01 Oct 01 - 02:29 PM (#562714) Subject: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school' From: GUEST,mizkit@eskimo.com I'm in search of a traditional Irish ballad (well, song, anyway), the title of which I do not know. I know the opening verse, which is:
"Wee Hughie's gone to school, and him not four If anybody happens to know the rest of the lyrics to this song, I'd be greatly appreciative if you could post them! Thank you! -Catie |
01 Oct 01 - 02:37 PM (#562717) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school' From: MMario is this it? |
01 Oct 01 - 02:44 PM (#562726) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school' From: GUEST,mizkit@eskimo.com Bwah! I am very impressed. I'm actually looking for the lyrics for my Mom, and I don't know them at all, so I'll send this URL to her and see if this is what she's looking for! Thanks! -Catie |
01 Oct 01 - 03:07 PM (#562744) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school' From: GUEST,Den That's just the first verse MMario. Its "Wee Hughie", a poem and I'll post the verses myself tonight if noone beats me to it. To my knowledge it was never set to music. Den |
01 Oct 01 - 03:23 PM (#562757) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school' From: Deckman I have a different version. I'll post it later on tonight ... 'gotta go bnuild a deck right now. (by the way, this is a three hanky song for all you parents out there.) CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson |
01 Oct 01 - 05:13 PM (#562838) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school' From: GUEST,mizkit@eskimo.com Me dear sainted mither claims that the last lyrics of the song are something very much like: I followed to the turnin', when they passed it by/God help him! he was cryin'/And maybe, so was I. If that's any help. Thanks, everyone! -Catie |
01 Oct 01 - 07:52 PM (#562942) Subject: Lyr Add: WEE HUGHIE (Elizabeth Shane) From: Den This poem always brings back wonderful memories of my childhood. I remember Mrs McKibbon and her daughters coming to our house. Mrs McKibbon would tell stories that would frighten the lives out of us while the wind wailed and moaned round the kitchen door (stepmothers breath). After we were suitably scared out of our wits her daughter Rosaleen would step forward with only the light of the fire casting long shadows across the room and she lower her head slightly and begin to recite: WEE HUGHIE Elizabeth Shane He's gone to school, wee Hughie, An' him not four, Sure I saw the fright was in him When he left the door. But he took a hand o' Denny, An' a hand o' Dan, Wi' Joe's owld coat upon him— Och, the poor wee man! He cut the quarest figure, More stout nor thin; An' trottin' right an' steady Wi' his toes turned in. I watched him to the corner O' the big turf stack, An' the more his feet went forrit, Still his head turned back. He was lookin', would I call him— Och, my heart was woe— Sure it's lost I am without him, But he be to go. I followed to the turnin' When they passed it by, God help him, he was cryin', An', maybe, so was I. The poem was written in the Ulster dialect by Elizabeth Shane, a vicar's daughter from Donegal. The last verse always gives me trouble as well in the lump in the throat department incidentally. Den |
01 Oct 01 - 08:48 PM (#562977) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school' From: Deckman Thanks "DEN." That's exactly the song as it was taught to me by the late David Spence of Los Gatos, Ca. Actually, he was native Ireland. And I also have a very hard time singing the last verse. It one of those those songs which demands COMPLETE detachment to succeed ... I rarely can pull it off! By the way, I gather that this is a well known POEM. I know it as a song ... very moving in spirit. If anyone out here remembers David Spence, I'd love to hear from you. CHEERS, Bob(deckman)Nelson. |
02 Oct 01 - 06:49 AM (#563284) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school' From: Den Deckman if you have a tune for this I'd love to hear it. I never knew it had been set to music. Thanks Den. |
02 Oct 01 - 08:06 AM (#563309) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school' From: Aidan Crossey Fans of Ultonian folk poetry might wish to revisit the following thread, |
02 Oct 01 - 05:52 PM (#563708) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school' From: GUEST,mizkit@eskimo.com Thank you so much! This is fantastic! I really appreciate it! *beam* -Catie |
02 Oct 01 - 07:19 PM (#563772) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school' From: Deckman I have never heard that this "SONG" was recorded. Dave Spence performed it a lot in the San Francisco Bay area in the early 1960's. He taught it to me. I suspect, but I don't know for sure, that he put it to music himself. Someday, when I get tired of building decks (working) I'll learn how to post music on Mudcat. CHEERS, Bob |
