Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Illustrations of the lyric poetry and music of Scotland
(218) Page 78 - Down the burn Davie
Download files
Complete book:
Individual page:
Thumbnail gallery: Grid view | List view
78 LXXIII. MARY SCOTT.
Sir Walter Scott says, that the romantic appellation of the
" Flower of Yarrow," was in latter days, with equal justice,
conferred on the Miss Mary Lilias Scott of Crawfurd's ballad.
It may be so, but it must have been confined to a very small
circle indeed, for though born in her neighbourhood, I never
once heard of such a circumstance, nor can I see any justice
whatever in transferring the appellation of the *' Flower of
Yarrow" to her descendant, who was born on the banks of
the Tweed.
The old air of the Flower of Yarrow, as has been said,
consisted originally of one strain, to which a second had been
annexed, not earlier than the beginning of last century. The
same subject was afterwards formed into a reel or dancing
tune, to which my late esteemed friend. Hector M'Niel,
Esq. wrote a very pretty song, beginning " Dinna think,
bonnie lassie, I'm gaun to leave you." But, in the first
number of Mr Gow''s Repository, which was published a few
years ago, this tune is called " Carrick's Rant," a strath-
spey ; and the compiler of this Collection asserts, that " the
old Scotch song (he must certainly mean the air) of Maiy
Scott, is taken from this tune." The converse of this suppo-
sition is the fact; for Carrick's Rant is nothing else than
Cluries Reel, printed in Angus Cumming's Collection. But
the tune of Mary Scott was known at least a century before
either Clurie''s Reel, or Carrick's Rant, were even heard of.
LXXIV.
DOWN THE BURN, DAVIE.
Mr Burns says, " I have been informed, that the tune of
Down the burn Davie, was the composition of David
Maigh, keeper of the blood slough hounds, belonging to
the Laird of Riddell in Tweeddale." Reliques. But he
was probably misinformed ; for the tune occurs note for note
in the Orpheus Caledonius, printed in 1725. The verses
beginning When trees did bud, and fields were green,
are also in the Orpheus Caledonius. They were written by
Crawfurd, but not in his usual elegant and chaste manner.
Sir Walter Scott says, that the romantic appellation of the
" Flower of Yarrow," was in latter days, with equal justice,
conferred on the Miss Mary Lilias Scott of Crawfurd's ballad.
It may be so, but it must have been confined to a very small
circle indeed, for though born in her neighbourhood, I never
once heard of such a circumstance, nor can I see any justice
whatever in transferring the appellation of the *' Flower of
Yarrow" to her descendant, who was born on the banks of
the Tweed.
The old air of the Flower of Yarrow, as has been said,
consisted originally of one strain, to which a second had been
annexed, not earlier than the beginning of last century. The
same subject was afterwards formed into a reel or dancing
tune, to which my late esteemed friend. Hector M'Niel,
Esq. wrote a very pretty song, beginning " Dinna think,
bonnie lassie, I'm gaun to leave you." But, in the first
number of Mr Gow''s Repository, which was published a few
years ago, this tune is called " Carrick's Rant," a strath-
spey ; and the compiler of this Collection asserts, that " the
old Scotch song (he must certainly mean the air) of Maiy
Scott, is taken from this tune." The converse of this suppo-
sition is the fact; for Carrick's Rant is nothing else than
Cluries Reel, printed in Angus Cumming's Collection. But
the tune of Mary Scott was known at least a century before
either Clurie''s Reel, or Carrick's Rant, were even heard of.
LXXIV.
DOWN THE BURN, DAVIE.
Mr Burns says, " I have been informed, that the tune of
Down the burn Davie, was the composition of David
Maigh, keeper of the blood slough hounds, belonging to
the Laird of Riddell in Tweeddale." Reliques. But he
was probably misinformed ; for the tune occurs note for note
in the Orpheus Caledonius, printed in 1725. The verses
beginning When trees did bud, and fields were green,
are also in the Orpheus Caledonius. They were written by
Crawfurd, but not in his usual elegant and chaste manner.
Set display mode to: Large image | Transcription
Images and transcriptions on this page, including medium image downloads, may be used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence unless otherwise stated. 
| Special collections of printed music > Glen Collection of printed music > Printed text > Illustrations of the lyric poetry and music of Scotland > (218) Page 78 - Down the burn Davie |
|---|
| Permanent URL | https://digital.nls.uk/91319785 |
|---|
| Description | By the late William Stenhouse. Edinburgh: W. Blackwood and Sons, 1853. Originally published in James Johnson's "Scots' musical museum," Edinburgh, 1839 and now published separately, with additional notes and illustrations, [edited by David Laing, with the assistance of Charles K. Sharpe.] |
|---|---|
| Shelfmark | Glen.204 |
| Additional NLS resources: | |
| Attribution and copyright: |
|
More information
|
|
| Description | Scottish songs and music of the 18th and early 19th centuries, including music for the Highland bagpipe. These are selected items from the collection of John Glen (1833 to 1904). Also includes a few manuscripts, some treatises, and other books on the subject. |
|---|
| Description | The Glen Collection and the Inglis Collection represent mainly 18th and 19th century Scottish music, including Scottish songs. The collections of Berlioz and Verdi collected by bibliographer Cecil Hopkinson contain contemporary and later editions of the works of the two composers Berlioz and Verdi. |
|---|