Annachie Gordon is another tale of a tragic romance. Loreena McKennitt should indeed have credited Nic Jones.

Subject: RE: Folklore: annachie gordon, traditional From: Malcolm Douglas Date: 17 Jan 05 - 02:14 AM

It was the English singer Nic Jones who re-discovered, and recorded, the song; I haven't heard anyone sing it who hadn't obviously learned it from him at one or more removes.

From Mainly Norfolk; Nic Jones commented though:

For Annachie Gordon I adapted the tune found in Christie's Traditional Ballad Airs and collated verses from Lord Saltoun & Auchanachie (Buchan's Ballads of the North of Scotland), Young Annochie (Murison MS), and Lord Saltoun & Annachie (Christie's Traditional Ballad Airs).

Nic Jones sings Annachie Gordon;
Buchan, it's bonny, oh and there lives my love;
My heart it lies on him, it will not remove.
It will not remove for all that I have done,
Oh never will I forget my love Annachie.

Subject: Lyr Add: ANNACHIE GORDON (from Loreena McKennitt) From: The Villan Date: 18 Jan 05 - 01:44 PM

ANNACHIE GORDON Words and music traditional; arranged and adapted by Loreena McKennitt
Harking is bonny and there lives my love
My heart lies on him and cannot remove
It cannot remove for all that I have done
And I never will forget my love Annachie

Subject: RE: Folklore: annachie gordon, traditional From: Malcolm Douglas Date: 18 Jan 05 - 03:30 PM

Unfortunately, Ms McKennitt doesn't always say where she gets her material. In this case, she seems to have learned it from a Mary Black record ("Harking" was Mary's mis-hearing of "Buchan"). Mary learned the song from Nic Jones (perhaps via her brother Shay) and said so: there is really no excuse for McKennitt's failure to acknowledge the fact that, in the form she recorded it, the song is partly of Nic's making.