[scots-l] Bessie Bell and Mary Gray
Andrew said: ...A new question about the tune below, printed in Aird and McGlashan (and probably other collections). Does anyone know who the Misses Bell and Gray were? Regards, Andrew Kuntz Yes, they were real people who lived and died not far from where I am now (Perthshire). In April 1645 the plague crossed the border, the first outbreak being in Kelso, and subsequently spreading north. When it hit Edinburgh in June parliament was moved to Stirling; in July it had to move again, this time to Perth. In August Perth became one of the worst hit towns, nearly 3000 people dying, with corpses left rotting in the street. The townsfolk left in droves to live in huts in the surrounding countryside. Mary Gray and her best friend Bessie Bell retreated to an isolated hut in the woods to avoid the disease. Unfortunately, Bessie had a lover who visited them occasionally, and one time he brought a gift - either a string of pearls or a lace handkerchief - which had been stolen from a plague victim. Bessie was struck down and Mary, who nursed her, soon followed. They died holding each other in the hut. Their bodies were carried on the road the Methven, where Mary's family's burial was, but the people of the town refused to let them in, terrified of the plague. Bessie and Mary were apparently left on the ground, only to be buried much later, after the plague subsided. Later still their burial place was surrounded by a wall and a stone placed by it, and even later iron railings and a larger stone, on which was carved They Lived - They Loved - They Died. I haven't visited the grave yet, but I expect I will. The girls' story is known because of a ballad, Twa Bonnie Lasses: O Bessie Bell an' Mary Gray! They were twa bonnie lasses, They biggit a bower on yon burn-brae, An' theekit it owre wi' rashes. They theekit it owre wi' rashes green. They happit it roun' wi' heather; But the pest cam' frae the Burrow-toun An' slew them baith thegither. The ballad became popular after the girls' death, and was adapted by Allan Ramsay, John Leyden (who worked with Walter Scott, and moved the scene of the story to the Borders) and James Duff of Logiealmond. Incidentally, in Co Tyrone, N Ireland, there are two hills named Bessie Bell and Mary Gray respectively, and I have read that there are another two hills outside Staunton, Virginia (US) with the same names. David Kilpatrick: the plague reaching Kelso must have been a traumatic time. Some infected houses were set on fire, but the flames went out of control and destroyed the town. I wonder if this incident is recorded in any local songs? -- Nigel Gatherer, Crieff, Scotland [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/gatherer/ Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Bessie Bell and Mary Gray
Nigel Gatherer wrote: (Bessie Bell and Mary Gray story) The ballad became popular after the girls' death, and was adapted by Allan Ramsay, John Leyden (who worked with Walter Scott, and moved the scene of the story to the Borders) and James Duff of Logiealmond. Just wanted to make shoes of yellow try to rhyme with Yarrow... 'onestly, guv... David Kilpatrick: the plague reaching Kelso must have been a traumatic time. Some infected houses were set on fire, but the flames went out of control and destroyed the town. I wonder if this incident is recorded in any local songs? And the other two or three occasions on which the entire town appears to have burned down - but no songs. I can't remember if the next fire was in the very late 1700s, but for whatever reason, most of the town centre is circa 1790-1810 and whatever they rebuilt in the 1600s either burned down again or was demolished and remodelled in continental (northern French, Dutch and Venetian) styles. Result, Kelso looks totally unlike any of the other Border towns in layout and architecture. There seem to be just about zero real songs about the place - it gets a namecheck in 'The Runaway Bride', and 'We'll a' tae Kelso go'. Calvert's 1799 book (which Philip Whittaker gave me a copy of) has half a dozen tunes like 'A Trip to Kelso' with the town in the title, since he published the music here. On playing them they sound suspiciously familiar and slightly Irish and I'll bet they all have other names which are better known. David -- Icon magazines: http://www.freelancephotographer.co.uk/ Music CDs and tracks: http://www.mp3.com/DavidKilpatrick Personal website: http://www.maxwellplace.demon.co.uk/pandemonium/ Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
[scots-l] Rizzio's 'lute'
