folk songs collected in the shetland isles

Folk Songs Collected in the Shetland IslesAuthor(s): Patrick Shuldham-ShawSource: Journal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Dec., 1949), pp. 13-18Published by: English Folk Dance + Song SocietyStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/4521322 .Accessed: 17/06/2014 14:42

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FOLK SONGS COLLECTED IN THE SHETLAND ISLES

BY PATRICK SHULDHAM-SHAW

THE songs given here are in no way to be considered Shetland Folk-Songs. The fact that they are not sung in the dialect shows that they are importations from outside, some of English, some of Scots, and some of Anglo-Irish origin. This does not make them any less valuable than the true Shetland songs in my collection, as they include one or two songs little known in the country of their origin, and some interesting versions of others better known.

A word or two about the singers: John Stickle of Baltasound, Unst, is a man now in his early seventies, but very

hale and hearty. He used to be a joiner and is still a superb craftsman with his hands. He has a great interest in Shetland lore of which he has a profound knowledge, particularly of Shetland fiddle tunes, and he has a fair repertoire of songs which he has picked up from various sources, many having been handed down in his family.

James Laurenson of Aithbank, Fetlar, is a crofter, an expert in making " kishies " or the creels in which the peat is carried home and in " dry stane-daeking" or dry stone-walling. He is extremely interested in old songs and old customs and re- members many songs learnt from his mother and other people in the island long since dead.

Bruce Laurenson, of Bressay is perhaps the finest folk-singer I have come across in the Shetlands. He has spent much of his life at sea, but is now unfortunately blind. In the old days he was a shanty man and has a large repertoire of songs including most of the usual sea-shanties, a number of Irish and English songs and manv songs of the old whaling days which he sings in fine style. Most of his songs have been learnt at sea from other sailors.

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WHEN I WAS A LITTLE BOY

Noted from the singing of John Stickle, Baltasound, Unst, 5th September, 1947 by P. N. Shuldharm Shaw.

DORIA N OR AEOLIAN. Cc. 100.

1. \FWhen I was a lit - tle boy to London I did go, but nowI've turned a

rogu-ish blade my cou-rage it will show. Mly feet was on the ta - ble, sir, My

head was hang-ing down, and I jump-ed ov - er Kingston's Hill and nev-er touch'd the

ground with my too - ral-lad -dy, whack-fol - lad - dy, too - ral-loo - ral - ling.

2 I bought myself a little bull about three inches high, The people all admired me it's for to hear him cry. The people all admired me for he made such an awful sound He made the steeple of St. Paul's Church come tumbling to the grounid

With my too-ral-laddy, etc.

3. 1 bought myself a little dog and the name of him was Don; So boldly as I trained him to buff and fight and run. His legs was nine yards long, Sir, his paw was four yards broad, And around the world in half an hour upon him I could ride


4. 1 bought myself a flock of sheep and the most of them were wethers Sometimes they brought me fine wool and sometimes they brought me feathers. They were as fine a flock, Sir, as anyone could possess For every month or six week's time they brought me six lambs apiece.


5. X bought myself a little hen and of her I took great care I set her on a mussel shell and she hatched me out a hare The hare grew up a milk-white steed about eighteen yards high, And if anyone tell you a bigger story, I'll tell you it's a bloody lie.


6. I bought myself a little box about three acres square, I stowed it into my breeches pocket, the guineas they were there. Now the people all admired me, thanked me for what I'd done, And they gave me a portion of silver and gold about ten thousand ton.

With my too-ral-laddy, etc. 14



The tune of this song has an extraordinary likeness to a street song that was popular about a decade ago. F.K. " Steeple of St. Paul's Church " in verse 2 may be a reference to the destruction of the spire of St. Paul's in 1561. This, and " Kingston's Hill " in verse 1 suggest that a folk song may have been converted into a comic song for use in London.

