Subject: RE: Origins: Mairi's Wedding From: Mrrzy Date: 28 Jan 23 - 01:24 PM This was our recessional. |
Subject: RE: Origins: Mairi's Wedding From: Felipa Date: 23 Jan 23 - 09:11 PM https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mairi%27s_Wedding accessed 24 Jan 2023 "Mairi's Wedding" (also known as Marie's Wedding, the Lewis Bridal Song, or Scottish Gaelic: Màiri Bhàn "Blond Mary") is a Scottish folk song originally written in Gaelic by John Roderick Bannerman (1865–1938) for Mary C. MacNiven (1905–1997) on the occasion of her winning the gold medal at the National Mòd in 1934. .... Winning the Mòd gold medal was (and is) regarded as the highest singing award in Scottish Gaeldom, and "Mairi's Wedding" was composed to recognise this achievement. A track of Mary C. MacNiven singing her winning song at the 1934 Mòd is still available[3] and the Mod has founded a memorial salver competition to honour her name.[4] Her wedding did not in fact take place until some six years later when she married Captain John Campbell of Glendale, Skye. She continued to sing at Gaelic concerts and céilidhs for most of her life, and died aged 91 at her native Portnahaven, Islay in 1997.[5] ... Roberton wrote the English words for "Mairi's Wedding", which, as can be seen by the lyrics below in both languages, bore little resemblance to Bannerman's original and make no reference to the original inspiration for the song, the winning of a Mòd gold medal. He published this in 1936, giving the song the alternative title of "The Lewis Bridal Song". Roberton presented an original signed copy of his score to Mary C. MacNiven and it became one of her most prized possessions.[9] When the song was published in Roberton's "Songs of the Isles" by J Curwen & Sons Ltd (1951), the Gaelic words did not appear. J.R. Bannerman was acknowledged as the composer of the original lyrics and tune.[10] footnotes 3 "Gaelic Golds (Mod Medallists) – Vol IV" Scottish Music Centre. 1991. Retrieved 7 January 2019. 4 "An Comunn Gàidhealach - Royal National Mod : Royal National Mod - Competition Results". www.acgmod.org. Retrieved 7 January 2019. 5 Smith, Hugh. The Herald. 3 April 1997. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/mary-c-macniven-1.405082. 9 Smith, Hugh The Herald. 3 April 1997. http://www.heraldscotland.com/sport/spl/aberdeen/mary-c-macniven-1.405082. 10 "Lewis Bridal Song (Bannerman, John R.) - IMSLP/Petrucci Music Library: Free Public Domain Sheet Music". imslp.org. Retrieved 8 September 2018. ------------ it looks like some threads have been combined, so verses of Bannerman's Màiri Bhàn are given twice in the current Mudcat discussion thread. The translation by Anne Lorne Gillies given in Wikipedia is: Love of my heart, fair-haired Mary, pretty Mary, theme of my song: she's my darling, fair-haired Mary and oh! I'm going to marry her. Last night I fell in love and now my heart is soaring high; (lit. "up on a mountain") fair-haired Mary singing by my side and oh! I'm going to marry her! Golden hair and kindly eyes, shapely brow and smiling cheeks, sweetest voice that ever sang and oh! I'm going to marry her. It was at a cèilidh at the Mòd that I got to know the girl: she was the winner of the gold medal and oh! I'm going to marry her. My love for Fair-haired Mary will be eternally faithful and heartfelt; we'll sing together of our love and oh! I'm going to marry her. |
Subject: RE: Origins: Mairi's Wedding From: Peter C Date: 14 Sep 12 - 12:11 PM John Gailey, one time warden at Youlbury Scout Camp (see posting above from Nigel Parsons) was a member of Stafford Morris Men, who used to go to Youlbury from time to time, and do their famous morris dance in wellies, wearing black bin liners. |
Subject: RE: Origins: Mairi's Wedding From: Peter the Squeezer Date: 14 Sep 12 - 09:59 AM When I was wee, my Mum would sing this. I always thought it was about "Uncle Charlie's Wedding". Mondegreens, anyone? |
Subject: RE: Origins: Mairi's Wedding From: GUEST,Imac Date: 14 Sep 12 - 09:21 AM Mary C MacNiven was my aunt so I kind of grew up with the story. Just posted some info with references on Wikipedia. The article in the Herald newspaper is a useful one. I'm still trying to find out who Dr Peter A. MacLeod was. |
