John Bunch wrote:
About four years ago we spent a fantastic New Years in
Inverness and attended the tradtional Hogmany
celebration there. The highlight was a procession out
to the torch lit football field where the entire
community sang Auld lang sign.
Syne.
Since then I have come across Guid New Year as another traditional
Hogmany song.
What are the musical tradtions of Hogmany? Are there any? I would
be interested finding out about any tunes (ABC format) and/or lyrics
and how they are used in the context of celebrating the NEW YEAR in
Scotland.
The traditional Scottish way of celebrating New Year - in my lifetime -
is to drink far too much and generally make a fool of yourself. I don't
say this with pride, mind. One tune which is associated with Hogmanay
for some reason is We're No Awa Tae Bide Awa:
...
X:149
T:We're No Awa Tae Bide Awa
S:Catherine Smith, Dundee
Z:Nigel Gatherer
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:D
DE|F3 A GFED|F2 D2 D2 FA|d3 e dcBA|B4 A3 A|
d3 e d2 F2|G2 B2 A3 A|B2 A2 d2 F2|E4 D2|]
1. As I was walking doon the Overgate [1],
I met wi' Johnnie Scobie
I says, Man will ye hae a hauf?
He says, Man, that's ma hoabbie!
Chorus:
For we're no' awa tae bide awa,
We're no' awa tae leave ye,
For we're no' awa tae bide awa,
We'll aye come back an' see ye.
2. Oh, we had a hauf, and anither hauf,
And then we had anither,
And she got drunk, and he got drunk,
An' we a' went hame thegither!
...
You have mentioned A Guid New Year (Tae One and A') which again is
associated with that time of year. Auld Lang Syne too, with its
linked physical actions (hold hands, cross hands, converge, guffaw,
etc). I can't think of any other tunes which are played specifically.
There are older ones which are not played at all now, as far as I know,
such as these:
...
X:112
T:Hogmany Strathspey
S:One of Nathaniel Gow's single sheets
Z:Nigel Gatherer
M:4/4
L:1/8
K:G
D|GGDB, DGDB,|EAAG GFED|GGDB, DGDB,|EA G/F/E/F/ G3:|
B/C/|ddBG BdBG|ceag gfed|ggeB egeB|gfe^d e3 e/f/|
ggff eedd|caBg AGFD|GGDB, DGDB,|EAGF G3|]
X:012
T:New Year's Day
S:Gow's Complete Repository, c.1810
N:Transposed from F; 1st bar
N:changed from d/e/fe to dfe
Z:Nigel Gatherer
M:6/8 jig
L:1/8
K:D
F|DED dfe|dDD D2 F|DED def|eEE E2 F|DEF dcB|
A2 g f2 e|dcB AFd|AFD D2::F/G/|ABA FAF|ABA F2 G|
ABc def|eEE E2 F|ABA FAF|A2 g f2 e|dcB AFd|AFD D2:|
...
Jack has told us that the tune Highland Cathedral is one of the
centrepieces of the New Year's Day ritual in this village
(Newtongrange). Also, Jack once gave us this tune, found in a
scrapbook:
...
X:1
T:A New Country Dance. New Year's Day in the Morning.
S:Musical Miscellanies, EPL qYML 288, p14
Z:Jack Campin
M:6/8
L:1/8
K:A
A2c d2f|eca cBA|fdf ecA|GBA GFE|A2c d2f|eca cBA|gba gfe|Bc^d e3:|
Ae=d cBA|=GEG FED|dfe dcB|AFA GFE|gba gfe|dBd cBA|fdf ecA|EFG A3:|
...
I hope others will contribute - this is simply MY take on your
question. There is a toast which has become traditional in Scotland:
Here's tae us wha's like us!, meaning Here's to those that are like
us!. Unfortunately it has become distorted into an arrogant Here's
tae us! Wha's like us? meaning who on this earth is as magnificant as
we Scots?, usually appended with Damn few, an' they're a' deid!
Needless to say, I prefer the simpler, sincere toast to _A'_ Jock
Tamson's bairns.
Whatever happens, have a good Hogmanay and a very good 2003.
[1] = The Overgate was a very busy thoroughfare in Dundee. I know that
there were other regional variants, but I can't recall any now. I don't
know how widespread this song was, but it was/is known in Edinburgh,
Perthshire, Dundee, and, If I remember correctly, Glasgow.
--
Nigel Gatherer, Crieff, Scotland
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
http://www.argonet.co.uk/users/gatherer/
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