“The Lass of Glenshee”

Description

The singer woos the a Scottish shepherdess. He offers to marry and provide wealth and servants. She agrees, even though she is content with her life and herd. The singer looks back on years of happy marriage

Notes

Ford's notes claim that "The Crookit Bawbee" is "simply a free adaption" of this piece. In music, possibly. The text -- hardly. - RBW

Leach-Labrador notes the difference between his text and Ord's: "The present text of six quatrains tells the same story found in the Ord text of twelve quatrains. The difference is, as usual, in the repetition of details." The difference between Leach-Labrador and all of the broadsides is similar. The difference is more than the usual repetition of details. There are very few lines in common though the story outline is the same. This seems a rewrite by someone who once heard the original but never got the words and rebuilt the ballad out of the usual pieces. I wonder what A.B. Lord would have done with this. (No, this is not "Crookit Bawbee" either.) - BS

Same tune

• Queen Victoria's Welcome to Deeside (Ord, p. 337)

Broadsides

• Bodleian, Harding B 11(2075), "The Lass o' Glenshea," Stephenson (Gateshead), 1821-1850; also Harding B 17(162a), 2806 c.14(23), Harding B 11(3321), "The Lass o' Glenshea"; Harding B 25(1081)[some words illegible], "The Lass o' Glenshee"; Firth b.26(227), "The Lass of Glenshee"
• NLScotland, L.C.Fol.178.A.2(120), "The Lass o' Glenshee," unknown, c. 1875

Recordings

• O. J. Abbott, "The Lass of Glenshee" (on Abbott1)
• Warde Ford, "Lass of Glen Shee" (AFS 4199 A1, 1938; tr.; in AMMEM/Cowell)
• "Yankee" John Galusha, "Lass of Glenshee" (on USWarnerColl01)
• Mrs. T. Ghaney, "The Lass of Glenshee" (on NFMLeach)

References

1. Laws O6, "The Lass of Glenshee"
2. Ford-Vagabond, pp. 12-15, "The Lass o' Glenshee" (1 text, 1 tune)
3. Ord, pp. 75-76, "The Lass o Glenshee" (1 text, tune referenced)
4. Warner 4, "Lass of Glenshee" (1 text, 1 tune)
5. FSCatskills 28, "The Hills of Glenshee" (2 texts, 1 tune)
6. Gardner/Chickering 77, "The Lass of Glenshee" (1 text)
7. Flanders/Brown, pp. 131-132, "The Lass of Glenshie" (1 text)
8. SHenry H590, pp. 486-487, "The Lass of Glenshee" (1 text, 1 tune)
9. Leach-Labrador 31, "The Lass of Glenshee" (1 text, 1 tune)
10. Creighton-SNewBrunswick 36, "The Rose of Glenshee" (1 text, 1 tune)
11. DT 471, GLENSHEE GLENSHE2 GLENSHE3
12. Roud #292
13. BI, LO06