Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)

Subject: RE: Trasna na dTonnta
From: Felipa
Date: 07 Nov 22 - 05:21 PM

some of the previous messages in this discussion thread are about an Irish language song to the tune of Westering Home. Here are a couple of useful videos for anyone who wants to learn to sing Trasna na dTonnta:

an online lesson in singing the song https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyiPvDQ6y3c

and here is a recording by Na Casadaigh with lyrics on screen

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: GUEST,Wotcha
Date: 20 Dec 20 - 10:11 PM

Westering Home is used for the Mast Manning ceremony by elements of the Royal Navy. Check out John Noakes Blue Peter attempt in 1967 ... or the 1992 HMS Daedalus demonstration on YouTube ... Don't watch if you get vertigo.

Mast Manning


Cheers

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: Felipa
Date: 23 Oct 20 - 05:14 PM

Everything Dulcimer includes mountain dulcimer tab for Westering Home
https://everythingdulcimer.com/tab/westering_home.pdf (and also has tab for Creag Ghuanach)

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: leeneia
Date: 23 Oct 20 - 02:40 PM

I've printed the sheet music for Westering Home from abcnotation.com

This will make a beautiful song for dulcimer or recorder.

Subject: OOPS -feeling foolish - two songs by Roberton
From: Felipa
Date: 20 Oct 20 - 07:13 PM

Roberton reportedly put the words of Mingulay Boat Song to the tune Lochaber/Creag Ghuanach not the words of Westering Home.
I thought the words didn't fit the Westering Home tune too well! Feeling foolish ... maybe I can get a mudelf to do a major edit and thread switch!
see Mingulay thread

Subject: Creag Ghuanach, tune of Westering Home
From: Felipa
Date: 20 Oct 20 - 06:46 PM

I have read that Roberton used the tune associated with a Gaelic song Creag na Ghuanach for the air of Westering Home. Creag na Ghuanach is a portion of a long tale of hunting, by 16th century bard Dòmhnall mac Fhionnlaigh nan Dàn (Donald MacKinlay MacDonald of the poems/lays)
https://calumimaclean.blogspot.com/2013/09/hunter-bard-donald-mackinlay-of-lays.html Òran na Comhachaig (The Song of the Owl)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/alba/oran/people/domhnall_macdhomhnaill_domhnall_mac_fhionnlaigh_nan_dan/

Wikipedia: "The 'Mingulay Boat Song' is a song written by Sir Hugh S. Roberton (1874–1952) in the 1930s. The melody is described in Roberton's 'Songs of the Isles' as a traditional Gaelic tune, probably titled 'Lochaber'.[1] The tune was part of an old Gaelic song, 'Òran na Comhachaig' (the 'Creag Ghuanach' portion); from Brae Lochaber." [Does anyone reading this post have a copy of Songs of the Isles to verify that this attribution is given in Roberton's book?]

Lyrics with translation
CREAG GHUANACH

Air minn o iom ó ro,
Iom ó agus iom ó ro,
Air minn o, na iom ó ro,
Is aoibhinn leam an diugh na chì.
It is joyful I am today to see you.

Creag mo chridh’-sa a’ chreag Ghuanach,
Crag of my heart is Creag Ghuanach
Chreag an d'fhuair mi greis de m’ àrach;
Crag where I received my upbringing;
Creag nan aighean ’s nan damh siùbhlach,
Crag of the wandering deer and stag,
A' chreag ùrail, aighearach eànach.
The flourishing crag of joy and renown.

Creag mo chrìdh’-s a' chreag Ghuanach,
Crag of my heart is Creag Ghuanach
’S ionmhuinn leum an lòn tha fo a ceann;
Dear to me is the pool below its summit;
Is annsa an lag tha air a cùlaibh,
And more dear the cave behind it
Na machair is mùr nan Gall.
Than a pasture or a hall of the Lowlands.

’S truagh an diugh nach beò an fheadhainn,
It is a pity that today the people are no longer living,
Gun ann ach an ceò de ’n bhuidhinn,
Where now only the mist is plentiful,
Leis ’m bu mhiannach glòir nan gadhar,
Who would have had a keen desire for glory with
their hunting dogs
Gun mheoghail, gun òl, gun bhruidhinn.
There is now no joy, no drinking, no conversation.

