Origins: My Heart's in the Highlands

Subject: My Heart Is In The Highlands
From: jon
Date: 09 Nov 98 - 11:48 PM

Am trying to help a friend find the lyrics to this old song. I'm not familiar with it, but thought I give this forum a try. Thanks.

Subject: RE:
From: Bruce O.
Date: 09 Nov 98 - 11:51 PM

He/she probably means the fragment in Scots Musical Museum. The whole is "The Highlanders Farewell to Bonny Portmore" in the Scarce Songs file on my website, where both the Scots and Irish tunes are given, too. www.erols.com/olsonw

Subject: RE:
From: Bruce O.
Date: 10 Nov 98 - 12:01 AM

P. S. In the index it's listed as "Bonny Portmore" and "My heart's in the highlands".

Subject: RE:
From: jon
Date: 10 Nov 98 - 12:23 AM

Thanks so much Bruce! I've emailed her the link. The connection to Bonny Portmore is interesting. I love the rendition sung by Loreena McKennitt! Are you aware of it?

Subject: RE:
From: Bruce O.
Date: 10 Nov 98 - 12:59 AM

jon, no.

Subject: Midi Req: My Heart's In the Highlands
From: Alice
Date: 31 Dec 99 - 12:07 PM

The sheet music for My Heart's In The Highlands is at the Lester Levy website. I can't find a midi of the song on the net, though. Can anyone provide a link to midi of My Heart's In the Highlands?

alice

Subject: RE: Midi Req: My Heart's In the Highlands
From: Musicman
Date: 31 Dec 99 - 12:16 PM

Alice, if it's the same song, I recall the Rankin Family doing a version on one of their albums, not sure which one, if I can find it I will post it and do up a midi for you.....

Musicman

Subject: RE: Midi Req: My Heart's In the Highlands
From: Alice
Date: 31 Dec 99 - 12:24 PM

thanks. It's the one using Robert Burns' poem. The Levy sheet music is by Henry Russell. I don't know if it is an arrangement by Russell of an older tune. Bruce O. or someone else may clarify that for us.

Subject: RE: Midi Req: My Heart's In the Highlands
From: katlaughing
Date: 31 Dec 99 - 12:26 PM

Have you listened to the version that is in the DT? Would that help?

Subject: RE: Midi Req: My Heart's In the Highlands
From: Mbo
Date: 31 Dec 99 - 12:48 PM

Alice, I've sent you an e-mail with the MIDI of my arrangement of the classic Burns song. I'm very sure the tune is the same as the one you know, since I got it from a Burns book with the tunes for his poems. Hope it helps!

--Mbo

Subject: RE: Midi Req: My Heart's In the Highlands
From: Alice
Date: 31 Dec 99 - 01:13 PM

Thanks, Mbo, got it.

Subject: RE: Midi Req: My Heart's In the Highlands
From: Alice
Date: 31 Dec 99 - 01:28 PM

The DT midi and Mbo's are so different from Russell's that his must have been his own composition. Thanks.

Subject: RE: Midi Req: My Heart's In the Highlands
From: Bruce O.
Date: 31 Dec 99 - 02:14 PM

The original of Burns song is "The Highlander's Farewell to Bonny Portmore" in Scarce Songs 1 on my website. Both the Scots tune (that for Burn's version) and the Irish tunes are given as ABCs. These are easily converted to MIDIs with ABC2Play or ABCMUS.

Subject: RE: Midi Req: My Heart's In the Highlands
From:
Date: 31 Dec 99 - 03:41 PM

Just a quick note, it wasn't The Rankin Family who did a beautiful version of this song.

Lucy MacNeil is featured in the Barra MacNeil's version.

Subject: RE: Midi Req: My Heart's In the Highlands
From: Alice
Date: 31 Dec 99 - 05:34 PM

Thanks, Bruce, I was looking on your website but I wasn't looking under the title of "The Highlander's Farewell to Bonny Portmore". The DT lists the tune as Failte na miosg, so I was looking for that. -alice

Subject: RE: Midi Req: My Heart's In the Highlands
From:
Date: 31 Dec 99 - 05:51 PM

"Failte na misog" is in ABC file (for Scarce Songs 1) S1.HTM, X:63, HARTHGH1

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Heart's in the Highlands
From: Joe Offer
Date: 18 Jul 15 - 01:51 AM

Karine Polwart does a nice, understated interpretation of this song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9HuHTkDw9Sw

Somehow, I don't think this YouTube video was posted by Kenneth McKellar: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jp3Ew9tuqUE

...and then, of course, there's Jo Stafford: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m96gaZFLfgk

How about Arvo Pärt? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acnH6M1Ee8k

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Heart's in the Highlands
From: Reinhard
Date: 18 Jul 15 - 06:16 AM

Karine's version is from Volume 9 of the wonderful series "The Complete Songs of Robert Burns", issued by Linn Records in between 1996 and 2002.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Heart's in the Highlands
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Jul 15 - 11:26 AM

I'm sure there are many lovely versions of the song 'My Heart's In the Highlands. However, do check out Maureen McMullan singing it on the album 'Celtic Heartbeat' - which was part of Fiona Kennedy's ensemble stage, recording and TV/DVD project.

