Canasg Choral Music Publishing

Canasg Music

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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

See a sample of the music

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Hear a MIDI file of the song


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

The price of this piece depends on the number of singers in your group. This is a single payment for a licence to make as many copies as you need for your group to rehearse and perform the song as often as you wish. Copies of the song must not be given, lent or sold to any other group.

Number of singers in your group
up to 12 singers13 to 24 singers25 singers or more
£5 (approx US$8.00)
£10 (approx US$16)
£15 (approx US$24)
Please note that your Paypal transaction will be in sterling but it should automatically
be converted if your credit card draws on a different currency.


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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ã Page updated by Peter Hill December 2005