"Creag Ghuanach is a hill at the south end of Loch Treig where the bard, Donald MacDonald (or Donald son of Finlay of the poems, as he is known in Gaelic) was raised in the sixteenth century. As well as being a poet he was also a renowned hunter. These are only a few verses from a much larger work of more than fifty verses that he composed as his hunting days were coming to an end."
Tom Colquhoun, Largs Gaelic Choir

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: meself
Date: 19 Aug 20 - 12:02 PM

The event in Winnipeg at which Robertson reportedly performed the song is the type of thing that would have been mentioned in newspapers of the day - just a (probably unhelpful and unnecessary) suggestion; don't know if the old Winnipeg newspapers are on-line .....

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: GUEST,Rossey
Date: 19 Aug 20 - 08:19 AM

Hi Lighter thanks for your observation and information. I made an error in haste myself. It wasn't the BBC producer who heard the song being first performed in Winnipeg, it was the Chairman of Curwen and Co. Annoyingly I can find newspaper mentions of Roberton visiting Canada during the 1926-1938 period - but haven't found one for 1939.

The earliest mention of any UK public performance of Roberton's Westering Home reported in currently available scanned newspapers is mid-1939, which fits with the first publication date given of January 1939.   Still the court case does confirm the previous songs said to have been used as a source. The lyrics though being completely original and fitted to his overall adaptation.

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: Lighter
Date: 19 Aug 20 - 07:40 AM

It looks like there is a source note, way down at the bottom of the page.

But it goes to a genealogy site that gives no source or evidence either.

A respectble source would be something like a quote from Roberton or a close associate or, even better, a pre-1939 mention of Roberton's performing the song.

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: Lighter
Date: 19 Aug 20 - 07:24 AM

Thanks for posting that historical info.

There's no doubt of the 1939 copyright date. (See my post of Jan. 1, 2019).

Obviously it isn't impossible that Roberton was performing the song before that, but Wikipedia gives no assurance that he was.

If the 1920s date was anything more than a guess by the contributor, there should have been a source note.

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: Lighter
Date: 19 Aug 20 - 07:24 AM

Thanks for posting that historical info.

There's no doubt of the 1939 copyright date. (See my post of Jan. 1, 2019).

Obviously it isn't impossible that Roberton was performing the song before that, but Wikipedia gives no assurance that he was.

If the 1920s date was anything more than a guess by the contributor, there should have been a source note.

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: GUEST,Rossey
Date: 18 Aug 20 - 08:57 PM

One last thing, although the date of January 1939 is given for written publication. Perhaps Hugh S. Roberton did indeed first write and have the work performed in the 1920'a. There are records of Roberton going to Winnipeg throughout the mid 1920's-late 1930's. The BBC producer claimed he first heard it performed in Winnipeg. So perhaps Westering Home had been kicking around before the stated court date of formal publication in January 1939.

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: GUEST,Rossey
Date: 18 Aug 20 - 07:37 PM

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.

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: GUEST,Rossey
Date: 18 Aug 20 - 06:23 PM

Just reading a little bit more about it from newspaper reports of the court case. The verse was acknowledged to be derived from Eilean mo Chrìdh' but the estate claimed originality in other aspects. I think tune wise the judge came to the conclusion it was an amalgamation of some works. Curiously, Hugh S. Roberton's 'Westering Home' is stated to have been written on WIKI as being in the 1920's. However, all newspaper reports of the court case give a date of January 1939 as being its first composition and performance dates.

