Tune Req: Mary of Argyll

Subject: Bonny Mary of Argyll
From: GUEST,Woody Wood
Date: 03 Jul 07 - 11:18 AM

Hello Folk fans

I need to hear the tune for this... booked for a wedding and the bride & groom have requested it

Subject: RE: Bonny Mary of Argyll
From: Jim Lad
Date: 03 Jul 07 - 11:29 AM

Mary of Argyle
Slow it down a wee bit though. Hold the odd note at the end of a line & inject some feeling.

Subject: RE: Bonny Mary of Argyll
From: JennieG
Date: 04 Jul 07 - 12:43 AM

My mother used to sing this song, her name was Mavis - used to drive us mad when we were kids as she only knew the first two lines!

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: Bonny Mary of Argyll
From: Roger the Skiffler
Date: 04 Jul 07 - 09:35 AM

Family legend has it that one of my mother's, very prim and proper,aunts who didn't drink- but sherry didn't count- had too much at a family gathering (wedding or funeral) and suddenly in a moment of hush sat up, said, with her hat cocked over one eye: "I'm going to sing Bonny Mary of Argyll" and did so to general amazement. Saying passed into family folklore for someone getting up to perform!

RtS

Subject: RE: Bonny Mary of Argyll
From: JennieG
Date: 04 Jul 07 - 09:01 PM

LOL! good one Roger

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: Bonny Mary of Argyll
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 04 Jul 07 - 09:57 PM

See old thread LYR/MUS ADD: Mary of Argyle, which includes the melody in abc format, though it neglects to credit the writers of the song and suggests, quite wrongly, that there was some unnamed 'American lady' involved.

Undated sheet music published in America can be seen at The Lester Levy Sheet Music Collection:

Mary of Argyle. A Favorite Scotch Song for the Piano-forte or Guitar

Words by Charles Jefferies, music by Sidney Nelson, c.1855. They also wrote 'The Rose of Allendale' and other successful songs of the era but, to the chagrin of some compilers of popular Scottish Song anthologies, they weren't Scottish.

Subject: RE: Bonny Mary of Argyll
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 12:31 AM

"Mary of Argyle" appeared in sheet music as "Mary of Argyle, with variations, op. 211" by Charles Grobe, 1852; Couenhoven, Scull & Co., Philadelphia. In the folio the melody was subtitled "Melodies of the People, no. 5."
Other sheet music for piano, James Bellak, again without lyrics, is dated 1855.
(The above at American Memory)

The sheet music at Levy Sheet Music, cited by Malcolm Douglas, is dated 1864, printed George Dunn, Richmond, VA (date in fine print on the cover).
There were several unattributed song sheets published by De Marsan, Andrews etc. (American Memory).
All copies at American Memory were printed in the U. S., although the melody is called "Scotch" on one or two.

The Bodleian Library has several undated sheets, no author cited, printed in England, which they attribute to Charles Jeffries.

The National Library of Scotland, The Word on the Street - http://www.nls.uk/broadsides/highlights_ballads.html - comments:
"Bonnie Mary of Argyle" is one of the best-known of Scottish ballads. It was written by two Englishmen, Charles Jeffries (1807-1865) (words) and Sidney Nelson (1800-1862) (music). It is not known when it was first published - possibly during the 1850s."
"The Mary in question was Robert Burns beloved 'Highland Mary' (Mary Campbell, 1763-1786) born in Dunoon. ....."
The broadside was published by James Lindsay, Glasgow (a late printing, 1860 or later).
Highlights

Subject: RE: Bonny Mary of Argyll
From: Jim Lad
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 03:09 AM

All great information but did the guest ever come back?

Subject: RE: Bonny Mary of Argyll
From: GUEST,Woody Wood
Date: 05 Jul 07 - 03:39 AM

Thanks to Malcolm and Q

All sorted...and now we can make the bride's day complete.

That's show business folks.

Subject: RE: Bonny Mary of Argyll
From: GUEST,Murray on Saltspring
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 02:54 AM

The Word on the Street is not necessarily accurate I'm afraid, and in this case you shouldn't take their word for it that Mary was Burns's Mary Campbell. At the same time I admit the song is often attributed to Burns because of the 'connection'.

Subject: RE: Bonny Mary of Argyll
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 03:07 PM

Just quoting the nls write-up; any quote without documentation is suspect.

Subject: RE: Bonny Mary of Argyll
From: Jim Lad
Date: 06 Jul 07 - 03:11 PM

Well: I think Burns can claim at least half of the responsibility for any confusion surrounding any works associated with his name.