Lyr Req: The Highland Cradle Song

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Lyr Req: The Highland Cradle Song

05 Dec 97 - 09:50 AM (#17133)
Subject: The Highland Cradle Song
From: Sandy

I know a pipe tune called The Highland Cradle Song. Are there any words?

Sandy

07 Dec 97 - 02:28 AM (#17245)
Subject: RE: The Highland Cradle Song
From: Murray

As "Cradle Song" this is in (e.g.) the Scots Guards Standard Settings book; but in Kerr's "Merry Melodies" (vol. 3) it's a waltz called "Why did my Massa Sell Me?" !! -- so it may indeed be an import from the minstrel shows. I haven't traced the American song, however, and I don't know of any Scottish words.

07 Dec 97 - 07:38 PM (#17254)
Subject: RE: The Highland Cradle Song
From: dulcimer

Here are some lyrics for this song I have in 105 Folk Songs of Scotland, Remick Music, 1963. The air is "Baba Mo leanabh, words by K.R. Moffat.


              1. 
     The mirk is gath'ing in the glen,
     The shadows creep up to the brow o' the Ben,
     The sky, but now sae red, sae red
     Grows dim before the night's dull tread.
     The birdies a'ha'e gane to rest,
     Each little warbler in his nest,
     Has hid his head beneath his wing
     And closed his eye and cease to sing.
              2.
     Now comes the bonnie Lady Moon,
     And on my ain bairnie she gently looks down
     And smiles sae kind as if said she 
     "We'll watch the baby you and me."
     Then shut these twa blue e'en, my dear,
     The moon and mither baith are here,
     We'll guard you weel, We'll guard you
     And hush-a-bye will be our sang.

I cannot attest to how old or authentic this these words are.

08 Dec 97 - 09:48 AM (#17281)
Subject: RE: The Highland Cradle Song
From:

The lyrics don't work with the tune. I'll check my Scots Guards for the correct title. I guess you're probably right Murray. It's a good tune for the highland pipes and small pipes alike.

There are a number of good pipe tunes. Some have words set to them (Farewell to the Creeks, for example, makes a cracking slow air as opposed to the normal 6/8 march). I'd be interested in the words for others, if words do indeed exist. For example, Leaving Port Askaig, The Battle of the Somme, Lochanside. There are loads more good pipes tunes that there may be words for or that are maybe just waiting for them to be written.

Any views

Sandy

08 Dec 97 - 10:31 AM (#17282)
Subject: RE: The Highland Cradle Song
From: Jon W.

I read that the tune "Mist Covered Mountains of Home" was a pipe tune originally. It was played at Pres. Kennedy's funeral. The words are in DT.

08 Dec 97 - 04:35 PM (#17292)
Subject: RE: The Highland Cradle Song
From: Bruce O.

"Mist-covered Mountains of Home", Gaelic words and music, are in Alfred Moffats' 'The Minstrelsy of the Scottish Highlands'. Also in it are "Cagaran gaolach" ("Hush ye, My Bairnie") and "Caidil gu lo" ("Hush Thee, My Baby"). Moffat gives metrical translations.

17 Jun 04 - 11:16 PM (#1209621)
Subject: Lyr Req: Highland Cradle Song
From: GUEST,Ray Trygstad

I know this is out there but I just can't locate it; lyrics to "The Highland Cradle Song".

Thanks from a piper AND singer,

--Ray

18 Jun 04 - 02:40 AM (#1209670)
Subject: RE: The Highland Cradle Song
From: Joe Offer

Hi, Ray - I moved you over to this thread, which may answer your question. Also check the related song, Lullaby to an Ancient Chief.
-Joe Offer-

25 Oct 08 - 05:11 PM (#2476039)
Subject: RE: The Highland Cradle Song
From: GUEST,Charlie Burns

I also would love the lyrics to this song....if indeed it the one with the lyrics "memories owe the lee long days " in it

There is on you tube a girl playing the fiddle to the tune ???

Hope someone can help

Charlie

25 Oct 08 - 05:42 PM (#2476053)
Subject: RE: The Highland Cradle Song
From: Jack Campin

Perhaps you could give the exact YouTube reference?

25 Oct 08 - 06:11 PM (#2476080)
Subject: RE: The Highland Cradle Song
From: GUEST,Jim McLean

Here's the score

http://www.sibeliusmusic.com/cgi-bin/show_score.pl?scoreid=12360

and here's the YouTube

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=K_np7UZrM6s

16 Nov 08 - 07:27 PM (#2495481)
Subject: RE: The Highland Cradle Song
From: GUEST,Dave MacKenzie

"Don't Cry in your sleep" is the usual set of words in sung in the Lowlands. In Gaelic it's "Chi mi na Mor-bheanna" (I can see the big mountains)(Hail! to the mighty Bens), words by John Cameron of Ballachulish, and appears in song books such as the St Columba Collection. I also seem to remember Mouth Music doing it.