E.A.W. The type of song where everthing is topsy-turvy is quite common, though I have

not come across this actual form of words nor this tune before. For purposes of comparison I would refer to the various versions of the " Derby Ram " (E.F.D.S.S. Journial, Vol. V, No. I and elsewhere) " Nottamun Town" (Sharp, English Folk- Sonigs from t(le Southerni Appalachians.) " Y saith Rhyfeddod (The Seven Wonders) " (Welsh Folk Song Society's Journal, Vol. I,pp. 120, 143, 145, 152 and 211) and

Tha Chu'ag is ' Gug-gug' Aice (The Cuckoo calls) " Folk Song Society's Journal, No. 16, pp. 190 and 191). The repeated note in the ninth and tenth bars of the tune is curious and not ineffective. See also " The Song of Marvels " by A. G. Gilchrist. E.F.D.S.S. Journal, Vol. IV, No. 3. P.N.S-S.

LORD RONALD

Noted from the singing of James Laurenson, Fetlar, 4th September, 1947 by P. N. Shuldham Shaw

,= 130-140.

W-~~~ N _IJI -If--4- ~ E~1~

VThat had you for sup-per Lord Ron-ald my son, What hadyouforsupper, my

4~~~~ ! Ld- JI!I!io- jol - ly young man? I had fish - es for sup-per, go make my bed soon,

SickL at the heart, and fain would lie doon.

2. What leave to your mother, Lord Ronald, my son, What leave to your mother, my jolly young man, My watch and my chain, go make my bed soon, Sick at the heart and fain would lie doon.

3. What leave to your sweetheart, Lord Ronald, my son What leave to your sweetheart, my jolly young man. A rope and a tree, and hanged she shall be And all for the sake of poisoning me.

Note that the " ornaments" in the tune are joined to the preceding note and syllable, not to the following.

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This is a very much abbreviated version of " Lord Ronald " (or Rendal) but it s all that Mr. Laurenson knew. The tune is rhythmically connected with " Villikins

and his Dinah " as Greig points out in Last Leaves of Aberdeen Ballads, where he gives three variants. The melodic shape of Mr Laurenson's version, however, is different, or differs also from most English versions. P.N.S.-S.

THE BABES IN THE WOOD Noted from the singing of James Laurenson, Fetlar, 4th September, 1947 by P. N. Shuldham-Shaw.

DORIAN OR AEOLIAN. J=c. 120.

Their lit - tle lips with black-ber-ries, were all be - smeared and dyed. And

when they saw the dark - some night, they sat themdown and cried.

These are the only words remembered by Mr. Laurenson. They are almost identical with the corresponding verse in the lengthy ballad "The Babes in the Wood" which according to Chappell was sung to the tune of" Chevy Chase" (see National Airs). This fine modal tune shows no connection with " Chevy Chase " but the final cadence is reminiscent of " Ca' the yowes ". P.N.S.-S.

EGGS IN HER BASKET Noted from the singing of James Laurenson, Fetlar, 11th May, 1948, by P. N. Shuldham-Shaw.

AEOLIAN. ,=90-100.

__ ___ _ _ .z - 1

Two sail - ors walk - ing, two sail-ors talk - ing, Two sail - ors walk - ing out one

X->=>M-4-I a- day, And as they walk - ed and as they talk - ed, they met a fair maid, by the

___-i=> ---. -nEI -__-WP-il

way, said they "My fair maid, we'll car-ry your bas - ket" said she "Kind sirs, you're welcome

to "; Instead of rob-bing they did get noth-ing instead of eggs, a liv - ing child.

This is the only verse remembered. The words resemble those of " Eggs in her basket " (Folk Song Society's Journal, No. 2, p. 46), but are associated with a different and very beautiful tune. P.N.S.-S.

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SALLY MUNRO

Noted from the singing of Bruce Laurenson, Bressay, 8th June, 1948, by P. N. Shuldham-Shaw.

DORIAN INFLUENCE. ,=c. 100.