11th May 1960, Birmingham Daily Post
PIANO PLAYED IN HIGH COURT Judge Could Not Read Music For the first time a piano was played in the High Court yesterday and a record player was placed ready for use. Mr. Justice Cross asked for the piano because he cannot read music and wanted to hear the tunes mentioned in an action before him alleging infringement of copyright,,,Plaintiffs claimed injunctions restraining infringement of copyright, and damages. Defendants denied infringements or that plaintiffs' alleged copyright existed. Traveilin' Home had been widely broadcast and Sir Hugh's music had become associated with it in the mind of the public. Westering Home was composed by Sir Hugh in 1939. He had arranged a traditional air, written the accompaniment and had done a certain amount of original composition. There was substantial identity between Sir Hugh's and the defendants' song, which had been written by Mr. Masters and Mr. Rowe. The fact that part of Westering Home closely resembled a traditional air was wholly beside the point. The work was entitled to copyright as a whole. Discussing alleged similarities between the songs, Mr. Shelley said that the letters E.G.B.D.F. had been adapted into a phrase, " Every good barrister deserves fees," so that they would be easier to remember. Judge's Request Then Mr. Justice Cross requested that a miniature piano be brought into court during the midday adjournment. " I cannot read the music and it might be of some assistance if I could hear it," he said. "It might lead to people crowding into court to listen. and I do not want the court to be turned into a concert room, but it might help witnesses to elucidate their answers." Mr. Pointon played the melody of both Westering Home and Travellin' Home, and of three other songs—The Mucking o' Geordie's Byre, Bonnie Strathyre and Eilean Mo Chridh. He played slowly at counsel's request and was thanked by the Judge. Giving evidence, Mr. Kenneth Roberton. of Windmill House, Wendover. Buckinghamshire. one of Sir Hugh's six sons. said Westering Home - was published in January. 1939 and a copy lodged with the British Museum.

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: GUEST,Rossey
Date: 18 Aug 20 - 05:45 PM

I was fascinated to read about the 1960 court case. The Roberton Estate, publishers, Decca, Vera Lynn, the Queens's piper etc, got dragged into a bitter battle over a claim of infringement for the work 'Travelling Home', which Vera Lynn had recorded. The case involved Gaelic singing, piping and a non-musical judge (he had no musical knowledge)! Anyway, the outcome was that it was held that Travelling Home didn't infringe Westering Home's copyright, using an original lyric to what itself was based on earlier known Gaelic and Scottish tunes.   At some stage Hugh S. Roberton had effectively put himself down as arranger of the tune... Sometimes it is who writes down a work in fixed form, to create a copyright. He had died in 1952 so wasn't around to give evidence.   The lyric is still just in copyright, but it's so well known almost everybody has been putting it out as wholly traditional. In a mere 3 years time, under UK law.. this song with Roberton's words and the likes of his Mingulay Boat song will be fully legally traditional (70 years after death of the author).

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: Lighter
Date: 17 Aug 20 - 07:13 PM

The book was reviewed, as new, in the Morning Post (London), July 2, 1885, p. 2.

An American edition was published simultaneously in New York.

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: Lighter
Date: 17 Aug 20 - 07:00 PM

The British Library Catalogue gives a date of "1885" for MacLeod and Boulton's "Songs of the North," vol. 1. There was a "second edition" in 1886.

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: RunrigFan
Date: 17 Aug 20 - 06:23 PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ci54sXA8mE4

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: GUEST,Felipa
Date: 17 Aug 20 - 06:00 PM

In 2016 posted lyrics for Eilean mo Chrìdhe *Scottish Gaelic song of Isle of Skye, but here is a link to another page with the lyrics and a different translation. https://lyricstranslate.com/en/eilean-mo-chrìdh-tha-island-i-love.html

Eilean mo chrìdh' was probably the inspiration for the lyrics of Westering Home. Translator "Michealt" aka Tom Thomson writes "can't say much about the author, as there were several Iain Kaid Macleans in France in 1914 - at least one who died before the end of the war, and at least one who survived until 1935, both Skyemen, and I don't know which of these (if either rather than yet another) was the author." https://lyricstranslate.com

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 01 Jan 19 - 10:58 AM

Bonnie Strathyre is in Songs of the North Vol 1. (Harold Boulton wrote the words to that, as well as Skye Boat Song and Loch Tay Boat Song.)
Westering Home is not in either Vol 1 or Vol 2 (both of which I have, and have checked).
Vol 3 was as rare as hen's teeth: never managed to get a copy. Don't know if it's in there....

As for dates: neither of my volumes gives publication dates nor which edition, but notes in the front of Vol 2 say that it was brought out 10 years after the first edition of Vol 1, during which time 12 editions of Vol 1 had been produced.
Some of the arrangements in Vol 2 say Copyright 1895, whereas those in Vol 1 are undated.

