Lyr Req: Dumbarton's Drums

Subject: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: Zipster
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 08:11 AM

I was at a dinner the other night at which Jim Renwick spoke. (How we could have used someone with his class and determination on Saturday, sorry its a rugby thing, I don't mean to bore)

They had singers between speakers which is apparently a borders tradition. An older gentleman gave a great rendition of this lovely song, which I am not convinced I'd heard before. Just wanted to know a bit about the origin of the song. Digitrad has the legend "From Orpheus Caledoneus, Thomson (1733)" but I know no more.

Anyone able to cast any light on it?

I'd be delighted to have the guitar chords if anyone has them

Thanks

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 08:27 AM

Lyrics and chords in the DigiTrad Here

Murray

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: Kernow John
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 08:29 AM

Dumbarton's(C)drums, they sound so (G)bonny
When they remind me of my (C)Jeannie
Such fond de(F)light can steal (C)upon me
When Jeanie (G7)kneels and sings to(C) me

Off the top of me head but I think they are close.
KJ

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: Kernow John
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 08:31 AM

I should have checked first. We cross posted Murray
KJ

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: Murray MacLeod
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 08:39 AM

Your post is probably more valuable Jon as you show where the chord changes are occur .... also C is a more appropriate key for a man to sing it in, although it is a song mostly sung by women (in which case G would be more likely)

Murray

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: Zipster
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 08:41 AM

Sorry Murray, I didn't see that on my search. Thanks for that. But anyone able to tell me anything about the history/background of the song?

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: GUEST,MC Fat
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 09:20 AM

I have to tell you all I was born in Dumbarton and it disnae have any drums nor is it very bonny. In fact there are a dearth of songs mentioning the town. Unless you lot out there know better.....

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: Zipster
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 09:30 AM

Surprised to hear that, the West can usually produce drums when required.

Fantastic castle, only castle in Scotland that Mon's Meg had fired on.

Great view down the Clyde the worlds finest river. Distilleries, bonds and bottling plants.

The mouth of the Leven, Scotland's second fastest river, views to Ben Lomond

The Kilpatrick Hills for "courting".

Come on what's not bonny about that?

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 10:14 AM

The Beers family version in DT is actually a lot better that the original in 'Orpheus Caledonius'.

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: GUEST,MC Fat
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 11:08 AM

I was born in Dumbarton and am 'a Son of the Rock' , however I was brung up in the beautiful Vale of Leven. Spent formative years by the Bonnie Banks of Loch Lomond and realise how bloody lucky I was 'but that was long ago that's not now'. Still think apart from the Castle that if the bomb dropped on Dumbarton it would cause abot 2 quid's worth of damage.

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: Zipster
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 12:11 PM

My Gran was in Main St Alexandria, just along from Galoni's cafe.

I take your point about Dumb. But there's good in every thing I once went out with a really nice girl from Brucehill. (I was sooo tempted to put an exclamation mark there, but its one of my New Years Resolutions)

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: Zipster
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 12:16 PM

Sorry, I've just realised that I'm to blame for the thread creeping.

I do want to know about the song

Subject: Lyr/Tune Add: DUMBARTON'S DRUMS
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 02:43 PM

[from Orpheus Caledonius, II, p. 16, 1733}

Dumbarton's Drums

^^^

Dumbarton's Drums beat bonny--O,
When they mind me of my dear Jonny--O,
How happy am I,
When my Soldier is by,
While he kisses and blesses his Annie--O!
'Tis a Soldier alone can delight me--O!
For his graceful Looks do invite me--O:
While guarded in his Arms,
I'll fear no War's Alarms,
Neither Danger nor Death shall e'er fright me--O.

My Love is a handsome Laddie--O,
Genteel, but ne'er foppish nor gaudy--O:
Tho' Commissions are dear,
Yet I'll but him one this Year;
For he shall serve no longer a Cadie--O.
A Soldier has Honour and Braverry--O,
Unacquainted witth Rogues and their Knavery--O:
He minds no other thing,
But the Ladies or the King;
For every other Care is but Slavery--O.

Then I'll be the Captain's Lady--O,
Farewell all my Friends and my Daddy--O;
I'll wait no more at home,
But I'll follow with the Drum,
And whene'er that beats, I'll be ready--O.
Dumbarton's Drums sound bonny--O,
They are sprightly like my dear Jonny--O:
How happy shall I be,
When on my Soldier's Knee,
And he kisses and blesses his Annie--O!

X:1
T:Dumbarton's Drums
S:Orpheus Caledonius, 1733
Q:120
L:1/4
M:C|
K:Dm
F/G/|A3/2 c/ A/c/ A/G/|FccB/ A/|G/F/ G/ A/ B/A/ G/F/|\
Deec/d/|ff/ g/ a/g/ f/ d/|c/A/ c/ d/ fF/ A/|\
G/A/ f/ d/ c/A/ G/ F/|Cdd||c/ d/|ff/ g/ a/b/ a/ g/|\
faag/ f/|g/f/ f/a/ b/a/ g/f/|dggf/d/|\
c/ d/ f/ g/ a/g/ f/d/|c/ A/ c/ d/ ff/ g/|\
a/g/ f/ d/ c/A/ G/ F/|Ddd|]

WBO

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: MMario
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 02:47 PM

BRUCE! Bless you sir!

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 03:39 PM

There is some background information in this previous discussion:  Dumbarton's Drums-History?

