The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #1278   Message #4068771
Posted By: GUEST,Rossey
18-Aug-20 - 07:37 PM
Thread Name: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
11th May 1960..Birmingham Daily Post... continued.. He (Kenneth Roberton), worked closely with his father, who took great interest in Gaelic music, through which his father came to hear Eilean mo Chridh, a traditional tune. He had partly based Westering Home on the tune. and the verse section was his original composition. He had also written the lyric. The chairman of Curwen and Son Ltd., Mr. Maurice Racobson, said he had no doubt that Sir Hugh composed the verse section of Westering Home. It was first sung at a Scots gathering in Winnipeg while he and Sir Hugh were adjudicating there. Several old Scots had a very good "stab" at the refrain. but had to be taught the verse, which was clearly unknown to them. Three Minor Differences Dr. Herbert Sieman, of Edinburgh, head of Scottish music for the BBC. said he had never heard the verse section of Westering Home before he saw the published copy. He considered that the verse had been specially composed. He did not think the similarity between the second parts of Westering Home and Travellin'Home had come about by chance. " There are 39 notes in the second half and there are only three minor differences between them," he added. * Note this was only to do with the tune. obviously both lyrics had their own copyrights, the case was over the originality of the tune, and right to set fresh lyrics to it.   As stated earlier the Roberton case failed, as both were held to have been based on similar sources - and it had been claimed as a tune arrangement..not original copyright.