-nough to lull their sting?
e2 e2 e3 c | B3 A G2 E2 |1 (FG) (AB) c3 d |
w: Nob-le Perth, I hear them com-ing! Hear!_ the_ Eng-lish
w: Bet-ter to be born a peas-ant * * * * * *
(cB) (AG) F4 :|2 (FG) (AB) c3 d |
w: can_-nons'_ roar.
w: *****Than_ to_ live an
M:6/4
(cB) (AG) F8 ||
w: ex_-iled_ king!
M:4/4
F2 (FE) F2 F2-|F E2 F G2 B2 |
w: Trust-y_ Kep-poch! _stout Glen-gar-ry!
F2 (FE) F2 F2 | G3 E F4 |
w: Gal-lant_ Gor-don! wise Loch-eill!
F2 (FE) F2 F2-|F E2 F G2 B2 |
w: Bid the_ clans-men _hold to-ge-ther,
B2 A2 c3 c | B2 G2 F4-|F4 z4 |]
w: Fast and fell, and firm as steel._

An ABC of the tune, as sung by the McCalmans. Thanks to the aforementioned close harmony singing, I had to do a little bit of guessing when it came to the chorus, but I think I got it right.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Charles in France
From: GUEST,Adolfo
Date: 13 May 04 - 04:08 PM

Most dear OldPossum, My Other Self! That's exactly the whole text of the lyrics I've been looking for years. And you were right, it's not the Johnston but the MacCalmans. How daft!
Thank you very very much to all. You have been extremely kind.