The evening before
last, I wandered out, and began a tender song, in what I think is its
native style.
last, I wandered out, and began a tender song, in what I think is its
native style.
Robert Burns
_
"Auld Sir Simon" I must beg you to leave out, and put in its place
"The Quaker's wife. "
"Blythe hae I been on yon hill,"[242] is one of the finest songs ever I
made in my life, and, besides, is composed on a young lady, positively
the most beautiful, lovely woman in the world. As I purpose giving you
the names and designations of all my heroines, to appear in some
future edition of your work, perhaps half a century hence, you must
certainly include "The bonniest lass in a' the warld," in your
collection.
"Dainty Davie" I have heard sung nineteen thousand nine hundred and
ninety-nine times, and always with the chorus to the low part of the
tune; and nothing has surprised me so much as your opinion on this
subject. If it will not suit as I proposed, we will lay two of the
stanzas together, and then make the chorus follow, exactly as Lucky
Nancy in the Museum.
"Fee him, father:" I enclose you Frazer's set of this tune when he
plays it slow: in fact he makes it the language of despair. I shall
here give you two stanzas, in that style, merely to try if it will be
any improvement. Were it possible, in singing, to give it half the
pathos which Frazer gives it in playing, it would make an admirably
pathetic song. I do not give these verses for any merit they have. I
composed them at the time in which "Patie Allan's mither died--that
was about the back o' midnight;" and by the lee-side of a bowl of
punch, which had overset every mortal in company except the hautbois
and the muse.
Thou hast left me ever, Jamie. [243]
"Jockie and Jenny" I would discard, and in its place would put
"There's nae luck about the house,"[244] which has a very pleasant air,
and which is positively the finest love-ballad in that style in the
Scottish, or perhaps in any other language. "When she came ben she
bobbit," as an air is more beautiful than either, and in the _andante_
way would unite with a charming sentimental ballad.
"Saw ye my father? " is one of my greatest favourites.
The evening before
last, I wandered out, and began a tender song, in what I think is its
native style. I must premise that the old way, and the way to give most
effect, is to have no starting note, as the fiddlers call it, but to
burst at once into the pathos. Every country girl sings "Saw ye my
father? " &c.
My song is but just begun; and I should like, before I proceed, to
know your opinion of it. I have sprinkled it with the Scottish
dialect, but it may be easily turned into correct English. [245]
"Todlin hame. " Urbani mentioned an idea of his, which has long been
mine, that this air is highly susceptible of pathos: accordingly, you
will soon hear him at your concert try it to a song of mine in the
Museum, "Ye banks and braes o' bonnie Doon. " One song more and I have
done; "Auld lang syne. " The air is but mediocre; but the following
song, the old song of the olden times, and which has never been in
print, nor even in manuscript, until I took it down from an old man's
singing, is enough to recommend any air. [246]
Now, I suppose, I have tried your patience fairly. You must, after all
is over, have a number of ballads, properly so called. "Gil Morice,"
"Tranent Muir," "Macpherson's farewell," "Battle of Sherriff-muir,"
or, "We ran, and they ran," (I know the author of this charming
ballad, and his history,) "Hardiknute," "Barbara Allan" (I can furnish
a finer set of this tune than any that has yet appeared;) and besides
do you know that I really have the old tune to which "The cherry and
the slae" was sung, and which is mentioned as a well-known air in
"Scotland's Complaint," a book published before poor Mary's days? [247]
It was then called "The banks of Helicon;" an old poem which Pinkerton
has brought to light. You will see all this in Tytler's history of
Scottish music. The tune, to a learned ear, may have no great merit;
but it is a great curiosity.
"Auld Sir Simon" I must beg you to leave out, and put in its place
"The Quaker's wife. "
"Blythe hae I been on yon hill,"[242] is one of the finest songs ever I
made in my life, and, besides, is composed on a young lady, positively
the most beautiful, lovely woman in the world. As I purpose giving you
the names and designations of all my heroines, to appear in some
future edition of your work, perhaps half a century hence, you must
certainly include "The bonniest lass in a' the warld," in your
collection.
"Dainty Davie" I have heard sung nineteen thousand nine hundred and
ninety-nine times, and always with the chorus to the low part of the
tune; and nothing has surprised me so much as your opinion on this
subject. If it will not suit as I proposed, we will lay two of the
stanzas together, and then make the chorus follow, exactly as Lucky
Nancy in the Museum.
"Fee him, father:" I enclose you Frazer's set of this tune when he
plays it slow: in fact he makes it the language of despair. I shall
here give you two stanzas, in that style, merely to try if it will be
any improvement. Were it possible, in singing, to give it half the
pathos which Frazer gives it in playing, it would make an admirably
pathetic song. I do not give these verses for any merit they have. I
composed them at the time in which "Patie Allan's mither died--that
was about the back o' midnight;" and by the lee-side of a bowl of
punch, which had overset every mortal in company except the hautbois
and the muse.
Thou hast left me ever, Jamie. [243]
"Jockie and Jenny" I would discard, and in its place would put
"There's nae luck about the house,"[244] which has a very pleasant air,
and which is positively the finest love-ballad in that style in the
Scottish, or perhaps in any other language. "When she came ben she
bobbit," as an air is more beautiful than either, and in the _andante_
way would unite with a charming sentimental ballad.
"Saw ye my father? " is one of my greatest favourites.
The evening before
last, I wandered out, and began a tender song, in what I think is its
native style. I must premise that the old way, and the way to give most
effect, is to have no starting note, as the fiddlers call it, but to
burst at once into the pathos. Every country girl sings "Saw ye my
father? " &c.
My song is but just begun; and I should like, before I proceed, to
know your opinion of it. I have sprinkled it with the Scottish
dialect, but it may be easily turned into correct English. [245]
"Todlin hame. " Urbani mentioned an idea of his, which has long been
mine, that this air is highly susceptible of pathos: accordingly, you
will soon hear him at your concert try it to a song of mine in the
Museum, "Ye banks and braes o' bonnie Doon. " One song more and I have
done; "Auld lang syne. " The air is but mediocre; but the following
song, the old song of the olden times, and which has never been in
print, nor even in manuscript, until I took it down from an old man's
singing, is enough to recommend any air. [246]
Now, I suppose, I have tried your patience fairly. You must, after all
is over, have a number of ballads, properly so called. "Gil Morice,"
"Tranent Muir," "Macpherson's farewell," "Battle of Sherriff-muir,"
or, "We ran, and they ran," (I know the author of this charming
ballad, and his history,) "Hardiknute," "Barbara Allan" (I can furnish
a finer set of this tune than any that has yet appeared;) and besides
do you know that I really have the old tune to which "The cherry and
the slae" was sung, and which is mentioned as a well-known air in
"Scotland's Complaint," a book published before poor Mary's days? [247]
It was then called "The banks of Helicon;" an old poem which Pinkerton
has brought to light. You will see all this in Tytler's history of
Scottish music. The tune, to a learned ear, may have no great merit;
but it is a great curiosity.
