Nigel asked
> are you from the Kelso area
> originally
I used to be sensitive about this. But in a year or two I'll be able to
say I have spent half my life in Scotland.
This reminds me of something a pupil asked me when I first came to
Borders. He brought up his word book -( small jotter for personal vocab)
and asked me to write the word "lenny"
I was really puzzled, so I asked him for an example. I then realised this
was the word from the oft-used phrase "Gie's a lenny yer rubber" *
I had very romantic notions about the Borders then. I knew some of the
ballads - as texts, which is what they remain for most people. Imagine my
delight to hear words seemingly out of the ballads; "Sir, he ta'en ma
jotter!"
"He's tae'en her by the lily white hand............"
Oddly, in Kelso at least, the s was not spoken. So what should have been
been a perfect tense sounded like a pluperfect. In other words the pupils
definitely did not say " He's ta'en........"
Linguistically I cannot explain this. This error - ta'en for took used to
drive one teacher up the wall - a Scot and knowledgebable about that
Ayrshire poet whose birthday the school celebrated soon after Christmas.
You can imagine what the teachers thought about an English newcomer
telling them that the pupils spoke the language of the Border Ballads!
All time favourite tune is probably - "Neil Gow's Lament for his second
Wife". It must be . I've heard it murdered more times than I've heard it
played well. I like A Fraser's "Pamela Rose Grant" strathspey as it goes
well on the mandolin and Boehm flute. See - the nineties Collection book
Currently my head is full of "Grey Skies Lifting" simple 3/4ish air
written by our flute playing daughter. I am sorry I do not have time to
abc it for you. It has a great and simple piano/clarsach accompaniment.
Carol, email your address and I'll send it. One good thing to be said for
Standard grade music! If composition were not part of the course she would
never have bothered completing the tune and accompaniment.
The tune was named by our friend Arthur. It just about describes the view
outside this morning. We have had some very heavy June cloud burts after a
scorching May.
Bye
Philip
* for US members - rubber = eraser
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