Origins: The Wee Lass on the Brae

Subject: The Wee Lass on the Brae
From: Deskjet
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 04:44 PM

I've tried the lyric search and came across an incomplete account. Does anyone have the words to the version as sung by Triona and Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill?Thanks in advance.

Subject: Lyr Add: THE WEE LASS ON THE BRAE
From: GUEST,HP
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 06:34 PM

Not sure if the version below is the exact one you're looking for, but it's the one I know!

THE WEE LASS ON THE BRAE

As I as a-walking one bright summer's day.
Oh the fields were in blossom and the meadows were gay.
I met a wee lassie tripping over the green.
And I took her for Helen, the Grecian queen.
The Grecian queen, the Grecian queen.
And I took her for Helen, the grecian queen.

She's admired by many others and I know them right well.
Each morning to view the sweet spot where she dwells.
Beneath the arbour at the foot of yonder hill.
Oh may she never marry but think on me still.

My parents dote on me and it's all for their sake.
And its oftimes it causes my poor heart for to break.
But the more I think on her, it's the more I will say.
That's there's no one will be mine but the wee lass on the brae.

In faith there is a decline under yon forest sky.
And it's straight to the arms of my true love I'll fly.
If the night were as long as a long summer's day.
Then I'd cheerfully sit with the wee lass on the brae.

So it's fare thee well me darling, I love you the best.
And may you be happy and may you be blest.
And may you think on me while I am far away.
For there's no one will be mine but the wee lass on the brae.

The words come from the singing of several people - Patricia Flynn, Jim McFarland etc - and might well vary from printed versions, but I think they are approximately standard!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Wee Lass on the Brae
From: Herga Kitty
Date: 17 Jul 02 - 07:23 PM

I originally learnt this off an over-engineered recording by Triona ni Dhobhnail, and have also compared notes with the versions by Patricia Flynn, Jim McFarland and Moira Craig.

The structure of the 5 verses is the same in all of them, but there are textual variations in the verses.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Wee Lass on the Brae
From: Deskjet
Date: 18 Jul 02 - 05:43 AM

Great stuff.Thanks

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Wee Lass on the Brae
From: MMario
Date: 17 Apr 03 - 01:50 PM

tune?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Wee Lass on the Brae
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 18 Apr 03 - 09:33 AM

That wasn't an over-engineered version by Triona ni Dhomhnaill. That was a charming version by Triona and her aunt. I have the album. In the second verse, they sing "beneath the hawthorn," not "beneath the arbour," and I think it fits better. It is more natural to sing haw-THORN than ar-BOUR, don't you think?

My husband and I like to sing this song for St Patrick's Day, although I ran the words through my folk-processor first.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Wee Lass on the Brae
From: Joe Offer
Date: 14 Jun 21 - 03:19 PM

Joe - do cleanup

Subject: RE: Origins: The Wee Lass on the Brae
From: leeneia
Date: 14 Jun 21 - 11:28 PM

I recall Triona saying that her family learned the song from the singing of an old man on an obscure Irish folk-music program on the radio in Ireland, where she grew up.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Wee Lass on the Brae
From: leeneia
Date: 14 Jun 21 - 11:29 PM

Tune is on the way. Watch this site for next couple of days.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Wee Lass on the Brae
From: Reinhard
Date: 14 Jun 21 - 11:36 PM

Roud 9483, with two entries citing sound recordings from 1952 and 1983.

Not listed in the Traditional Ballad Index

Subject: RE: The Wee Lass on the Brae
From: Felipa
Date: 15 Jun 21 - 12:51 PM

as sung by Jim McFarland https://www.itma.ie/digital-library/sound/wee_lass_on_the_brae_jim_macfarland

Subject: RE: Origins: The Wee Lass on the Brae
From: leeneia
Date: 15 Jun 21 - 01:12 PM

I've sent the NWC file to Joe for posting here. It has both the melody and harmony parts. The song has a big range, and the alto sings melody when the melody is comfortably low, then drops to lower notes as needed.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Wee Lass on the Brae
From: MartinNail
Date: 15 Jun 21 - 07:20 PM

Triona and Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill sang this on Triona's Gael-Linn LP 'Triona' (CEF 043, 1975), reissued on CD as CEF CD 043.

I don't have the LP, but the notes to the CD probably just reprint the LP notes. They say:

"Very little is known about this song, save that it was learnt from the singing of an old Tyrone man, on a BBC recording. It was at times hard to make out the words, but here we have a fairly coherent version. Although not a song of any great consequence, it retains a lot of charm and has a very pleasant air."

The recording in question must be the one of Peter Donnelly, recorded in Castle Caulfield, Co. Tyrone, in 1952. It's listed in the Roud index here:
The Lass on the Brae.

All the versions I've ever heard derive directly or indirectly from the Ni Dhomhnaill version.

