Lyr Req: Gallant ninety-twa, from ord's book

Subject: Gallant ninety-twa, from ord's book
From: GUEST,JM
Date: 14 Apr 01 - 05:30 PM

Hello, can anyone provide me with the words to "Gallant Ninety-twa" as sung by Archie Fisher on"Will Ye Gang Love"? Its a fairly longish lyric, but AF has it from the line"Ye lads of Avon and the Spey, of Deveronside, and Bogie gay, and lands by Dee and Don..." I have seen the piece in Ord's book from earlier in the last century. I was unable to write it down at the time, and have found the book difficult to come by. If you can provide me with the lyric, I'd be grateful.

JM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Gallant ninety-twa, from ord's book
From: GUEST,Bruce O.
Date: 14 Apr 01 - 07:31 PM

I got tired of going to a distant library to look at it. I just ordered the 1995 reprint for $14 from Alibris.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE GALLANT NINETY-TWA
From: Big Tim
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 06:42 AM

From Ord, it's a long type, but...

THE GALLANT NINETY-TWA

Brave Ninety-twa, I've read your story,
A valour tale of fadeless glory,
For brave auld Scotia braw,
Won by her mountain sons of fame,
You've laurel-wreathed auld Scotland's name,
Brave, gallant Ninety-twa.

Reared 'mong these glens' mid which I stand,
The brave heroic Gordons stand,
Wi' stern and dauntless front,
On mony a rude and bloody field,
Where thousands from their bayonets reeled,
Bore fiercest battle's brunt.

True kilted heroes o' the north,
Weel may auld Scotia praise your worth,
An' cheer your noble arms,
She lo'es her kilted sodgers a',
But nane mair than the Ninety-twa,
Her martial ardour warms.

Frae Maya's Pass and dark Pyr'nees,
Your cheers came' on the homeward breeze,
To mony a Highland glen,
An' there round the old peat fires,
Your brithers brave and hoary sires,
A' hardy, stalwart men.

Looked sternly up wi' pridefu' mien,
Ne'er shamed to claim you as their ain,
When battle news cam' hame,
An' aft the reekly rafters rang,
Wi' warlike pibroch, loud and lang,
To cheer your martial fame.

The lads o' Avon and the Spey,
O' Deveronside and Bogie gay,
An' glens by Dee and Don,
Hae won your noble tartans braw,
And raised the Gordons wild hurrah,
On fields right stoutly won.

Red Waterloo, beyond a' praise,
Your valour there burst to a blaze,
In bayonet charges free,
An' when the Grey's wi' warlike cry,
O' Scotland's name went cheering by,
You joined the wild melee.

The veteran Frenchmen, thousands deep,
Fled 'fore your charge like stricken sheep,
Your bayonets redly shone,
While wild the grand auld pibroch blew,
The French retreat from Waterloo,
An' British victory won.

Through dark Majuba's blunder sore,
Ye bore your dauntless mien of yore,
An' only bowed to death,
Had but the Boers braved your steel,
They'd had another tale to tell,
A tale o' wae and skaith.

March loudly on, brave ninety-twa,
The gallant Gordons leal and braw,
The bravest of the brave,
We know the record of your fame,
An' lang may Scotland lo'e your name,
An' you her honour prove.

Frae oor green glens fu' many a son,
O' brave auld kilted Caledon,
'S gane forth to ne'er return,
An' while your famous deeds we hail,
Loud let the wailing pibroch tell,
For those who fell we mourn.

They fell amidst the bloody fray,
On many a fierce and fateful day,
By ball and bayonet keen,
But 'midst these northern glens o' oors,
We'll keep their fame thro' coming years,
Untarnished, fresh and green.

HTML line breaks added. --JoeClone, 1-Jun-02.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Gallant ninety-twa, from ord's book
From: GUEST,JM
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 08:05 AM

Thanks for taking the time Big Tim!

Aw 'ra best,

JM

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Gallant ninety-twa, from ord's book
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 02:31 PM

I've made a midi of the tune from the notation in Ord's book (as Bruce mentioned, the reprint is still available: John Donald [Edinburgh] 1995, ISBN 0 85976 303 X).  It's the length of two verses as printed by Ord, incidentally.  Until it appears at the  Mudcat Midi Pages,  it may be heard via the  South Riding Folk Network  site:

The Gallant Ninety Twa

Malcolm

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Gallant ninety-twa, from ord's book
From: wildlone
Date: 15 Apr 01 - 05:19 PM

A brief note
From reading this through I would say that this was written after 1881 as it seems to have the 92nd as the Gordon's, before 1881 it was the 92nd Highland regt. It then became the 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders.
My source for this info was The Battle Honours of the British and Commonwealth Armies.
dave