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: Lighter
Date: 01 Jan 19 - 09:17 AM

Thanks, Jack, as always.

Roberton's "Songs of the Isles" (1950, p. 38) credits Roberton himself as the composer of the song itself (copyright 1939), including the lyrics and the tune of the stanzas. But as Roberton is also careful to acknowledge, "Chorus noted from the singing of DONALD McISAAC."

The chorus is probably the best-known part of the song.

Whatever else it's related to, McIsaac's excellent tune is easily recognizable (to us aficionados) as a relative of "The Muckin o Geordie's Byre" as well as of "Denis Murphy's Slide/ The Dark Girl Dressed in Blue."

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: Jack Campin
Date: 31 Dec 18 - 12:50 PM

...and the tune Roberton used was "Bonny Strathyre", which IS in Songs of the North, from the 1870s.

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: Jack Campin
Date: 31 Dec 18 - 12:46 PM

Songs of the North was published before 1900 and Kennedy-Fraser had finished collecting long before anyone born in 1904 could have given her a song.

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: Lighter
Date: 31 Dec 18 - 12:04 PM

I don't see "Westering Home" in the contents of any of Kennedy-Fraser's three volumes of "Songs of the Hebrides" (1909-21).

Could the tune have had another title?

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: John MacKenzie
Date: 31 Dec 18 - 09:11 AM

Festering gnome and a pong in the air ??

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: GUEST,Mary E. McIsaac
Date: 31 Dec 18 - 08:38 AM

Not sure about MJF song collection. May be ‘Songs of the Hebrides’.

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: GUEST,Mary E. McIsaac
Date: 31 Dec 18 - 08:32 AM

Westering Home is in Songs of the North compiled by Marjorie Kennedy Fraser. It is attributed to my Dad, Donald D. McIsaac, a member of Glasgow’s Orpheus Choir. He sang it to Sir Hugh Robertson, the choirmaster, who passed it to MJF to include in her song collection. My Dad, born in 1904 on the Isle of Jura, a mod gold medalist and later choirmaster of Ayr Junior Gaelic Choir often sang this beautiful song at concerts and ceilidhs.

Subject: RE: Tomas Toibin
From: Felipa
Date: 05 Nov 16 - 06:43 AM

http://www.ainm.ie/Bio.aspx?ID=1611 Tomás Tóibín. 1920-2002 = poet, translator and polyglot (employed as a clerk and then as a timire - travelling rep. for Irish language organisation, later as a teacher, a translator for Irish parliament and for the publishers an Gum) He was raised speaking Irish at home, but in a larger English speaking community in Cork. Learned some other languages as an adult. Studied Russian language with the one text he could find, an Orthodox bible. The page doesnt mention Trasna na dTonnta, but does mention that Tomás translated The Limerick Rake into Irish Gaelic.

for readers of Irish language, another article about Tomás Tóibín: http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/2.663/troscan-na-ndanta-1.1049424

I do think he is correctly attributed with the translation of Westering Home as Trasna na dTonnta.

Subject: RE: Trasna na dTonnta
From: Felipa
Date: 05 Nov 16 - 06:15 AM

for anyone wishing to learn the Irish language version, this looks interesting, though I have got speakers or headphones connected to check it out - website includes link for spoken lyrics
http://www.irishpage.com/songs/trasna.htm with link to
sound file http://www.irishpage.com/audio/trasna.mp3 (wasnt available when I tried to access the link though)

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: Felipa
Date: 05 Nov 16 - 06:07 AM

Wikipedia article cited by Learaí na Láibe uses many of the same sentences as http://songsinirish.com/p/trasna-na-dtonnta-lyrics.html

(obviously one is the source for the other or they have a common source(

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: Felipa
Date: 05 Nov 16 - 05:59 AM

thanks for pointing that out, Learaí - I think that's a very erroneous entry in Wikipedia. As mentioned earlier in this thread, a songbook " Amhránleabhar Ógra Éireann" attributes translation to Tomás Tóibín; I've always thought Trasna na dTonnta is a translation of a Scottish song rather than the other way about. I think there is a attribution to translator in "Abair Amhrán" as well.