17 Nov 08 - 10:51 AM (#2495824)
Subject: RE: The Highland Cradle Song
From: Jim McLean

Dear Dave,
Don't cry in your Sleep, or Hush, Hush, or Smile in youe sleep is a set of English lyrics written by me to my adapted version of the melody Chi Mi na Morbheanna in 1968, and has nothing to do with the Gaelic words.

15 May 09 - 12:56 PM (#2632648)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Highland Cradle Song
From: Califer

Don't know if anyone is still looking for the score but I found this to be a good one in pdf

http://www.bandwidthmusic.co.uk/pdf/previews/highlandcradlepreview.pdf

18 May 09 - 11:35 AM (#2634775)
Subject: Lyr Add: HIGHLAND CRADLE SONG (Burns?, Schumann)
From: Jim Dixon

From The School Song Book by Osbourne McConathy (Boston: C. C. Birchard & Company, 1910):

HIGHLAND CRADLE SONG
Words, Robert Burns. Music, Robert Schumann.

1. Slumber sweetly, little Donald,
Image of the greater Ronald,
Little thief, from whom thy name,
Let the noble Clan proclaim,
Let the noble Clan proclaim.

2. Thou hast eyes like coals revealing
How a foal thou'lt soon be stealing;
Bravely to the valley go,
Thence bring home a Carlisle cow,
Thence bring home a Carlisle cow.

3. In the Lowlands thou shalt tarry,
Booty from the plains to carry;
Steal till fortune swell thy train,
Then the Highlands seek again,
Then the Highlands seek again.

[However, if these words are truly by Robert Burns, I wonder why Google doesn't find them in any of the many volumes of Burns poems that are indexed at Google Books?]

18 May 09 - 08:36 PM (#2635294)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Highland Cradle Song
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)

O hush thee my baby, thy sire was a knight,
Thy mother a lady both lovely and bright;
The fields and the folds from the window we see,
They all are belonging, dear baby, to thee
CHO: O ho roe ri rerry, cadoo-goo-lo
O ho roe ri rerry, cadoo-goo-lo.

O fear not the bugle tho loudly it blows,
It calls but the warder to guard thy repose.
His bow would be bended, his blade would be red
E'er the step of a foeman draw nigh to thy bed

O hush thee my wee one- the time soon will come
When thy slumber be broken by trumpet and drum.
O hush now and slumber, take rest whilst thou may
For strife comes with manhood, as waking with day.

18 May 09 - 08:44 PM (#2635301)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Highland Cradle Song
From: Tattie Bogle

That last one is by Sir Walter Scott. (well maybe not the chorus!) Set to music by Arthur Sullivan (he of Gilbert and Sullivan.

18 May 09 - 08:45 PM (#2635302)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Highland Cradle Song
From: kytrad (Jean Ritchie)

PS: Sorry- the above got swept out of my fingers and printed e'er I was finished! Just wanted to say these verses and a lovely tune have no source that I can name- just "up thar in my head some'ers," as my old granny used to say. Probably from an early school-songbook (ask Joe O) Pretty song, though. This thread title reminded me of it. Thanks.

18 May 09 - 09:21 PM (#2635323)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Highland Cradle Song
From: Tattie Bogle

Well the verses certainly have a source, as I just posted: not sure if you do it to the same tune, Kytrad.

19 May 09 - 11:34 AM (#2635760)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Highland Cradle Song
From: GUEST,Granny In Wales

re the post of Murray, above. In the 80s I knew an old Scottish fiddler called Jim Gordon who lived in Oxford and who sang that parody, when he first heard me play the tune on my accordion, with your first line repeated 3 times, and a fourth line

"to buy a big pot of jam"

I have a very old bootlegged tape of the Machringbeg Highlanders playing a lovely version of the Highland Cradle Song, from where
I learned it.

24 May 09 - 06:14 PM (#2640066)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Highland Cradle Song
From: Tattie Bogle

More about the Sir Walter Scott/Arthur Sullivan version here:

http://math.boisestate.edu/gas/other_sullivan/part_songs/babie/babie.html

24 May 09 - 06:34 PM (#2640072)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Highland Cradle Song
From: Q (Frank Staplin)

Thanks for the Sullivan website.
The words are typical of Scott; but they may have been based on a song he heard.
Interesting!

02 Jun 09 - 08:05 PM (#2647002)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Highland Cradle Song
From: Tattie Bogle

Poem by Sir Walter Scott: "Lullaby for an Infant Chief", (Oh hush thee my babie) written 1815: musical arrangements came later!

09 Feb 10 - 06:05 PM (#2834543)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Highland Cradle Song
From: GUEST,drew

is there lyrics for this waltz?

06 Sep 12 - 09:11 AM (#3400797)
Subject: RE: Lyr Req: The Highland Cradle Song
From: GUEST,stephen harris

Old question maybe, but I do have a good answer to the original question. A full set of lyrics for Highland Cradle were composed by Andy Stewart as The Faraway Island, released on his 1973 album Scotch Corner.