A vendor on eBay with a $116 framed Victorian print of historic musical instruments (Antiques and Art Section) has been kind enough to provide highly detailed scans of the entire print which includes a back view of 'Rizzio's Lute' confirming my own suspicion that Rizzio did not play a lute :-) It's a view of a chitarra with a slotted headstock and guitar-shaped body, very sadly from the back because this is wonderfully ornate and made of many dozens of lozenge shaped wooden sections. From what one can see it may be a four-course, or five-course, doubled course strung instrument and might well be wire strung (Italian style) and not gut as it has a narrow neck and the headstock is hardly angled at all. Of course I've copied the pictures off the eBay site - very nice quality scans... no intention of buying the framed picture, prefer to find the book it was probably sliced out of. Or, even better, the source: Where is Rizzio's lute? Is it in Scotland? Did James Oswald know about this instrument when he attributed pieces he 'wrote' for the wire-strung guittar to Rizzio? Because - it's possible that is Rizzio did play a chitarra he might actually have written them. I'm sending a copy of this with the piccy to Rob MacKillop, who is the No 1 authority on Oswald and the Rizzio question, to see if it sheds any light. Anyone else who wants to see it, email me or go have a hunt on eBay (a search under lute will find the item). David Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Bessie Bell and Mary Gray
David Kilpatrick wrote: There seem to be just about zero real songs about the place - it gets a namecheck in 'The Runaway Bride', and 'We'll a' tae Kelso go'. There's The Wife o' Kelso but that may be simply a local variant of a widely known tune (there was a Dundee version of that song, and if I remember correctly at least one English version). -- Nigel Gatherer, Crieff, Scotland [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/gatherer/ Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Bessie Bell and Mary Gray
Nigel Gatherer wrote: David Kilpatrick wrote: There seem to be just about zero real songs about the place - it gets a namecheck in 'The Runaway Bride', and 'We'll a' tae Kelso go'. There's The Wife o' Kelso but that may be simply a local variant of a widely known tune (there was a Dundee version of that song, and if I remember correctly at least one English version). Indeed it is - she tries to poison the husband, he drowns her. Forgot that one. It does refer to the Tweed but it's easy enough to substitute Tay, Tyne, Tees or any other T-river! I think there is a also a 'Kelso Market' or 'St James's Fair on the Green' but those might be the 'all to Kelso go' song under another title. I guess we should really get them all together and do a local song and tune book. David Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
RE: [scots-l] Bessie Bell and Mary Gray
-Original Message- From: Nigel Gatherer [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: 14 August 2001 22:22 To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [scots-l] Bessie Bell and Mary Gray David Kilpatrick wrote: There seem to be just about zero real songs about the place - it gets a namecheck in 'The Runaway Bride', and 'We'll a' tae Kelso go'. There's The Wife o' Kelso but that may be simply a local variant of a widely known tune (there was a Dundee version of that song, and if I remember correctly at least one English version). If it's the song I'm thinking of, the English version is called Marrow Bones and there's also an Irish version called The Old Woman of Wexford. (But it's probably Scottish originally. g) Ted Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Bessie Bell and Mary Gray
Thanks to all who responded with such great information to my queary regarding the Bessie Bell/Mary Gray tune. What a rich offering! Thanks, list. Regards, Andrew Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
Re: [scots-l] Bessie Bell and Mary Gray
[EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: Thanks to all who responded with such great information to my queary regarding the Bessie Bell/Mary Gray tune. What a rich offering! Thanks, list. Regards, Andrew Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html Francis J. Child in 'The English and Scottish Popular Ballads' gives it as #201, but from the 4 verse text in Charles Kirkpatrick Sharpe's 'A Ballad Book'. Bruce Olson Roots of Folk: Old British Isles popular and folk songs, tunes, broadside ballads at my no-spam website - www.erols.com/olsonw or just A href=http://www.erols.com/olsonw; Click /a Motto: Keep it up; muddling through always works. Posted to Scots-L - The Traditional Scottish Music Culture List - To subscribe/unsubscribe, point your browser to: http://www.tullochgorm.com/lists.html