Have you registered with Wikipedia, Learaí, can you edit? This Tune Search entry seems more authoritative but it also says the air is attributed to Tomás Toibín. I dont have access to the Amhránleabhar but Martin Ryan says TRANSLATION (of words) is attributed. (though Jo, writing in 2012 claimed Trasna na dTonnta was published before Westering Home)

"WESTERING HOME AKA and see: "Trasna na dTonnta," "Eilean Mo Chridhe" (Isle of My Heart). Scottish (originally), Irish; Air, Slow March (6/8 time) and Waltz (3/4 time). G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). One part (Martin): AB (Tubridy). A Scottish chestnut, also popular in Ireland where it appears in a County Donegal Irish Gaelic air (also in a slide version in 12/8 time) as "Trasna na dTonnta," attributed to Tomás Tóibín in Amhránleabhar Ógra Éireann. Many believe the melody of "Westering Home" is a derivative of "Trasna na dTonnta".

However, the chorus of the melody is also said to be based on Harold Boulton's (1859-1935) 1895 Scottish song "Bonnie Strathyre," set to a traditional air he called "Taymouth." Speeded up and in jig time it also resembles "Muckin' o' Geordie's Byre." The song "Westering Home" is by Hugh S. Roberton [1] (1874-1952) who wrote it around 1921..." http://www.taramusic.com/sleevenotes/cd4015.htm

anyone who is a member of tunesearch might correct that reference to Amhránleabhar:

What Martin Ryan wrote earlier in this thread "The Irish Language Song Trasna na dTonnta mentioned earlier is a modern one. It is given in a song book Amhránleabhar Ógra Éireann produced by the Irish Christian Brothers in 1950 with the following ascriptions:
Fonn (air): Westring Home
Tomás Tóibín, d'aistrigh (Translation by Thomas Tobin)."

I think the first publication of Amhránleabhar was 1951.

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: GUEST,Learaí na Láibe
Date: 04 Nov 16 - 03:55 PM

Shouldn't somebody (with better qualifications than me) query the Wikipedia entry on "Trasna na dTonnta" referred to above.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trasna_na_dTonnta

It looks to me more like somebody's erroneous personal opinion than a fact based article.

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Nov 16 - 07:31 PM

The Clancy Brothers and Tommy Makem did a mighty version on the 1966 LP "Isn't It Grand Boys?"

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Nov 16 - 07:54 AM

So are we all agreed that the tune used in Westering Home is traditional or at least in the public domain?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Westering Home
From: GUEST
Date: 07 Aug 16 - 09:18 PM

They love dancing well, that dance barefoot upon thorns.

Subject: RE: Origins: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: Gallus Moll
Date: 07 Aug 16 - 08:50 PM

some islands served by ferries missed off T B's earlier list- -
Iona, burial isle of Scottish kings, lies to the West of Mull (Inner Hebrides / Argyll islands)
Gigha, the garden isle, West of the Kintyre peninsula (Southern Hebrides)

Subject: Lyr add: Eilean Mo Chrídhe
From: Felipa
Date: 07 Aug 16 - 07:08 PM

EILEAN MO CHRIDH' By John Maclean, Glendale, Skye (Eilean a' Cheo, an t-Eilean Sgitheanach) (similar air to Westering Home and Trasna na dTonnta, composed at time of WW1)

'S truagh nach robh mis' ann an Eilean Mo Chrìdh'
Eilean mo ghràidh far an dh'àraicheadh mi,
'S truagh nach robh mis' ann an Eilean mo Chridh',
Eilean nam fuar-bheann àrda.

Ruithinn-se cas-ruisg-t air monadh is fraoch
Nam faighinn-se thairis air aiseag a chaoil,
Rachainn le cabhag gu clachan mo ghaoil,
Do'n dachaidh 's an dh'fhuair mi m' àrach.

'S truagh nach robh mis' ann an Eilean mo Chridh' ...

