Eilidh MacKenzie singing

[trinkie]

What beautiful singing. A lovely young girl brave enough to stand there beneath an umbrella in the rain and sing her sad song. But how sad that so many rude folk chose to speak over her !

This I do not understand !!

Eilidh MacKenzie I thought you were beautiful, please forgive them !

[Cattach]

What beautiful singing. A lovely young girl brave enough to stand there beneath an umbrella in the rain and sing her sad song. But how sad that so many rude folk chose to speak over her !

This I do not understand !!

Eilidh MacKenzie I thought you were beautiful, please forgive them !

Your are quite right. Unfortunately it is happening more and more. Gala speeches, (even if not inspiring it should not matter) comperes, etc. seem to be treated with disrespect.

[Rampant Rabbit]

thats rude, where was it she was sinhging?

[DarkAngel]

I totally agree with Rampant Rabbit..Thats is very very rude..I dont like that. What a shame on her..She must not have felt good after..:(

Who is she anyway? Young or old?

[trinkie]

Hallo folks,

If you look on the front page, you will find an article headed

'First Minister Alex Salmond unveils Emigrants Statue at Helmsdale'

There are two videos to watch - the second is Eilidh MacKenzie.

Regards
Trinkie.

[DarkAngel]

Thanks for that info trinkie!:)

[helenwyler]

Thanks trinkie! Lovely voice, rude commentator:mad:.

It's the same tune as 'Barbara Allen' isn't it? My mum used to play this on the piano and I never knew where it really came from.
A quick look on Wiki tells me its first reference in writing was in 1666 by Samuel Johnson who called it 'a little Scotch tune called Barbary Allen'.

[Bill Fernie]

It was unfortunate that the person who did the speaking was right behind me with my camera. He might not have come over as loud had I been in a different place and most folk there probably never heard him.

I am using an ordinary digital camera andnot a proper digital cine type camera and so do not have gun mike that would point forward the sound source. Maybe one day I will get a better one and things will improve - both sound and picture quality.

For anyone who has not seen the front page the video can be seen at http://video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=-2049097165080907997&hl=en-GB

[trinkie]

Hallo Helenwyler - You are right about the tune - I've found something in an old book of Scottish Songs, presented in 1865 !

QUOTE...

''BARBARA ALLEN'' 'This ballad is ancient. Bishop Perry had an old printed copy in his possession, which was entitled 'Barbara Allen's Cruelty, or The Young Man's Tragedy' reprinted in the third volume of his Ancient Songs and Ballads at London 1767.
It is evidently an embellished edition of the old Scottish ballad in the Museum, which is taken verbatim from that preserved in Ramsay's Miscellany in 1724.
The learned prelate's copy makes the heroine's residence at Scarlet Town (the city of Carlisle perhaps) and calls the hero Jemmye Grove.'

....' A learned correspondent informs me that he remembers having heard the ballad frequently sung in Dumfries-shire where it was said the catastrophe took place - and that there were people of the name Allen who resided in the town of Annan, and that in some papers which he had seen mention is made of a Barbara of that family.....but he is of the opinion she may have been baptized from the Ballad.

It goes on to say 'The melody bears marks of antiquity from the nature of the tonality employed. It's author unknown. ''


There's lots more.. but I think we can take it as being a very old melody !

Could I add here that it's a pity there is no such thing now as the National Song Book for Schools. Children of today will never know the beauty of songs like this and many others.

[helenwyler]

Thanks for that info trinkie:).

I have a copy of the National Song Book somewhere...

Some of those old songs we learnt as children stay with you for ever don't they......Flow Gently Sweet Afton, The Ash Grove and..........oh dear, can't think of any more off hand[lol]!!!

Can anybody else remember any?

[trinkie]

Now you're talking !! I have just been sitting at my piano and singing -
so pull up a chair and join in...

The Rowan Tree,
The Queen's Maries,
Ye Banks and Braes,
Afton Water
Boatie Rows
Ca' the Ewes
Early one Morning
The Minstrel Boy
In Dublin's Fair city - and many, many more.

I have the 1955 National Song Book, but many books of Scottish Songs.

[helenwyler]

Wish I could join in trinkie!!

Thanks for reminding me of Early One Morning and of course the lovely Banks and Braes

Is Afton Water the same as Flow Gently Sweet Afton? Seem to remember Rowan Tree too, but you'll have to hum it for me to check...

We used to know Dublin's Fair City as Cockles and Mussels or Molly Malone.

We also used to sing Fairest Isle (Purcell I think), and I used to think it was perfectly hideous:mad:, tho' find myself singing it now and again lol!

Happy singing:Razz!!

[horseman]

Smashing you guys, an for me it's the 23third psalm, sung in the origonal :D

[trinkie]

Hallo Horseman, The 23rd is indeed a great Psalm. There are about three or four favourite tunes with Crimmond I expect, being number one. I know the Old tune you refer to - I love it too -
I wish you could hear me humming it , what a glorious melody.
Can anyone name the other tunes, or give me the appropriate number as I have an old Psalter.

Hallo Helenwyler, Afton Water – Flow Gently - also has a few tunes which it can be sung to. The words are by Robert Burns, and written as a tribute of gratitude and respect to Mrs Stewart of Afton Lodge. ( She was the first person of her rank to take any great notice of Burns )
Atfon is a small river in Ayrshire.
We have Burns to thank for saving many of the old airs. He loved Fiddle playing and would often write words to a tune, and as a result, save the tune.