Ck--F-F=-k-F1__.72-ZZZ-ZN Jim Dix - on is my name, I'm a black-smith to trade, And in the town of

___ 6:-N _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Bris - tol, Where I was born and bred, And from there un - to Bel - fast a -

___ - _ F- -d --[-F-

- working I did go, And therc I got ac - quainted with young Sal - ly Mun - ro.

2. I wrote my love a letter and sealed it with a ring, I gave it to a comrade thinking that he was a friend; But instead of proving a friend to me, he proved to be a foe. For he never gave that letter to young Sally Munro.

3. Six months or better no word I could hear, Any word from the bonnie lass I once loved so dear 'Twas on a Saturday's afternoon and on a Sunday too Who did I spy a-wandering there but Sally Munro.

4. I asked her if she would embark and come along with me, In spite of her poor parents, and married we should be. " I've got no objections with you for to go If you only do prove loyal fo young Sally Munro."

5. We sailed down the river with a sweet and pleasing gale Leaving all our friends behind us for to weep and to wail Many were the salt tears that down my cheeks did flow, But still I felt quite happy with young Sally Munro.

6. 'Twas on a Saturday's afternoon, it came on a night of fog; And on a Sunday's afternoon, our good ship struck a rock; None could be saved that was down below And down among the number slept young Sally Munro.

7. From her poor parents I stole her away And that will shake my conscience until my dying day; It was never my intention that I should grieve her so In thinking to get married to young Sally Munro.

A variant of" Charles Dickson " see Folk Song Society's Journal, No. 13, p. 27. P.N.S.-S.

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HE CALLED FOR A CANDLE

Noted from the singing of Bruce Laurenson, Bressay, 8th June, 1948, by P. N. Shuldh-.=.-Shaw.

DORIAN.

S=C. 116.

1. Hle cal - led for a can - dle a light to go to bed, And

like - wise a hand - ker-chief to roll a - round his head, For to

roll a-round his head as the sail - ors of - ten do, And

said "My pret - ty fair maid wvill you go too

2. And Maggie being a young girl and thought it was no harm She laid down beside him for to keep his bosom warm, In the middle of the night when the sailor he grew bold He rolled in Maggie's apron five hundred pounds of gold.

3. Early the next morning when Maggie's mother arose Saying " Maggie, dearest Maggie, you've thrown yourself away You've thrown yourself away and-you've brought a baby too She may pass for a young girl in some foreign country"

4. "0 mother, dearest mother, I've done nothing wrong I have gold in my pocket and silver in my purse And when the baby's born, I will pay the nurse a fee, And I'll pass for a young girl in some foreign count-er-y."

5. " If it be a bonny girl she'll stay at home with me; And if it's a boy, he will plough the dark blue sea. He'll plough the dark blue seas As his daddy's done before And skip about the decks like a young sailor boy.

6. God bless the ocean that my love sails upon And likewise the gallant ship that carries him along. I'll write my love a letter and seal it with a ring ; And never will be happy till I see my love again.

The tune appears to me to be Anglo-Irish in origin. The last line of verse 3 is obviously corrupt. P.N.S.-S.

.is



Article Contentsp. 13p. 14p. 15p. 16p. 17p. 18

Issue Table of ContentsJournal of the English Folk Dance and Song Society, Vol. 6, No. 1 (Dec., 1949), pp. i-iv+1-28Front Matter [pp. i-iii]Editorial [p. iv]Dramatic Elements in the Folk Dance [pp. 1-7]English Country Dance Prior to the 17th. Century [pp. 8-12]Folk Songs Collected in the Shetland Isles [pp. 13-18]Three Irish Fiddle Tunes [p. 19]I Ring for the General Dance [pp. 20-21]ReviewsReview: untitled [pp. 22-23]Review: untitled [pp. 23-24]Review: untitled [pp. 24-25]Review: untitled [p. 25]Review: untitled [pp. 25-26]Gramophone Records [p. 26]

The Year's Work in the English Folk Dance and Song Society [p. 27]ObituaryRichard Martin Callender Sept. 29th 1893-Nov. 8th 1948 [p. 28]

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folk songs collected in the shetland isles

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