Martin

Subject: RE: Origins: The Wee Lass on the Brae
From: MartinNail
Date: 16 Jun 21 - 07:04 AM

Sorry, that link should be The Lass on the Brae. Moral: remember to check preview before sending.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Wee Lass on the Brae
From: MartinNail
Date: 17 Jun 21 - 06:07 AM

The original poster asked for the words to the version as sung by Triona and Maighread Ni Dhomhnaill. So here they are, as printed in the notes to the CD, which I think are a pretty accurate transcription of what is actually sung. The repetitions of the last line of each verse are not in the transcription but should be obvious.

Thw Wee Lass on the Brae

Once I roved out on a fine summer's day,
The fields were in blossom and the meadows were gay
I spied a wee lassie trippin' over the green,
And I took her for Helen that Grecian queen.

She's admired by others and I know them right well,
Every morning to view that sweet spot where she dwells,
Beneath the hawthorn at the brink on yon hill
May she never marry but think on me still.

Ah me parents died on me and it's all for their sake,
And oftimes it causes my poor heart to break,
But the more I think on them all the more I will say,
That's there's no one will be mine but the wee lass on the Brae.

Oh and faith there's a decline over yon faroff sky,
It's off to my darling like lightning I'll fly,
If the night was as long as a long summer's day,
I would cheerfully sit with the wee lass on the Brae.

So fare thee well darling I love you the best,
And may you be happy and may you be blest,
And may you think on me, ah, while I am far away,
For there's no one will be mine but the wee lass on the Brae.

What do I have to do to get these into the Digital Tradition?

Martin

Subject: RE: Origins: The Wee Lass on the Brae
From: MartinNail
Date: 17 Jun 21 - 06:19 AM

It's interesting to compare the various versions, given that we know a lot about the song's diffusiom.

Jim MacFarland's version on the ITMA site (in the link posted earlier) is pretty close to the Ni Dhomhnaill version. Although there are many trivial differences the only significant one is where MacFarland sings 'Ah me parents they skived on me' in place of 'Ah me parents died on me'.

The version posted earlier in this thread has many more differences, including the substitution of arbour for hawthorn noted above.

Subject: RE: Origins: The Wee Lass on the Brae
From: GUEST,John Moulden
Date: 18 Jun 21 - 11:15 AM

The singer from whom this song diffused was Peter Donnelly of Castlecaulfield, Co Tyrone. He was recorded by the BBC in July 1952 - they thought it came from a ballad sheet but I've never seen such a sheet. The usual transcription has some major errors - the line that Martin Nail cites above has neither died not skived - neither of which make any sense in the context of 'And the more they ... on me. the more I will say. I hear the word as 'jibe' meaning 'object to'.

My transcription of what Peter sang is below with a note I wrote at the time of transcription:

The lass on the brae - Peter Donnelly, recorded at Castle Caulfield, Co. Tyrone.

As I roved out on a fine summer day
The fields were in blossom, and the meadows were gay
I spied a wee lassie tripping over the green
And I took her for Helen, that Grecian queen
That Grecian queen, oh, that Grecian queen
And I took her for Helen, that Grecian queen

She's admired by others, I know them right well
Every morning to view that sweet spot where she dwells
Beneath the hawthorn that blooms on yon hill
May she never marry, but think on me still
But think on me still, but think on me still
May she never marry, but think on me still

Ah me parents jibes on me, and it's all for their sake
And oft times it causes my poor heart to break
But the more they jibe on me, ah, the more I will say
That there's none will be mine but the lass on the brae
The wee lass on the brae, the wee lass on the brae
For there's none will be mine but the lass on the brae

Ah when Phoebus declines o'er yon low far-off sky
It is off to my darling like lightning I'll fly
If the night was as long as a long summer's day
I would cheerfully sit with the lass on the brae
The wee lass on the brae, the wee lass on the brae
I would cheerfully sit with the lass on the brae

Ah so fare you well, darling, I love you the best
And may you be happy and may you be blessed
And may you think on me, ah when I'm far away
For there's none will be mine but the lass on the brae
The wee lass on the brae, the wee lass on the brae
For there's none will be mine but the lass on the brae.

Peter Donnelly was recorded by BBC who noted.

DONNELLY, Peter
Singer. Castle Caulfield, Co. Tyrone. July/August 1952.
Farmer, living at Knockaclougher, Cappagh, Pomeroy, Co. Tyrone. Known locally as Peter Padhra' Ban, from his father, who was Padra(ig)Ban (i.e. White-haired Patrick).   After he had sung 35 songs, it emerged he was 63.

BBC RECORDED (all save Derry Gaol and Captain Colston are on FTRAX-432)
Bonny bunch of roses (4): 18530;
Captain Colston (3): 18531;
Derry Gaol (2): 22336;
Girl I left behind me (1): 18530;
John McCann: 18533;
Lass on the Brae: 18529;
Moorlough Mary: 18529;
Pat O'Hara: 18531.