Thanks Matt,
I had a suspicion you'd have more information!
The story is indeed that of the Apprentice Pillar. Thanks for the
correction about the building.
Without casting any doubt on the claims of Oswald to have written it
down, the date of 1746 does relate nicely to the possibility of it
having travelled with this relation of the Welsh DavidofRock.
Might Oswald have heard it, or McGibbons if 'twas him, have heard it
and worked from there?
I won't push for comment on the story - what about the Scottishness of
Welshness of the shape of the tune?
You know far more than most about the harmonic & melodic structure of
different traditions of tunes. Any comment on that?
Best wishes,
Richard.
On 26/04/2010 13:57, Matt Seattle wrote:
An early sighting is in Oswald CPC Vol 4 where it is called Roselana
Castle: 2 strains of air followed by 2 of variation followed by 4
'Brisk' 6/8 jig strs. The tune has been attributed to Oswald - it was
previously published by McGibbon as Glamis Castle in 1746 but Purser's
notes in the CDR edition of CPC lend support to a claim for Oswald -
the two men knew each other and were both Freemasons.
I don't have Andy's CD but if his story is about a mason I suspect it
relates to the Apprentice Pillar in Roslin Chapel - a different
building. The Welsh story - no comment.
On Mon, Apr 26, 2010 at 1:10 PM, Richard York
<[1]rich...@lizards.force9.co.uk> wrote:
Rosslyn/Roslyn/Roslin Castle is a tune I love, and it's in the NPS
books. I'd like to find more about the origin.
The story about the mason, from Andy May on his CD insert, is a
great tale, but of course doesn't explain the tune's beginnings - I
sort of assumed from there it was perhaps a lament related to the
terrible deed.
But it never seems very Scottish in its shape - all those major 7th
leaps in a minor tune.
We have a CD by the Welsh triple harp player Llio Rhydderch (OT
thought... so was Lliopatra really Welsh, not Egyptian??!) who is
very steeped in her tradition and takes it very studiously.
She writes that there's a tradition that a relation of the famously
Eponymous David of the White Rock, (and he died early mid C19th),
travelled to Rosslyn Castle where he worked as a gardener, and took
the tune with him from Wales. Certainly, once you hear her playing
of it, it's absolutely Welsh. And very much the same feel as the
David Of etc tune.
On t'other hand she doesn't actually say who wrote it or when.
While it's not strictly a Northumbrian Question, it's now in the nsp
repertoire, so does anyone know any more of it, please?
Thanks,
Richard.
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