canasg choral music publishing

YV6001

The muckle man

poem by William Soutar
set to music by Sheena Phillips

for childrens's chorus (unison)
and piano

performance time approx 0m 40s

from

Three Soutar songs

Composer's note

William Soutar's poems for children make wonderful use of the Scots language, to which he was dedicated. This is a very playful piece about a muckle (big) man who goes round creating havoc in graveyards. The other two songs in this set of Soutar pieces for children are The princess Anastasia and The windmill (both published by Canasg).

Music

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Hear a MIDI file of the song

Words

The muckle man

There was a muckle man
Wi' a muckle black beard
Wha rade a muckle horse
Through a muckle kirk-yaird:

[muckle ~ big]
[wi' ~ with]
[wha ~ who]
[kirk-yaird ~ churchyard / graveyard]

Hallachin and yallachin
He rattl'd on the stanes:
Hallachin and yallachin
He birl'd abune the banes:

[hallachin ~ acting noisily; yallachin ~ shouting]
[stanes ~ stones]

[birl'd ~ whirled; abune ~ about; banes ~ bones]

Up and doun and up and doun
Wi' muckle steer and stour,
Wallopin a muckle whup
Owre and owre and owre.

[doun ~ down]
[steer ~ stir, disturbance; stour ~ dust]
[wallopin ~ thrashing; whup ~ whip]
[owre ~ over]

William Soutar

Thanks to the Trustees of the National Library of Scotland, who hold William Soutar's copyright, for permission to reproduce this poem. Before performing or recording this setting, please inform the National Library of Scotland, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EW, Scotland; tel +44-131-226 4531.

Full pronunciation guide provided

see the next... song in the cycle

Price per copy Ł1.00 ($1.50)

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' or 'Young voices' 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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