Subject: RE: Origins: Mairi's Wedding From: Bat Goddess Date: 23 Feb 12 - 01:11 PM I was the poster of the article (someone gave me an undated photocopy at our Friday session) from the Glasgow Daily Record. I posted it to Scots-L and it's been reposted at StandingStones.com (linked to there from Wikipedia) and at other sites (without asking me, but I certainly don't own it.) But I was, at the time, ASPClinns. (Interesting...I just googled myself for the first time in a few years and was amazed at what I found.) Linn |
Subject: RE: Origins: Mairi's Wedding From: Dave MacKenzie Date: 23 Feb 12 - 05:40 AM "Roberton (no "s").... gives the tune source as "noted from Dr Peter A. MacLeod and arranged by" himself." Whether Dr MacLeod was a Liosach, or that was the existing name of the tune I don't know. |
Subject: RE: Origins: Mairi's Wedding From: Nigel Parsons Date: 23 Feb 12 - 04:19 AM Youlbury Scout Camp (near Oxford) had a Camp Warden named John Gailey. It was something of an in-joke that we referred to him as 'Stepwe'. It was totally over the heads of most people, even when Mairi's Wedding was included in our campfire. |
Subject: RE: Origins: Mairi's Wedding From: Dave Rado Date: 22 Feb 12 - 05:59 PM Does anyone know why it was named "Lewis Bridal Song"? I don't think either Johnny Bannerman or Mary McNiven came from Lewis. |
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Help: Mairi's Wedding From: GUEST,Jim Date: 11 Feb 07 - 03:39 PM C - x32010 Cma7- x22010 Am - x02210 C/G - 3x2010 |
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Help: Mairi's Wedding From: GUEST Date: 11 Feb 07 - 03:36 PM This was played at our wedding as Lewis Bridal Song. It is a common pipe tune. The chords presented above work fine, but I like to use the "Mr. Bojangles" bass run in the first and third lines: C Cma7 Am C/G Step we gaily, on we go F G7 Heel for heel and toe for toe C Cma7 Am C/G Arm in arm and row on row F G7 All for Mairi's wedding |
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Help: Mairi's Wedding From: GUEST,Sean O'Neill Date: 10 Feb 07 - 06:10 PM Just a little added info. As far as the reference to the movie Passed Away. I believe that they sang some additional lyrics that according to the Internet Movie Database were written by Jim Corr of the Corr's. Although I own the movie, I haven't looked at it in awhile and I don't remember those lyric variations off the top of my head. |
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Help: Mairi's Wedding From: GUEST,David Nichols Date: 08 Jul 04 - 08:37 AM I was playing my bagpipes at my Mother's house on the 4th of July. I started playing Mairi's Wedding and my mother who is from Norwich, England started to sing the words to the tune. She told me a story of how her mother, (Caroline Moore) from Glasgow, Scotland used to sing that tune when my mother was growing up. The words my Mother sang are the same as you have listed. This would have been in the 1930's! |
Subject: Lyr Add: MÀIRI BHÀN From: Jim Dixon Date: 29 Jun 03 - 11:43 AM Looks like no one has ever posted the Gaelic lyrics at Mudcat. Here they are, copied from http://www.geocities.com/george_seto.geo/mairbhan.html (The words are Greek to me, however.) MÀIRI BHÀN Fonn: Mairi's Wedding Séist 'S i mo ghaol-sa Màiri Bhàn Màiri bhòidheach sgeul mo bhain Gaol mo chridh'-sa Màiri Bhàn 'S tha mi 'dol 'ga pòsadh 1 Thuit mi ann an gaol an raoir Bha mo chridhe shuas air beinn Màiri Bhàn ri m' thaobh a' seinn Tha mi 'dol 'ga pòsadh 2 Cuailean òir is suilean tlàth, Mala chaol is gruaidh an àigh, Beul as binne sheinneas dàn, 'S tha mi dol 'ga pòsadh 3 'S ann aig céilidh aig a' Mhòd Fhuair mi eòla air an òigh' 'S ise choisinn am Bonn Òir 'S tha mi dol 'ga pòsadh 4 Bi mo ghaol do Mhàiri Bhàn Dìleas, dùrachach gu bràth Seinnidh sinn d'a chéil' ar gràdh 'S tha mi dol 'ga pòsadh |
Subject: Lyr Add: MAIRI'S WEDDING / LEWIS BRIDAL SONG From: Seamus Kennedy Date: 30 Aug 02 - 12:50 AM MAIRI'S WEDDING The Lewis Bridal Song Chorus: Step we gaily, on we go, Heel for heel and toe for toe Arm in arm and row on row, All for Mairi's wedding. Over hillways up and down, Myrtle green and bracken brown, Past the sheilings, through the town, All for sake of Mairi. Chorus: Plenty herring, plenty meal, Plenty peat to fill her creel, Plenty bonnie bairns as weel, That's the toast for Mairi. Chorus: Red her cheeks as rowans are, Bright her eye as any star, Fairest of them all by far, Is our darlin' Mairi. Chorus: |
Subject: RE: Marries wedding From: GUEST,David W. Date: 30 Aug 02 - 12:31 AM Try the Van Morrison/Cheiftans CD. |