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: musicmick
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 04:22 PM

I first heard Dumbarton's Drums at the Fox Hollow Festival in the late 60s. Bob "Fiddler" Beers performed it with his wife, Eveline, and his daughter, Martha (we called her Martie). It was so splendedly haunting in melody and lyric that we all started singing it. The festival performers were allowed to camp on the grounds and the after concert sings were to be believed. I will never forget crowding into a gazebo to sing Dumbarton's Drums with the Dildines, the Patons, the Armstrongs, Ed Trickit, Jean Redpath, Gordon Bok, Bruce Phillips and so many other great singers. Mike Miller

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 08:02 PM

You guys are just the best. I tried to explain to the old fellow that sang it that he had given me a song as I would go off and learn it. Mudcat makes these kind of things possible.Heartfelt thanks to you all.

Guest, that notation of the music isn't anything I recognise. Is there something I can read to explain it to an ignorant soul like me?

Malcolm that old thread, (I really should learn how to search these properly), has given me a level of insight that I think a song deserves.

Mike thanks for sharing your memory I got a (little) taste of what that must have been like.

yours aye

Roger

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: MMario
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 08:14 PM

Roger -the notation is ABC notation - there are links to it in the FAQ thread

There is a lot of information about ABC on the web - it is a text based method for transmiting tunes. There are also a lot of different programs available to render it into standard notation. See the abc home page

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 08:23 PM

Cheers MMario, I'll do exactly that

(Zipster without cookie)

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: bflat
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 11:29 PM

In my song circle we do this with three guitars. One plays the chords arpeggio; another alternating base notes and the third in a drum like rythem. The combination is very effective. We have only sung it from a female point of view. I'm going to bring these lyrics to the circle. But, truth is they hate to consider changing a song that they have been doing for a zillion years one way. I like to stir the pot a bit.

Ellen

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: GUEST
Date: 04 Feb 02 - 11:31 PM

Here's a midi file Pretty tune.

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: GUEST,MC Fat
Date: 05 Feb 02 - 04:24 AM

Bloody hell Zipster !!! Galoni's Cafe. Best Ice Cream in Scotland !!! It used a lot on period TV dramas and films. Right next door was a wonderful boozer known locally as 'Louis' but the sign said the 'Old Vale Bar'

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: Zipster
Date: 05 Feb 02 - 07:12 AM

MC I agree no-one could beat Galoni's ice-cream. Cracking interior, as changing rooms has taught me to say. I didn't know it had beed used in films and stuff, can you remember which ones, I'm sure my mum (Vale Academy pre-war, with Jackie Stewart's brother Ian if I remember correctly) would be chuffed to know.

Its a couple of years since I've been by that way. I tried to take my kids there but it seemed to have closed.

Many happy memories of walks to the fountain and playing in Christy Park.

I don't know why I'm getting dewey-eyed, I'm only in Edinburgh, I guess I could go back, it's just the last time I was through it was sooo sh*tty compared to how I remembered it.

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: GUEST,MC Fat
Date: 05 Feb 02 - 07:18 AM

Not sure what it's been on but it's certainly been used in television drama series. As has Dumbarton County Library HQ it was used in the 'Prime of Miss Jean Brodie' and the whole of the Vale and Dumbarton appeared on that drama the other year with Kate Murphy and Colin Firth running a bus company.Galoni's definately beat Palombo's in the ice cream wars. I know what you mean about being dewy eyed. My mum and dad died within 8 months of each other about 6 years ago and I've got no need to go back which is a shame

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: Zipster
Date: 05 Feb 02 - 07:29 AM

Sorry to hear that.

Perhaps best just to have the happy memories.

I remember my Gran and (great) auntie being excited when "Take the High Road" started. I guess they thought Luss would be the Scottish Hollywood.

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: bflat
Date: 05 Feb 02 - 08:46 AM

Nice midi file. Thank you, Guest.

Ellen

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: Zipster
Date: 05 Feb 02 - 08:59 AM

I can't play midis can you advise what software I need bflat?

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: Bill D
Date: 05 Feb 02 - 10:06 AM

??? there should be a default MIDI player in almost any computer, but if you really don't have one, WinAmp is about as good a player as you could want...and it does lots of other things too....

get it at http://www.winamp.com/

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: Zipster
Date: 05 Feb 02 - 12:54 PM

Bill thanks for your help

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Feb 02 - 03:36 PM

Picked up that midi now. Really good to hear.I guess I'll always associate this song with you guys at Mudcat. Thanks again, first song I ever learned off the internet

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: GUEST,Guest who is Luke
Date: 05 Feb 02 - 05:19 PM

I was in the gazeebo too. Were we there together?

Luke

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Feb 02 - 05:26 PM

Luke, you never left the gazebo. Not really

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From:
Date: 05 Feb 02 - 06:31 PM

Hey there, The Beers family calls it Dumbarton's Drums as in plural. Don't know if that applies. They say in the LP liner notes (DUMBARTON'S DRUMS, COLUMBIA CS 9472) "This old Scottish love song has been a trademark of the Sullivan clan for generations." They also say "the song was much too long for practical use" (!) --notes by Robert Beers, song was a reissue or rerecording for above release. This version was 2:45 Good hunting RUSS HOGAN

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: GUEST
Date: 05 Feb 02 - 10:35 PM

Thanks Russ, I've seen elsewhere (the link further up teh thread) that it is also associated with the Douglases. According to that info its about the Earl of Dumbarton's drummer, hence the sungular would seem more appropriate. Don;t know though, its a reallynice song, can't understand why i hadn't heard it before.

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: Zipster
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 07:28 AM

If anyone is interested my mother was telling me that Dumbarton's Drum is also a dance. I'll find out if its either of the tunes of the songs.

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: Malcolm Douglas
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 07:57 AM

See the entry at the  DanceData World-Wide-Web Interface:

Dumbarton's Drums

Subject: RE: Help: 'Dumbarton's Drum'
From: Zipster
Date: 06 Feb 02 - 08:09 AM

Damn but your good. It's a cracking site as well, I'll let me maw know. She and my dad are awful ones for the birrling.