How do we get from the first tune below to Francis McPeake's
"Will you go lassie go"? Evolution.X:1
T:The Braes of Balquhidder
S:David Young, 1740. Bodleian MS Don. d.54
Q:1/=120
L:1/8
M:C|
K:Aphrygian
c2|(A/c/d) Fc A2 Ac|(A/c/d) Fc AGGc|\
dFcF A2 Ac|defc A/A/A A:|\
c|defc A/A/A ag|fd"tr"cA cGGc|defd "tr"cAag|\
a/g/f/e/ fc A/A/A Ac|def A/A/A ag|\
fd"tr"cA cGGA|FCC FGAa|(agfe f)c A2A:|]Here's what Jack Campin discovered, song and tune:The Braes o' Bowhether.Now the day's growin' lang lass,
an' sweet shines the weather,
an' we'll owre a' the hills,
to the Braes o' Bowhether.
Amang the Glens an' Rashy dens,
I'll prize thee without measure,
Within my arms, wi' a' thy charms,
I'll clasp my lovely treasure,
In sweetest Love, our time will move,
wi' mair than earthly pleasure;
By the little limpid streams,
On the Braes o' Bowhether.An' I'll ay loe thee dearly,
Ilk day wes' forgather,
Syne we'll row on the fog,
By the Braes o' Bowhether;
To Pipe or Flute, when time will suit,
We'll dance like ony feather,
An', skip the knowes where Claver grows,
Or stray amang the Heather;
Ay free frae strife in sic a life,
There, weary shall we never,
By the limpid little streams,
On the Braes o' Bowhether.X:2
T:The Braes o' Bowhether
S:John Hamilton, 24 Scots Songs, 1796
N:H is not standard ABC yet; it means a fermata, sic-
N:bars 6 and 8 are too long (2nd to last notes length 2 instead?)
Z:Jack Campin
Q:1/4=120
M:C
L:1/8
K:F
"Slow"
A/ c/|d2 F> G A A> z c| d2 F> G A <G z/(G/A/)c/|\
d2 F> G| (AG) A> c|(d>e) f> d (c/A/ A2) ||\
c |d> e f d c> A a> g| f d c> A (A/G/) G3 c/|\
d> e f d c> A a> g| f> e (d/e/) (f/d/) (c/A/) A3 c/|\
d> e f d c> A a> g| f> d (d/c/) (B/A/) (A/G/) G2 A/G/|\
F> D C> D (F>G) A> c|(d>e) (g/f/) (e/d/) (c/A/ A2) |]Robert Tannahil seems to have known a bit of the old song, but
not it's tune. From Graham's 'Songs of Scotland' we get
Tannahill's "The Braes of Balquhidder'Will you go lassie, go,
To the Braes o' Balquhidder?
Where the blaeberries grow,
'Mang the bonnie bloomin' heather;
Where the deer and the rae,
Lightly bounding together,
Sport the lang summer day
'Mang the braes o' Balquhidder,
[Cho:] Will you go lassie go,
To the braes o' Balquhidder?
Where the blaeberries grow,
'Mang the bonnie bloomin' heather.[3 more verses]Graham said the tune was in Capt. Fraser's 'Highland Melodies',
1816, #77, with slight differenes from that (later) in R. A.
Smith's 'Scottish Minstrel' I, p. 49 (I don't have).Capt. Fraser's is:Bochuidear Balquhidder. As performed by Major LoganX:3
T:Bochuidear
S:Capt. Fraser's Highland Melodies [reprint]
Q:1/4=120
L:1/8
M:C
K:F
c|{A/c/}d2 F3/2c/ A2 A3/2c/|{A/c/}d2 F3/2c/ AGGc|\
{A/c/}d2 F3/2c/ A2 Ac|d3/2e/{d/e/}f3/2d/ cA A:|\
c|d3/2e/ {d/e/}f3/2d/ c/A3/2 {c/}a3/2g/|\
f3/2c/ d/c/B/A/ AGGc|d3/2e/ {d/e/}f3/2d/ c/A3/2 {c/}a3/2g/|\
f/d3/2) {d/e/}f3/2d/ c3/2A/Ac|\
d3/2e/ {d/e/}f3/2d/ c/A3/2 {c/}a3/2g/|\
f3/2c/ (d/c/)(B/A/) AGG (A/G/)|F3/2E/D3/2E/ F3/2G/A3/2c/|\
d3/2e/ {d/e/}f3/2d/ cAA|]I suspect all here know Francis McPeake's version. I quit here.Bruce Olson
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