Subject: RE: Marries wedding From: dick greenhaus Date: 30 Aug 02 - 12:12 AM Try a search for [heel for heel]---the brackets show that it's a phrase in the song and not three unrelated words. |
Subject: RE: Marries wedding From: GUEST,bear Date: 29 Aug 02 - 10:43 PM tried all the sugestions in this site to get words and chords to "maries,or mairies" wedding, none of them worked, any more suggestions.As i dont speak gaelic the words posted sre not much use thanks anyway |
Subject: RE: Mairi's wedding From: Joe Offer Date: 24 Jun 00 - 04:48 AM There's a site called "Yet Another Digital Tradition" that's listed on our "links" page. It has the tunes from our database, converted into various formats. Click Here for "Mairi's Wedding." -Joe Offer- |
Subject: RE: Marries wedding From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Date: 24 Jun 00 - 04:29 AM Hi, Anonymous If you get the MidiNotate program, you can print Sheet Music from the MIDI files found here The program, Midi Notate is found hereMidi Notate |
Subject: RE: Marries wedding From: GUEST Date: 24 Jun 00 - 01:58 AM we have a wedding coming up in August and are despartely searching for the sheet music to Mary's wedding. If anyone has it or knows where we could get it, please let us know. thanks. |
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Help: Marle's Wedding From: Bat Goddess Date: 18 Nov 99 - 07:42 AM From the Glasgow Daily Record, date unknown: Exclusive: Step we gaily on we go, this IS Mairi's wedding Now it's All for Mairi's birthday! She'll still be singing at 90 by Stephen Houston Millions of Scots have sung Mairi's Wedding. And now, thanks to the Record, they can meet the bride herself. For one of our best-loved tunes was written for Mary McNiven. And the OAP is still stepping gaily, even though she'll be NINETY tomorrow. Scots schoolkids have been learning the song for generations, and it's a firm favourite all over the world. At her cottage on Islay yesterday, Mary said: "I can't believe it became so popular. But when it was first played to me I found it very catchy -- and I still do." The song was originally written Gaelic -- that's why she was "Mairi" instead of "Mary" -- for the Mod of 1935. Her pal Johnny Bannerman composed it and it was first played to her at the Old Highlanders Institute in Glasgow's Elmbank Street Medal "I still have a clear recollection of that day," said Mary. "Johnny just said the song was for me." It was translated into English a year later, by Sir Hugh Robertson. Although Mary herself was real, the wedding wasn't. For she didn't get hitched to Skye-born sea captain John Campbell until six years later. John died 17 years ago. Mum of two, Mary, who won a Mod gold medal for singing in 1934, will enjoy a family birthday party in Glasgow this weekend. And it won't be complete without the famous song. Her daughter Christine, a teacher from Hyndland, Glasgow, said: "Mum still sometimes sings it in Gaelic and people are always asking her to. I suspect she'll sing it to celebrate her birthday." (The article is accompanied by a photograph of Mary by William Thornton and a copy of her wedding picture.) (Respectfully submitted by Bat Goddess who has a photocopy of the article.) |
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Help: Marle's Wedding From: Murray on Saltspring Date: 18 Nov 99 - 12:36 AM Sir Hugh Roberton's words give "peat"--since "herring" are mentioned before, "plenty fish" would be redundant. And while a creel may be used for fish, it's certainly used for all sorts of other things, including peat for the fire. The implication is, may she always have enough fuel for her croft. |
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Help: Marle's Wedding From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Date: 17 Nov 99 - 11:49 PM Actually, Those words were a "translation" of a Gaelic song written in 1935. The story is available here |
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Help: Marle's Wedding From: Jeremiah McCaw Date: 17 Nov 99 - 11:02 PM And the chords are yer basic 3 chord. In 'C' fer instance: C Step we gaily, on we go F G7 Heel for heel and toe for toe C Arm in arm and row on row F G7 All for Mairi's wedding (If the spacing doesn't work properly, the 'G7' is on the words "toe" - 1st one - and "wedding". |
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Help: Marle's Wedding From: elm Date: 17 Nov 99 - 11:35 AM Thanks for the help everyone! |
