Canasg Choral Music Publishing

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  SG1020 

 
Ballad of lost ladye


poem by Helen Cruickshank (1886-1975)



set to music by Michael Buck

for soprano, alto, tenor and bass chorus


SATB  performance time approx  2m 30s











Composer's note


This ballad tells a mysterious and chilling story, allegedly based on a true incident in which a 20th century visitor to Iona was found dead in the early morning beside the Sithean Mor (great fairy mound).  It's packed with wonderful Scottish words and you should savour them.  


Two companion Helen Cruickshank settings are There was a sang and Sea buckthorn, also published by Canasg.  














 Music

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 Words 


Ballad of lost ladye


O siller, siller shone the mune 

An' quaiet swang the door,

An' eerie skraighed the flaughtered gulls 

As she gaed by the shore. 


O saft tae her the meadow girse,
 
But set wi' rock the hill, 

An' scored wi' bluid her ladye feet 

Or she cam' the place intill. 


The sheen o' steel was in her hand, 

The sheen o' stars in her een, 

An' she wad open the fairy hill 

An' she wad let oot the queen.


There cam' a shepherd owre the hill 

When day began tae daw; 

And is this noo a seggit ewe 

Or flourish frae the schaw? 


It wasna lamb nor seggit ewe 

Nor flourish frae the schaw, 

It was the ladye bright an' still, 

But she had won awa'. 


The peace an' loveliness upon 

Her broo said, 'Lat abee, 

Here fand I that I sairly socht, 

Ye needna peety mee.'


Helen Cruickshank


Copyright of Helen Cruikshank's poem is held by A C Hunter, Ashgrove House, Loanhead, Midlothian, Scotland EH20 9NG 






 Full glossary and pronunciation guide provided 







Price per copy £1.30 ($2.00)

Note: This price is for the first 20 licensed copies of the song, further copies cost only 25% of this price.












Companion pieces

Browse the Scots and Gaelic section of the Canasg catalogue for more songs like this one.  To go there now, click on the 'catalogue' box to the right.
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Canasg Choral Music Publishing 	


Canasg Music









16 Morningside Park Edinburgh Scotland EH10 5HB  

475 Walhalla Road Columbus Ohio OH 43202 
 










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Page updated by  Peter Hill February 2003