Author Topic: Add: Kelvin Grove


dmcg

Posted - 30 Sep 04 - 10:23 am

Let us haste to Kelvin Grove, bonnie lassie, O,
Through its mazes let us rove, bonnie lassie, O.
Where the roses in their pride
Deck the bonnie dingle side,
Where the midnight fairies glide, bonnie lassie, O.

Let us wander by the mill, bonnie lassie O,
To the cove beside the rill, bonnie lassie, O.
Where the glens rebound the call
Of the roaring waters' fall
Through the mountains' rocky gall, bonnie lassie, O.

O Kelvin banks are fair, bonnie lassie, O.
When the summer we are there, bonnie lassie, O.
There the May-pinks's crimson plume
Throws a soft but sweet perfume
Round the yellow banks o' broom, bonnie lassie, O.


Source: Singing Together, Autumn 1968, BBC Publications


Notes:

No acknowlegement was provided in the pamphlet.

I have copied the 'Contemplator' entry below:

This song first appeared in The Harp of Renfrewshire, where it was erroneously credited to Mr. John Sim. The words were proven to be by Thomas Lyle (1792-1859). Lyle was born in Paisley and died in Glasgow. Kelvingrove appeared in a volume of his works, Collected Poems and Songs (1837) with these words. The air was printed in the second volume of The Scottish Minstrel (circa 1811), where it was called Kelvin Water.*

The melody dates earlier than The Scottish Minstrel. In the early 18th century, it was used for a song that was "too coarse for our modern ideas."** This refers to the use of the melody for Bonnie Lassie-O (The Shearing's Nae For You) which concerns the rape and pregnancy of a lass. (Search Digital Tradition for [Bonnie Lassie-o] for those lyrics.).

Kelvingrove is in Glasgow.
Information From The Saltire Scottish Song Book and
*Songs of Scotland (Graham)
**Scottish Songs





diane easby

Posted - 30 Sep 04 - 10:58 pm

That reminds me of being thrown out of school choir practice for singing the words of The Shearings Nae For You when we were supposed to be singing the bpwdlerised Kelvingrove text,


masato sakurai

Posted - 02 Oct 04 - 01:26 pm

I've seen two versions. (1) is from Charles Rogers, The Scottish Minstrel (Edinburgh: William P. Nimmo, [1870], 1871, p. 308); (2) from Robert Chambers, The Scottish Songs, vol. II (Edinburgh: William Tait, 1829, p. 435).
(1) KELVIN GROVE
--Thomas Lyle

Let us haste to Kelvin Grove, bonnie lassie, O!
Through its mazes let us rove, bonnie lassie, O!
Where the rose in all her pride,
Paints the hollow dingle side,
Where the midnight fairies glide, bonnie lassie, O!

Let us wander by the mill, bonnie lassie O!
To the cove beside the rill, bonnie lassie, O!
Where the glens rebound the call
Of the roaring water's fall,
Through the mountain's rocky hall, bonnie lassie, O!

O Kelvin banks are fair, bonnie lassie, O!
When in summer we are there, bonnie lassie, O!
There the May pink's crimson plume
Throws a soft but sweet perfume
Round the yellow banks of broom, bonnie lassie, O!

Though I dare not call thee mine, bonnie lassie, O!
As the smile of fortune's thine, bonnie lassie, O!
Yet with fortune on my side,
I could stay thy father's pride,
And win thee for my bride, bonnie lassie, O!

But the frowns of fortune lower, bonnie lassie, O!
On thy lover at this hour, bonnie lassie, O!
Ere yon golden orb of day
Wake the warblers on the spray,
From this land I must away, bonnie lassie, O!

Then farewell to Kelvin Grove, bonnie lassie, O!
And adieu to all I love, bonnie lassie, O!
To the river winding clear,
To the fragrant-scented breer,
Even* to thee of all most dear, bonnie lassie, O!

When upon a foreign shore, bonnie lassie, O!
Should I fall midst battle's roar, bonnie lassie, O!
Then, Helen! shouldst thou hear
Of thy lover on his bier,
To his memory shed a tear, bonnie lassie, O!


(2) KELVIN GROVE
--John [sic] Lyle

Let us haste to Kelvin grove, bonnie lassie, O;
Through its mazes let us rove, bonnie lassie, O;
Where the rose in all its pride,
Decks the hollow dingle's side,
Where the midnight fairies glide, bonnie lassie, O.

We will wander by the mill, bonnie lassie O,
To the cove beside the rill, bonnie lassie, O;
Where the glens rebound the call
Of the lofty waterfall,
Through the mountain's rocky hall, bonnie lassie, O.

Then we'll up to yonder glade, bonnie lassie, O,
Where so oft, beneath its shade, bonnie lassie, O,
With the songsters in the grove,
We have told our tale of love,
And have sportive garlands wove, bonnie lassie, O.

Ah! I soon must bid adieu, bonnie lassie, O,
To this fairy scene and you, bonnie lassie, O,
To the streamlet winding clear,
To the fragrant-scented brier,
E'en to thee of all most dear, bonnie lassie, O.

For the frowns of fortune low'r, bonnie lassie, O,
On thy lover at this hour, bonnie lassie, O;
Ere the golden orb of day,
Wakes the warblers from the spray,
From this land I must away, bonnie lassie, O.

And when on a distant shore, bonnie lassie, O,
Should I fall 'midst battle's roar, bonnie lassie, O,
Wilt thou, Helen, when you hear
Of thy lover on his bier,
To his memory shed a tear, bonnie lassie? O.


Edited By masato sakurai - 02-Oct-2004 01:35:00 PM



Edited By masato sakurai - 02-Oct-2004 01:36:15 PM






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