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Help: Marle's Wedding From: Reiver 2 Date: 16 Nov 99 - 06:03 PM Your words are right on, Liz, according to the version The Reivers used to sing, with one slight exception: We sang "Plenty fish to fill her creel". Since a creel was/is a wicker basket used by anglers to carry fish, I think that makes more sense than wishing for her to fill it with peat. I believe we learned our version from a record of The Corries, but I'm not sure as I think we also had versions done by the Clancys, The Irish Rovers, and some others as well. |
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Help: Marle's Wedding From: Magpie Date: 16 Nov 99 - 04:17 PM Oops! Proofreading - what's that? Irish Heartbeat of course. Magpie |
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Help: Marle's Wedding From: Magpie Date: 16 Nov 99 - 04:15 PM The Chieftains have recorded it along with Van ;Morrison on "Irish Heatrbeat". Lovely version. (If you're interested). Magpie |
Subject: Lyr Add: MAIRI'S WEDDING From: Liz Lewis Date: 16 Nov 99 - 02:11 PM The song is Mairi's Wedding, also known as the Lewis Bridal Song. John Loesberg writes in his "Traditional Folksongs and Ballads of Scotland," vol. 3, that it was "a traditional tune taken down by Dr. Peter MacLeod (1797-1859) who published four volumes of Scottish songs." Evidently it was issued with new words by Hugh Roberton (1874-1952). Here are the words I learned:
(chorus) Step we gaily, on we go
(verse 1) (chorus)
(verse 2) Chorus
(verse 3) Chorus +++++ My father used to sing this; I don't know when he learned it. He had an old record called "Scottish Sing-Alongs" that included the song, and he'd always tell me that I would have the song at my wedding. He died a few years ago, but if and when I get married, I will definitely hire a piper to come play it--and I want all the guests to sing along. I'd bet you could find a recording of the song without too much trouble. Good luck - Liz |
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Help: Marle's Wedding From: MMario Date: 16 Nov 99 - 02:06 PM http://www.mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=5962&messages=22 |
Subject: RE: Lyr/Chords Req: Help: Marle's Wedding From: Frank Howe Date: 16 Nov 99 - 02:02 PM song is Maire's (Mary's) Wedding I'm sure it's in the data base |
Subject: Help: Marle's Wedding From: elm Date: 16 Nov 99 - 01:58 PM I was watching a movie last week- "Passed Away?". During the wake for the deceased character an old man (over 50) playing a banjo sang an Irish tune called "Marle's Wedding" (I think). Does anyone know if this is a traditional song? If so, where can I get the words, chords and possibly a recording of the entire song. Part of the words were: "...heal to heal and toe to toe. Round and round and round we go.... |
Subject: RE: Marries wedding From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Date: 22 Feb 99 - 10:14 PM Well, I find white letters on black a LOT more legible than black on white on the monitor. It's way too bright. |
Subject: RE: Marries wedding From: rich r Date: 22 Feb 99 - 09:33 PM Hey, I just spent 1 1/2 hours getting my computer running again, messing around in set ups an registries and other things I don't understand. Now I log on and it seems black is white and white is black and I have no idea what I did. rich r |
Subject: RE: Marries wedding From: Bert Date: 22 Feb 99 - 06:23 PM Wow, Joe. That's magic. Bert. |
Subject: RE: Mairi's wedding From: Joe Offer Date: 22 Feb 99 - 05:30 PM Let's see if I can copy that over to here and make it a bit more legible. I hate trying to read white words on a black background....
Màiri Bhàn Séist 'S i mo ghaol-sa Màiri Bhàn |
Subject: RE: Marries wedding From: George Seto - af221@chebucto.ns.ca Date: 22 Feb 99 - 05:22 PM The spelling is the way it is because it actually is a GAELIC song which was translated into English. For the full story of the song, check at Màiri Bhàn Mairi's Wedding - The Story |
Subject: RE: Mairi's wedding From: Joe Offer Date: 22 Feb 99 - 02:34 PM That one's in the database, Pete, but it's a bit tough to find because of the spelling of the name. It's Mairi's Wedding (click here) -Joe Offer- |
Subject: Marie's wedding From: Pete Date: 22 Feb 99 - 02:27 PM I'm looking for the words to 'Marie's Wedding'. I know the first verse 'Step the gaily on we go, heel for heel and toe for toe.....' |
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