Display Topic


Author	Topic: Add: Caller Herrin'


Pip Freeman	Posted - 27 Jan 04 - 12:30 pm
	Caller Herrin' 1 to 3 Wha'll buy caller herrin'? They're bonnie fish and halesome farin'; Buy my caller herrin', New drawn frae the Forth. 1. When ye were sleepin' on your pillows, Dreamed ye aught o' our puir fellows, Darkling as they face the bilows, A' to fill our woven willows? Buy my caller herrin', They're bonnie fish and halesome farin' Buy my caller herrin', New drawn frae the Forth. 2. And when the creel o' herrin' passes, Ladies clad in silks and laces, Gather in their braw pelisses, Toss their heads and screw their faces. Buy my caller herrin' &c. 3. Noo, neighbour wives, come heed my tellin', When the bonnie fish ye're sellin', At a word be aye your dealin' truth wil stand when a' things failin', Buy my caller herrin', &c. Source: News Chronicle Song Book. Notes: Words attributed to Lady Carolina Nairne, set to an old Scottish air. Added to database here.

masato sakurai	Posted - 27 Jan 04 - 01:50 pm
	From The Scottish Minstrel: The Songs of Scottland Subsequent to Burns, by Charles Rogers (Edinburgh: William P. Nimmo, 1870; 2nd ed., 1872, p. 61): CALLER HERRIN'* (Air by Neil Gow) Wha'll buy my caller herrin'? They're bonnie fish and halesome farin'; Wha'll buy my caller herrin', New drawn frae the Forth? When ye were sleepin' on your pillows, Dream'd ye aught o' our puir fellows, Darkling as they fac'd the billows, A' to fill the woven willows? Buy my caller herrin', New drawn frae the Forth? Wha'll buy my caller herrin'? They're no bought here without brave daring+ Buy my caller herrin', Haul'd thro' wind and rain. Wha'll buy my caller herrin'? etc. Wha'll buy my caller herrin'? Oh, ye may ca' them vulgar farin', Wives and mithers maist despairing, Ca' them lives o' men. Wha'll buy my caller herrin'? etc. When the creel o' herrin' passes, Ladies, clad in silks and laces, Gather in their braw pelisses, Cast their heads and screw their faces. Wha'll buy my caller herrin'? etc. Caller herrin's no got lightlie, Ye can trip the spring fu' tightlie, Spite o' tauntin', faluntin', flingin', Gow has set you a-singin'. Wha'll buy my caller herrin'? etc. Neebour wives, now tent my tellin': When the bonny fish ye're sellin', At ae word be in ye're dealin'-- Truth will stand when a' thing's failin'. Wha'll buy my caller herrin', They're bonnie fish and halesome farin'. Wha'll buy my caller herrin', New drawn frae the Forth? *This song was written, by Lady Nairne, for the benefit of Nathaniel Gow, music composer, son of the more celebrated Neil Gow. It was conveyed to the musician by the Edinburgh gentlewoman, to whom the authoress confided her secret.

Malcolm Douglas	Posted - 27 Jan 04 - 02:00 pm
	In fact the air isn't very much older than the verses. It was written by Nathaniel Gow (1763-1831), son of the renowned fiddler Niel Gow. The story is that the Gow music publishing business was in financial difficulties, and Lady Nairne donated the poem anonymously, through a friend in Edinburgh, to be used as a fund-raiser. She wrote: "If it is to be any use to Nathaniel, perhaps it should be dedicated to the Duchess of Athole." (Rev George Henderson, Lady Nairne and Her Songs, Paisley: Alexander Gardner, 5th edition, 1908, 94-96).

masato sakurai	Posted - 27 Jan 04 - 03:41 pm
	Editions at Bodleian Library Broadside Ballads are: caller herrin' [title] caller herring [title]

Pip Freeman	Posted - 01 Feb 04 - 06:42 pm
	I notice that Masato's version of the song from 'The Scottish Minstrel' attributes the air to Neil Gow. Malcolm says that the air was written by Nathanie Gow, Neil Gow's son. Could someone please clarify which of these is correct. Also the version given by Masato appears to be a more complete version than the one I got from the News Chronicle Song Book. Do you think that Masato's version should be the one in the database?

dmcg	Posted - 01 Feb 04 - 06:59 pm
	I don't think it makes too much difference which is in the database as long as the melody and lyrics were collected together (where that is possible.) In this case, I would leave the lyrics in the database alone unless you had compared the melody with The Scottish Minstrel: The Songs of Scottland Subsequent to Burns and found them the same (or substituted that melody.)

Pip Freeman	Posted - 01 Feb 04 - 10:22 pm
	Thanks Dave, I'll leave well alone.

masato sakurai	Posted - 11 Feb 04 - 03:27 am
	From notes to the song by Charles Rogers in his Life and Songs of the Baroness Nairne (London: Charles Griffin and Co., 1869, p. 184): Caller Herrin'.--This song was written for the benefit of Nathaniel Gow, musical composer, son of the more celebrated Neil Gow. The MS., written in a borrowed hand, was conveyed to Gow by the gentlewoman to whom Lady Nairne confided her "great secret," and who is commonly designated in this work as her Edinburgh correspondent. In the letter, which enclosed the song to that friend, the authoress writes:--"If it is to be of any use to Nathaniel, perhaps it should be dedicated to the Duchess of Athol." The advice was followed. The tune represents the clime of the bells of the Tron Church, Edinburgh. The words and music have been often reprinted. We present the titles of two of the publications:--"Caller Herrin'. Arranged with variations for the pianoforte by Philip Knapton. London: Leoni Levi & Coxhead."--"Caller Herrin', a favourite Scotch air, with an introduction and brilliant variations for the pianoforte. Composed and dedicated to Mrs. Henry Shelton, by Charles Czerny. D'Almaine & Co." Caller Herrin' was sung to admiring thousands in all parts of the kingdom by the late John Wilson, the great Scottish vocalist. In the original version, as will be observed in the fac simile, the word dainty occupied the place of halesome. By whom the change was made, we are not aware; but as the substituted word is an improvement, we have allowed it a place in the text. The facsimile of the MS. is given between pages 4 and 5. The version is the same as the longer one posted above, and as the one in George Henderson's Lady Nairne and Her Songs, 4th ed. (Alexander Gardner, pp. 89-91). No music is given in the three editions. Edited By masato sakurai - 11-Feb-2004 03:53:48 AM

Malcolm Douglas	Posted - 11 Feb 04 - 03:54 am
	Just on a point of detail, Niel Gow favoured that particular spelling of his name. (cf Gael. Niall, from Norse Njal). The usual modern English spelling is of course Neil (my father's name, as it happens).

Browse Titles: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z