'S mis' a bhiodh sona nan robh mi an dràsd
Ri taobh na cruaich-mhòna, air cnocan a tàmh;
An ceò-geal bu bhoidhche a lùbadh 'sa snàmh
'S a tuiteam mo ghualain Blath-Bheinn.

'S truagh nach robh mis' ann an Eilean mo Chridh' ...

Dhùrachdainn fuireach le cuideachd mo ghràidh
'S a bhothan aig Uilleam aig tuinne na traigh;
Gu'n éisd bhi òirnn tuile gach oidhche na là,
Ach muir agus monadh a laimh rinn.

'S truagh nach robh mis' ann an Eilean mo Chridh' ...

Chì mi am Meall, agus chì mi an Sgòrr;
Slinnean Churaing agus Binnean an Stòrr,
Healabhal Bheag agus Healabhal Mhòr -
Beul nan Tri-Allt is Geàrraidh.

ISLE OF MY HEART translation

O, would that I were in the Isle of my Heart,
My dear island where I grew up;
O, would that I were in the Isle of my Heart,
Isle of the high cold mountains.

Barefoot I'd run over moorland and heather
If I could cross over the ferry to Kyle,
I would go in a hurry to the village I love
To the home where I was raised.

O, would that I were ...

Content I would be if I were just now
Beside the peat-stack on a hillock at rest
The most beautiful mist, wreathing and swimming
And falling o'er the shoulders of Blath-Bheinn

O, would that I were ...

My wish is to stay with the kin of my heart
In William's wee bothy by the waves on the beach,
Where forever we'd listen each night and each day
With but moorland and sea beside us.

O, would that I were ...

I see the Meall and I see the Sgorr
The side of Quirang and the hills of the Storr
Little Helaval and Big Helaval
The Three Streams delta [mouth of the three streams] and Gearraidh

source: http://www3.sympatico.ca/donaldmacdonald/songs.htm#eilean
----
Lomax collection recording http://research.culturalequity.org/rc-b2/get-audio-detailed-recording.do?recordingId=3148

the only other recordings I found on line were choral.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yep1vrhdTM4

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Westering Home
From: GUEST,keberoxu
Date: 07 Aug 16 - 05:41 PM

Clearances of the Hebrides

Grim stuff, this.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 31 May 14 - 08:18 PM

I also remember learning this song at primary school - in Suffolk (England)- along with Welsh, Irish, English and other Scottish songs. I don't remember "Singing together" but I think we had the "Community Songbook for Schools" book, from which we learned all these songs.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: MartinRyan
Date: 27 May 14 - 08:03 AM

The Irish Language Song "Trasna na dTonnta" mentioned earlier is a modern one. It is given in a song book"Amhránleabhar Ógra Éireann" produced by the Irish Christian Brothers in 1950 with the following ascriptions:
Fonn (air): Westring Home
Tomás Tóibín, d'aistrigh (Translation by Thomas Tobin).

It's followed, incidentally, by "Ag Triall ar Inis Thiar" (Heading for Inishere) which is set to the air of "The Road to the Isles". There were several waves of such adaptations during the attempted revival of Irish.

Regards

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: Edthefolkie
Date: 22 Aug 13 - 06:58 AM

Strange that this thread has been reinvigorated by South Korean injection mouldings!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: Edthefolkie
Date: 22 Aug 13 - 06:50 AM

Crivvens, that song title takes me back.

My piano teacher, Mr Edwards, also ran a choir or two, and my Mum was in one of them. This would be when I was about 11. When he arranged a concert, we all had to go of course, although my Dad was a bit fed up about it.

Mr. Edwards had selected Roberton et al's "Westering Home" as one of the songs. He also decided to sing one of the verses, backed by the ladies "Ah"-ing.

Just before his verse ("Where are the folk like the folk o' the west" etc), he spotted that some kind person had put a glass of red wine in front of him - so he took a wee draught. He choked, spluttered, went bright purple, coughed for about a minute, but eventually managed to get through the verse. Later, we discovered that the "wine" was raspberry vinegar, donated by a well-meaning member of the choir!

