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Broadside ballad entitled 'Donald o' Dundee' |
CommentaryThis ballad begins: 'Young Donald is the blythest lad, / That e'er made love to me ; / Whene're he's by my heart is glad, / He seems so gay and free'. The sheet was published by the Poet's Box, who operated out of 182 Overgate, Dundee. This was a popular song not only in Dundee, but also in Perthshire, Fife and Forfarshire. It was written by Orkneyman, David Vedder (1790-1854). Over the years, the Poet's Box were registered at several different premises in the Overgate, and were prolific publishers of ballads like this. A list of other songs available is included at the bottom of the sheet. It is not clear what the connection between the different Poet?s Boxes were. They almost certainly sold each other?s sheets. It is known that John Sanderson in Edinburgh often wrote to the Leitches in Glasgow for songs and that later his brother Charles obtained copies of songs from the Dundee Poet?s Box. There was also a Poet?s Box in Belfast from 1846 to 1856 at the address of the printer James Moore, and one at Paisley in the early 1850s, owned by William Anderson. Early ballads were dramatic or humorous narrative songs derived from folk culture that predated printing. Originally perpetuated by word of mouth, many ballads survive because they were recorded on broadsides. Musical notation was rarely printed, as tunes were usually established favourites. The term 'ballad' eventually applied more broadly to any kind of topical or popular verse.
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Probable period of publication:
1880-1900 shelfmark: L.C.Fol.70(31b)
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