The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #2822 Message #3469845
Posted By: Little Robyn
22-Jan-13 - 06:06 AM
Thread Name: Rare Scottish Folk Music
Subject: RE: Rare Scottish Folk Music
There's an interesting version here. The singer writes: The song "Buy Broom Besoms" is claimed by both the Scots and the Geordies. In the late 18th century, Blind Willie Purvis, a Fiddler in Newcastle-on-Tyne, made up many of the verses, naming various local people. Hannah Black was a "Fruiterer" on the quays, thus the verse about her Oranges which was Blind Willie's favorite Fruit. I learned the song from a recording by "The High Level Ranters".
I wasn't around at the time but yes, songs from the Border region are often both Scottish and English. Robyn