Traditional Scottish songs

[trinkie]

There is no longer a National Song Book used in schools but some of us were raised on the traditional songs our mothers sang. How many of them do you remember and do you still sing them ?
I know children nowadays are learning some very nice new music, but as a grannie I find it sad that we cant all sing together - we just dont know each others songs.

My favourites were Ye Banks and Braes. The Rowan Tree, Leezie Lindsay, Are ye sure the news is True....and many many more.

[coastown]

what about bonnie wee jeannie macall, roamin in the gloaming scotland the brave and a gordon for me:lol:

[unicorn]

I liked ali bally bee (dunno it's proper name)

[unicorn]

coulters candy was the name and I just found a great site with traditional songs and words, it certainly brings me back!
http://www.rampantscotland.com/songs/blsongs_index.htm

[Gleber2]

All these songs were teaching songs from an ancient tradition which taught a unity of thought and morality to all children. My wife,brought up by a Welsh mother in Wigan, knows the same songs as I was taught by my mother in Thurso. This has gone entirely as modern mothers use TV and Hoover noise to keep their babys placid. The music of today hardly teaches unity and clear morality. I know that there are still exceptions and good luck to the determined anachronistic people like me who still believe that they were 'the good old days'.

[clash67]

talking of which, does anyone know the chords and lyrics to "shoals o' herrin" ?

[Ashes]

My father used to sing Tatties and Herrin
Kind regards Ashes

[Kenn]

Music and song were always to be found in my home.I'll show my age here, but with little other than a radio to listen to we made our own amusement and would gather round the piano for a sing along.We had a wonderful book that was a collection of all the traditional songs of these islands together with the sheet music.Amazingly the Welsh and Gaelic tunes had the verses in both languages which would cause much merriment when we tried to pronounce them in other than English.
It was all part of the oral tradition as gleber2 pointed out and which now is sadly lost to so many.
I hope I managed to pass on to my children the same love for music and was recently delighted to find that many of those songs that relate to my birth place have been recorded . I have also managed to find some of the Welsh and Scots ones so I can happily trip down memory lane.
Just don't expect me to sing in tune!

[Kenn]

"Fair Kismuil" must be my favourite Scottish song closely followed by "Silver Darlings" and coming in third "Rowan Tree."
I did mean to put that on the first posting but got a little carried away.

[Cedric Farthsbottom III]

My Grandad had a favourite which I grew up wi.'Campbelltown Loch'sung by the Alexander Brothers.To think that someone would wish that a loch was whisky,so they could drink it dry.Brings a smile to ma face even after the 25 years that my Grandad passed away.:D

[pultneytooner]

G D G
With our nets and gear we're farin'
C D
On the wild and wasteful ocean
G C
It's there on the deep
G C G Em
That we harvest and reap our bread
G C D G
As we hunt the bonny shoals of herrin'

G C G
Oh, it was a fine and a pleasant summers day
D
Out of Yarmouth harbour I was farin'
G D C G Em
As a cabin boy on a sailing lugger
G C D G
For to go and hunt the shoals of herrin'

Now the work was hard and the hours were long
And the treatment surely took some bearing
There was little kindness and the kicks were many
As we hunted for the shoals of herrin'

Oh, we fished the Sward and the Broken Bank
I was cook and I'd a quarter sharing
And I used to sleep standing on my feet
And I'd dream about the shoals of herrin'

We left the home grounds in the month of June
And to canny Shields we soon was bearing
With a hundred cran of the silver darlings
That we'd taken from the shoals of herrin'

Now you're up on deck, you're a fisherman
You can swear and show a manly bearing
Take your turn on watch with the other fellows
While you're following the shoals of herrin'

In the stormy seas and the living gale
Just to earn your daily bread you're daring
From the Dover Straits to the Faroe Islands
While you're following the shoals of herrin'

I earned my keep and I paid my way
And I earned the gear that I was wearing
Sailed a million miles, caught ten million fishes
We were following the shoals of herrin'
G D G
Night and day we're faring
C D
Come winter wind or winter gale
G C
Sweating or cold,
G C G Em
Growing up, growing old and dying
G C D G
As you hunt the bonnie shoals of herrin'

Ewan Macoll

[sjwahwah]

how boot the raggle taggle gypsy?

[bingo1]

I love the song "Northern lights of old aberdeen" and "the bonny wee house on the hillside" Why dont you go to the music shop and buy a tape recorded by Ina Miller of wick. She can sing beautiful Scottish songs.

[sassylass]

Ahhh nothing like those old songs...Westering Home, Granny's Hieland Hame, Uist Tramping Song, Mairi's Wedding. We listened to old records so much, I can still do a fair impression of Kenneth McKellar :lol:

[clash67]

Thank you pultneytooner, I,ll get the old giutar strapped on and its "shoals o' herrin" to be my opening number for tonight.

[trinkie]

Yes indeed, thank you for Shoals of Herring...... I have the old guitar out too and have been trying, but the voice has gone. Never mind - no one was around to hear !

Thank you for all the songs, it brought back many memories.

[squidge]

I do classes in Traditional Scots Songs here in Inverness run by the highland Council - they are great fun and a complete mix of ages and background. We have done Joch Stewart, Leezy Lindsay, Wild Mountain Thyme, The shearin, The Eriskay Boat song, Bluebells of Scotland; Mary of Argyll; The Rowan Tree, The Uist tramping song, Bonnie lass of Fyvie, Where the Gaudie rins, and tons tons more. I just love it. The teacher is a lassie called Lillian Ross and she is great. At the end of the class we do a sing around and you can sing anything you want we have had traditional Burns songs and Red Hot chilli peppers songs, gaelic songs and polynesian songs and even some Gracie Fields (yep that was me folks!!!)

The difference that going to this class has made to my singing is amazing - i'll never be a lesley garret but i do ok these days. I just love it!!!

[jay]

I love the song "Northern lights of old aberdeen" and "the bonny wee house on the hillside" Why dont you go to the music shop and buy a tape recorded by Ina Miller of wick. She can sing beautiful Scottish songs.

need to be quick the music shops are now advertising a closing down sale - shame to see these shops going - it makes a change to find a good music shop that doesn't just sell chart music - goodluck James!

[Lavenderblue2]

This is a lovely thread which has brought back so many happy memories of beautiful traditional songs.

There are so many I like but one that my granny sang was Rothesay Bay...... also Dream Angus, Mingulay Boat Song, The Four Mary's and many, any more.

LB

[squidge]

Our wee singing group did a small concert for an old folks home last night. We sang Come by the Hills, Up and awa with the Laverock, Mary of Argyle, Bonnie lass of Fyvie, The eriskay Boat song, sailing and far Goudie Rins. We had a great time and the response from the residents was really good. These are fabulous songs and I have so enjoyed learning them