MacDonald Fraser: beautiful tunes

Subject: MacDonald Fraser: beautiful tunes
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 25 Dec 09 - 01:22 AM

George MacDonald Fraser, author of the distinguished military history novels featuring the notorious anti-hero Flashman resuscitated from Tom Brown's Schooldays, also wrote a series of semi-autobiographical short stories of the life of an officer in a Highland regiment just after WWii, featuring Lt Dand McNeil [his own alter ego] and the dirtiest, most inept soldier in the British army, Pte MacAuslan. In one of these he mentions that, on the way to the mess on mess nights, one of his fellow officers would chant, to the tune of 'The Battle Of The Somme': "See us the key or I'll roar up your lobby" [note: 'See us' is Glasgow dialect for 'Give us']. I used to correspond with him about his books, especially his quite frequent folk references, tho we never actually met; and he invariably replied most courteously. I asked him, therefore, if there were any more words to this fragment [there weren't so far as he knew, he said, but it was based on what was actually sung by one of his fellow-officers in the Gordon Highlanders]; and I asked also whether he did not agree that 'The Battle Of The Somme' was one of the most beautiful of tunes — he did.

Two questions: 1. Does anyone else know this fragment and is there any more of it?
2. What are your nominations for most beautiful tune? - I would add O'Carolan's 'Sheebeg and Sheemore' to my list.

Subject: RE: MacDonald Fraser: beautiful tunes
From: cptsnapper
Date: 25 Dec 09 - 03:29 AM

Ashokan Farewell, King Of The Fairies, Michael Turner's Waltz

Subject: RE: MacDonald Fraser: beautiful tunes
From: michaelr
Date: 25 Dec 09 - 12:02 PM

"Cape Clear" gets my vote. Here it is On guitar.

Subject: RE: MacDonald Fraser: beautiful tunes
From: Sandy Mc Lean
Date: 25 Dec 09 - 12:54 PM

The Bonnie Lass of Head Lake

BONNIE LASS

Subject: RE: MacDonald Fraser: beautiful tunes
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 13 Apr 10 - 01:54 PM

Refresh ~~ anyone know any more of these words to Battle Of The Somme?

~Michael~

Subject: RE: MacDonald Fraser: beautiful tunes
From: Lighter
Date: 13 Apr 10 - 05:05 PM

Beautiful tunes suggested by the sea shanty thread:

Shenandoah
Santy Anna
Haul Away, Joe

Also MacColl's "Derry Down" tune for "The Dreadnaught" and "La Pique."

And Doerflinger's "Flying Cloud."

Subject: RE: MacDonald Fraser: beautiful tunes
From: alex s
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 05:42 AM

The Lovers' Waltz

Subject: RE: MacDonald Fraser: beautiful tunes
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 14 Apr 10 - 06:16 AM

Many thanx 4 all these luvverly-choon suggestions. But why I posted this thread primarily was to find out more about the Gordon Highlanders young officer's words to The Battle Of The Somme.

Once again ~~ anybody know anything about that?

~Michael~

Subject: RE: MacDonald Fraser: beautiful tunes
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 01:34 PM

Refresh, to repeat this last question. Never know your luck.

~Michael~

Subject: RE: MacDonald Fraser: beautiful tunes
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 01:58 PM

Hello, M. (May I call you M?)

Is this it?

http://lyricstranslate.com/en/Dubliners-Luke-Kelly-Battle-o-Somme-lyrics.html

Subject: RE: MacDonald Fraser: beautiful tunes
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 02:07 PM

Dear L: Of course you may call me M.

Thanks for these lyrics. V interesting, but do not seem to contain the line "See us the key or I'll roar up your lobby" which are the actual subject of my search ~~ as sung, to the tune of the pipe air 'The Battle Of The Somme' by George MacDonald Fraser's fellow subaltern on the way to the mess for dinner in about 1946 ~~ see my OP.

It is any more lyrics or lines or verses to that which I seek.

~Michael~

Subject: RE: MacDonald Fraser: beautiful tunes
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 21 Feb 11 - 02:33 PM

Here is a youtube link to Battle of the Somme tune

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jI-0qpXmqoA&feature=related

[Hope it works. The clickie genie never seems to appear however hard I rub the lamp!]

Subject: RE: MacDonald Fraser: beautiful tunes
From: GUEST,Joel
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 12:27 PM

Michael, is it possible that Fraser's soldiers were improvising a parody and the words they were using weren't established anywhere else? Never underestimate the obscene creativity of drunken highland soldiers.

BTW, let me express my envy that you got to correspond with the great man. I soaked up his books at every opportunity, but never got to express my thanks.

Subject: RE: MacDonald Fraser: beautiful tunes
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 01:45 PM

This was not a drunken Highland soldier, but a fellow officer on way to mess dinner ~~ i.e. before had had time for a drink.

Glad to find a fellow Fraser enthusiast, Joel.

~Michael~

Subject: RE: MacDonald Fraser: beautiful tunes
From: maeve
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 03:09 PM

MtheGM's clicky

Subject: RE: MacDonald Fraser: beautiful tunes
From: MGM·Lion
Date: 22 Feb 11 - 05:06 PM

Many thanks, Maeve! Don't know why I find clickies so unco-operative.

Anyhow, now you can hear how well those nonsense words "See us the key or I'll roar up your lobby" fit the first phrase of the tune. But that's all; still feel there must be some more of it somewhere.

~M~