16 Jun 09 - 12:43 PM (#2657833) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: 'Wee Hughie's gone to school' From: GUEST,julesj0 Wee Hughie He's gone to school wee Hughie and him not four Sure I saw the fright was in him when he left the door. But he took the hand of Dinny An' a han' of Dan, Wi' Joe's ould coat upon him - Och the poor wee man! He cut the quarest figure, More stout nor thin, An' trottin' right an' steady, Wi' his toes turned in, I watched him to the corner of the big Kirk's dark, An' the more his feet went forrit' Still his head turned back. He was lookin', would I call him, Och, me heart was woe Sure its lost I am without him But he need to go. I followed to the turnin' when he passed it by God help him he was crying And maybe so was I. Above are the words as I know them when I perform the song at my Magic Lantern shows. I learnt it from a recording by Kenneth McKellar recording of the songs of JohnMcCormack |
25 Jul 09 - 08:00 PM (#2687153) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wee Hughie (Elizabeth Shane) From: GUEST But he took a hand o 'Denny An' a hand o' Dan,, Wi' Joe's owld coat upon him - Och, the poor wee man! He cut the quarest figure, More stout nor thin; An' trottin' right an' steady Wi his toes turned in. I watched him to the corner 0' the big turf stack, An' the more his feet went forrit, Still his head turned back. He was lookin', would I call him - Och me heart was woe- Sure it's lost I am without him, But he be to go. I followed to the turnin' When they passed it by, God help him, he was cryin', An', maybe, so was I. |
25 Oct 09 - 03:42 PM (#2752530) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wee Hughie (Elizabeth Shane) From: GUEST He's gone to school wee Hughie and him not four, Sure I saw the fright was on him As he left the door. He took a hand a Dinny, and a hand a Dan, With Joe's auld coat upon him, Ach, the poor wee man. I watched him to the corner of the big turf stack, And the more his feet went forrit, still his head turned back. He was looking would I call him, Ouch my heart was sore, Sure it's lost I am without him, But he bet to go. I watched him to the turning, As he passed it by. God help him he was crying, And maybe so was I. From Mary mc Gonagle Johnson Manchester , and Donegal. |
25 Oct 09 - 04:09 PM (#2752540) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wee Hughie (Elizabeth Shane) From: ard mhacha I have a recording of Kenneth McKellar singing Wee Hughie, McKellar is one of my favourite singers, but, the wee poem is not as good as some oul country man reciting this. The perfect setting is some wee Hiberian Hall on a night such as this with the gale howling and the rain belting of the windows, pure heaven with a pint of guiness for company. |
03 Sep 10 - 10:15 AM (#2979242) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wee Hughie (Elizabeth Shane) From: GUEST,Linda We are looking for the sheet music to the poem by Shane. Malotte wrote the music. Can anyone assist?? |
06 Sep 10 - 11:37 PM (#2981312) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wee Hughie (Elizabeth Shane) From: Jim Dixon Apparently several composers have set Elizabeth Shane's poem to music. The British Library has these: 1. Music by Albert Hay Malotte, 1946. 2. Music by John F. Larchet, 1947. 3. Music by Joseph Gormley, 1955. 4. Music by Reginald C. Noel Johnson, 1960. 5. Music by Dorothy Parke, 1980. You might try The Sheet Music Warehouse (UK) (although the site seems to be down right now). |
19 Mar 14 - 06:30 PM (#3610994) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wee Hughie (Elizabeth Shane) From: GUEST,Liz Conway, Canberra, Australia I learned this as a child in St Nicholas Primary School in Carrickfergus, N Ireland. It is my first memory of being reduced to tears by grief. I am delighted to rediscover the full text, 50 years on, having preserved the first line in my memory all these years. |
17 Jun 17 - 07:32 AM (#3861392) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wee Hughie (Elizabeth Shane) From: GUEST,olive swan, New Jersey, USA I learned this poem in King's Inn Street Secondary School, Dublin, Ireland. Ms. Moriarty taught it to us in a North of Ireland accent (dialect). It became my "party piece" at family functions and later when I went to Paris, France and New York as a nun. Most of my friends in the convent memorized it since I had recited it so often over the years. After I left the convent and married, I taught "Wee Hughie" to my young daughter KellyAnne, who recited it at many Feiseanna in the tri-state area. The Irish born adjudicators were enthralled to hear a little American child recite in a North of Ireland accent this much beloved poem. My heart still aches a little for the memories of long ago and yesterday when I hear mention of ""Wee Hughie." |
21 Jul 18 - 06:12 AM (#3938594) Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Wee Hughie (Elizabeth Shane) From: GUEST,Terry Stewart Coming rather late to this. The only recording I've ever heard was by Maureen O'Hara on her 1961 album 'Sings Her Favorite Irish Songs' |