Absolutely stunning vocal and production. A bit like the starting style of'My heart will go on' in production but without Celine Dion's histrionics, over-reverbed vocal and crashing orchestra. Maureen's version is subtle and beautiful.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Heart's in the Highlands
From: GUEST,Rory
Date: 25 Dec 21 - 07:16 PM

With reference to Bruce Olsen's posts early in this thread, here is the link to his website which is now on Mudcat (quick links)

The Highlanders Farewell to Bonny Portmore


The fragment (first half stanza or chorus) of Burn's song he obtained from the original ballad, "The Highlander's Farewell to Bonny Portmore", no later then the 1740's, with both the Irish and Scots tunes, and some notes, is in the Scarce Songs 1

The song is from a Scots manuscript collection of English, Irish and mostly Scots songs, c 1740-50 (binding obscures some text).



"My heart's in the Highlands"
By Robert Burns
Printed in Scots Musical Museum, by James Johnson Vol III, 1790, song 259, p 268

Chorus:
My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here,
My heart's in the Highlands, a-chasing the deer;
Chasing the wild deer, and following the roe,
My heart's in the Highlands, wherever I may go.

Farewell to the Highlands, farewell to the North,
The birth place of Valour, the country of Worth;
Wherever I may wander, wherever I may rove,
The hills of the Highlands for ever I love.

Farewell to the mountains, high-cover'd with snow,
Farewell to the straths and green vallies below;
Farewell to the forests and wild-hanging woods,
Farewell to the torrents and loud-pouring floods.

(Chorus)



"The Highlanders Farewell to Bonny Portmore"

from a Scots manuscript collection of English, Irish and mostly Scots songs, c 1740-50 (binding obscures some text).

My heart's in the Highlands
   my heart is not here
   my heart's in the Highlands
   a chasing the deer
   and following the doe
   my heart's in the Highlands where [ever I go
[Chorus]
Oh bonny portmore
thous shines where thou stands
the more I look on thee
the more my heart warms
but when I look from thee
my heart is full sore
--]think on the lilly I left in port more

There's many word spoken    [Older verse, see note below]
and few is the best
and he that speaks fewest
lies longest at rest
I speak by experience
my mind serves me so
and the far side out and I know what I know   

When I was in Scotland
--]and plaids of the New
--]but now I'm between
--]to the Irish shore
--]Adieu Londonderry and pleasant portmore
[Cho.]
--]bonny port more
--] thou shines where thou stands
--]the more my heart warms
but when I look from thee
my heart is full sore
--]think on the lilly I left in port more

--]Bilb is magarby [?]
--] down by merry glen
--]in ly Temple Patrick
   and led by the train
   I led by the train
   and Down by the shore
So] adieu Londonderry and pleasant port more
[Cho.]
Bonny port more
thou shines where thou stands
the more I look on thee
the more my heart warms
but when I look on thee
My heart is full sore
to think on the lilly on pleasant port more

You Scotsman always
you may be sad
port more was the freest hold
that ever you had
that ever you had
but now it is sold
and alace therefor
and adieu Londonderry and bonny port more

As I came in by
the bonny belfast
the tears in my eyes
they did run down fast
they did run down fast
with sorrow and woe
my heart's in the highlands where ever I go

O Donally Donally
where has thou been?
a hunting, a hawking
gar make my bed soon
gar make my bed soon
and stir up the stro
My heart's in the highlands wher[e ever I go]

As I cam by
the bonny big Bam kan [?]
my hat on my head
and my Kain in my hand
if I had but money
as I had before
--]Thousand pound should not buy bonny port[more
[Cho.]
O] plesant port more
thou shines where thou stands
the more I look on thee
the more my heart warms
but when I look on thee
my heart is full sore
I] think on the lilly I left in port more

H]ere's a health to my truelove
farewell to my dear
Here's a health to my truelove
farewell to my dear
Here's a health to my trulove
farewell to my dear
and a bunch of green Ribbons my deary shou[--




"The Highlanders Farewell to Bonny Portmore"

Ancient Ballads and Songs of the North of Scotland, by Peter Buchan, Vol. II, 1828, p. 158

O Donaldie, Donaldie, where hae you been?
A hawking and hunting, go make my bed seen;
Gae make my bed seen, and stir up the strae,
My heart's in the Highlands wherever I gae.

Let's drink and gae hame, boys, let's drink and gae hame,
If we stay ony langer we'll get a bad name;
We'll get a bad name, and fill oursell’s fou,
And the lang woods o' Derry are ill to gae thro’.

My heart's in the Highlands, my heart is not here,
My heart's in the Highlands a-chasing the deer;
A-chasing the wild deer, and catching the roe,
My heart's in the Highlands wherever I go.

O, bonny Portmore, ye shine where you charm
The more I think on you, the more my heart warms;
When I look from you, my heart it is sore,
When I mind upon Valiantny, and on Portmore.

There are mony words, but few o' the best,
And he that speaks fewest, lives langest at rest;
My mind, by experience, teaches me so,
My heart's in the Highlands wherever I go.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Heart's in the Highlands
From: Sol
Date: 27 Dec 21 - 05:07 PM

"My Heart's In The Highlands" - Barra McNeil's
Wonderful arrangement.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: My Heart's in the Highlands
From: GUEST,Rory
Date: 30 Dec 21 - 12:49 AM

Recording
Artist: Fara
Album: Cross The Line (2016)

My Heart's in the Highlands