Needless to say he never lived it down - my Dad of course had to remind him at every one of my piano lessons.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: ollaimh
Date: 27 Feb 13 - 08:55 PM

i lost my scotts gaidhlig version, does any one have the full scotts gaidhlig version?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: GUEST,Jo
Date: 16 Jun 12 - 05:49 AM

Irish version

    Trasna na dtonnta, dul siar, dul siar,
    Slán leis an uaigneas 'is slán leis an gcian;
    Geal é mo chroí, agus geal í an ghrian,
    Geal bheith ag filleadh go hÉirinn!

    Chonaic mo dhóthain de Thíortha i gcéin,
    Ór agus airgead, saibhreas an tsaoil,
    Éiríonn an croí 'nam le breacadh gach lae
    'S mé druidim le dúthaigh mo mhuintir!

    Ar mo thriall siar ó éirigh mo chroí
    An aimsir go hálainn is tonnta deas réidh
    Stiúradh go díreach go dúthaigh mo chliabh
    'S bheidh mé in Éirinn amárach!

    Muintir an Iarthair 'siad cairde mo chroí,
    Fáilte 'is féile bheidh romham ar gach taobh.
    Ar fhágaint an tsaoil seo, sé ghuidhim ar an Rí
    Gur leosan a shinfear i gcill mé.

Translation of the Irish

    Over the waves, going west, going west!
    Good-bye to loneliness and to the distant remoteness;
    Bright is my heart and bright is the sun,
    Happy to be returning to Ireland!

    I saw my fill of countries abroad,
    Gold and silver, the wealth of the world,
    My heart rises in me with the break of each day,
    As I draw closer to the land of my people!

    On my journey - oh! my heart rises!
    The weather is beautiful and the waves are settled
    Steering directly to land of my bosom
    And I'll be in Ireland tomorrow!

    People of the West, they're the friends of my heart,
    Welcome and celebration awaits me on every side.
    Leaving this life I pray to the Lord
    That it's with them I'll be stretched in the graveyard!

The 20th century Scottish song Westering Home may be derived from it

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: GUEST,Jo
Date: 16 Jun 12 - 05:48 AM

For the full further details Click here

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: GUEST,Jo
Date: 16 Jun 12 - 05:44 AM

I'm really very sorry to burst all of your bubbles on this point but Trasna na dTonnta is older than Westering Home. The clue is in the fact that we know the author, year it was written and first recorded for Westering Home. The Traditional Donegal Song is so old we don't know who wrote it. There are very old recordings of this song that predate Westering Home. But then there is so much musical history shared by Donegal, Rathlin, The North Coast of Ireland and the Scottish Ilses I'm sure there must be a shared history of the melody due to their once very close trade relationship. A bit like the song Fear a'Bhata. Hope this helps, Jo

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: GUEST,Jo
Date: 16 Jun 12 - 05:36 AM

I'm really very sorry to burst all of your bubbles on this point but Trasna na dTonnta is older than Westering Home. The clue is in the fact that we know the author, year it was written and first recorded for Westering Home. The Traditional Donegal Song is so old we don't know who wrote it. There are very old recordings of this song that predate Westering Home. Hope this helps, Jo

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: GUEST,SRD
Date: 16 Sep 11 - 04:04 PM

I'm pretty certain Westering Home was one of the songs I learnt at school during Singing Together or somesuch. I hope Aunty paid her dues.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: GUEST
Date: 16 Sep 11 - 10:18 AM

I've played this song many times at gigs, in each of my bands. I first heard it on an old record that my mum would play when I was only 7 years old. When Judith the music teacher sang and played the piano I was telling all my friends about the song and none of them had heard it at all. In 1997 i bought a Robert Wilson CD, and this song and Bonny Strathyre were on it, and when i hear them they have the same start of they do not end quite the same. Westering home has been played in lots of medleys of that we've done since 2001 when we were the Bravehearts to now when I play solo.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Westering Home (Hugh Roberton)
From: doc.tom
Date: 18 Apr 11 - 06:14 AM

Definitely Scottish. Definitely Hugh Roberton - as were many texts set to traditional Scottish airs. My father, to whom Hugh Roberton gave a gold medal for his singing of Braes of Balquidder at the old Edinburgh Festival, back in the 1920s, used to say that Hugh translated many gaelic texts as well - any confirmation?