Likewise we have Marjory Kennedy Fraser to thank for saving many of the Songs of the Western Isles.
The Kennedys of her family were Gaelic speaking . Marjory’s father was a great singer – as were most of her family. They were classically trained, but had a great love of the Scottish songs. In the late 1800s they travelled around the world ‘ taking the Scottish songs out to the people’ In Africa the Halls were so packed that some folk sat on the roof to hear the singing !
In the early 1900s Marjory and her daughter Patuffa along with her harp, went to the Western Isles and collected as many of the songs as they possibly could.
Then of course the songs became more suitable for an Edinburgh parlour and lost all of their traditional roots. But that is how most of us came to know and love them – and surely they have a place. Some of the old songs have been beautifully arranged and are more suited to a Non Westcoast voice/ type of singing.
For many years the Songs of the Western Isles were being lost, but thanks to M.K.F. they have survived for more folk to enjoy.

In recent years of course, there has been a great revival and thanks to recordings we can all enjoy the wonderful Island Songs in their true style.

I hope the Purists wont be too hard on me ! I wont even mention Sir Hugh Roberton !!

Some of my favourite Western Isle songs are -
Joy of my Heart
Ho-ree Ho-ro
Island Spinning song
Iona Boat Song
Westering Home
Sing at the Wheel
Mingulay Boat Song...... and so on and on ..... we weren't all born with a Gaelic Spoon in our mouths !

''A Short living with the Gold....A Long living with the Song.''

[helenwyler]

Wow trinkie... you're such a mine of information!

You jogged my memory on Westering Home - I'll need to look up the words now as it'll be buzzing through my head all day[lol]. I seem to remember Kenneth McKellar singing it on those New Year Hogmanay programmes my parents used to watch!!

And the Skye Boat Song - so famous that even I know it. I used to sing this as a lullabye to my girls when they were young. They loved it too.."Again, mummy!"

Helen

[trinkie]

About ten years ago, I was taking part in an International Music Festival in Edinburgh -- most of us were new to our instruments, so the teacher suggested we play something from memory and suggested The Skye Boat song . We were about forty folk from all over the world - only one young teenager had never heard of it - she was from Inverness !! This young lady was a most accomplished musician but it brought to my attention once again, how little time and effort is given to the voice - especially Traditional songs - in schools nowadays. Am I right in thinking more attention is given to instrument tuition? There are some wonderful musicians around but the singing ... ochanee.

Certainly when I as a grannie, sit down at the piano, there are very few songs that both I and the grandchildren can sing together. Gone are those wonderful sing-songs with all generations joining in !

The Crookit Bawbee - what a great duet !
Ae Fond Kiss
Blue Bells of Scotland
Corn Rigs are Bonnie
Leezie Lindsay
Kelvin Grove
Last May a braw Wooer.
An are Ye Sure ?
The Boatie Rows
Bonny Wee Thing .......
Away Ye Gay Landscapes - words by Lord Byron, tune 'Lochnagarr.
...... and all the others.


I feel a Ceilidh coming on.

[Hellas]

As I sit here in my office I am smiling (but a bit sadly) as I remember all these songs from my childhood in Wick - we sang every year in the music festival, in both the Scots song class and the set piece class - I will never forget the pride when I was second in my class for singing The Queen's Maries with marks of 90 - I loved all those songs, many I learned from my Mum and Dad, and the rest from Aline Mowat in the Arion Choir - sadly my children don't really know any of them - the music they get at school is sadly not in English .... if anyone has the words for Leezie Lindsay I would love to have them - my Mum always sang that one to me. Hellas

[trinkie]

Dont feel sad ! Rejoice - here comes Leezie Lindsay....

Leezie Lindsay
Anon.

Will ye gang to the Hielan's, Leezie Lindsay?
Will ye gang to the Hielan's wi me?
Will ye gang to the Hielan's, Leezie Lindsay,
My bride and my darling to be ?

To gang to the Hielan's wi' you sir,
I dinna ken how that may be,
For I ken na' the lan' that ye live in,
Nor ken I the lad I'm gaun wi.

O Leezie, lass, ye maun ken little,
If sae be that ye dinna ken me,
My name is Lord Ronald MacDonald,
A chieftan o' high degree.

She has kilted her coats o' green satin,
She has kilted them up to the knee,
And she's aff wi' Lord Ronald MacDonald,
His bride an' his darlin' to be.

Happy singing,
Trinkie .

[trinkie]

LEEZIE LINDSAY
From - Songs of Scotland c. 1865
Chorus as before.

‘’To gang to the Hielands wi you Sir,
Wad bring the saut tear to my e’e
At leaving the green glens and woodlands
And streams o my ain countrie’’

‘’Oh I’ll shew you the red-deer roaming
On mountains where waves the tall pine
And, far as the bound of the red-deer
Ilk moorland and mountain is mine.

‘’A thousand claymores I can muster
Ilk blade and its bearer the same,
And when round their Chieftan they rally
The gallant Argyle is my name.

There’s dancing and joy in the Hielands
There’s piping and gladness and glee,
For Argyle has brought hame Leezie Lindsay
His bride and his darling to be !



QUOTE…..
‘’ Leezie Lindsay’’ The old air probably Highland, was sent by Burns to Johnson, together with the first four lines of the song. Burns intended to send more verses but never did. The other verses here given were written by Mr Robert Gilfillan. The greater part of the old ballad ‘Lizie Lindsay’ was sent by Professor Scott of Aberdeen to Robert Jamieson Esq, who published the fragment in the second volume of his ‘Popular Ballads and Songs’’ 1806.
Burns evidently had the first stanza of the old ballad in view, though he changed the fourth line – ‘’And dine on fresh curds and green whey’’

trinkie ( I'm not so keen on the words here )

[Hellas]

Trinkie - thanks for the words - however we always sang my Bride and my Bonnie tae be - maybe the alliteration suited my mum more ! Hellas

[Lavenderblue2]

I think this could be the thread Trinkie.

LB :)