This book presents the two manuscripts written down by the sisters Amelia Harris (1815-1891) and Jane Harris (1823-1897) which contain a Perthshire family repertoire, mainly passed on orally to the sisters by their mother, Mrs David Harris, née Grace Dow, and also include some items taken down from others.

Each manuscript was transmitted to a scholar with a passionate interest in ballads. The first one, MS A dated 1859, was sent to William Edmonstoune Aytoun (1813-1865), Professor of Rhetoric and Belles Lettres at the University of Edinburgh, and editor of The Ballads of Scotland (1858). The second, MS B, was sent in 1873 to Francis James Child (1825-1896), Boylston Professor of Rhetoric and Oratory at Harvard University, who was then preparing his edition of The English and Scottish Popular Ballads which was published in parts between 1882 and 1898.

The Songs

Songs appearing in MS A with parallels from MS B

1. AB: Sir Patrick Spens (Roud 41; Child 58; G/D 1:17)
2. AB: Sir Colin (Roud 479; Child 61)
3. A: Archerdale / B: The Knicht o’ Archerdale (Roud 37; Child 47; G/D 2:336)
4. A: Sweet Willie / B: My Luve She Lives in Lincolshire (Roud 245; Child 256)
5. A: There Were Three Ladies / B: There Waur Three Ladies (Roud 26; Child 11)
6. AB: Young Logie (Roud 81; Child 182; G/D 2:247)
7. A: Young Reedin / B: Young Riedan (Roud 47; Child 68)
8. A: Glenlogie / B: There Waur Aucht an’ Forty Nobles (Roud 101; Child 238; G/D 5:973)
9. AB: Roudesdales (Roud 243; Child 246)
10. AB: Johnnie Armstrong (Roud 76; Child 169)
11. A: The Earl o’ Roslyn’s Dochter / B: Captain Wedderburn (Roud 36; Child 46; G/D 4:842; Henry H681)
12. A: The Rose o’ Balindie / B: The Rose o’ Malindie O (Roud 3900; G/D 3:646; Henry H527)
13. AB: Johnny Brod (Roud 69; Child 114; G/D 2:250)
14. A: Burd Helen / B: Burd Hellen, or Broughty Wa’s (Roud 108; Child 258)
15. A: Charlie Macpherson / B: Charlie MacPherson (Roud 3881)
16. A: Mary Hamilton / B: Marie Hamilton (Roud 79; Child 173; G/D 2:195)
17. AB: Sweet William (Roud 199; Child 106; G/D 1:163)
18. AB: Fair Margaret (Roud 43; Child 63; G/D 6:1229)
19. A: Andrew Cowper / B: Andrew Coupar (Roud 18038)
20. A: The Kitchen Boy / B: The Kitchie Boy (Roud 105; Child 252; G/D 5:1048)
21. A: Robin / B: Robin He’s Gane to the Wude (Roud 117; Child 277; G/D 7:1282)
22. A: Teedle Ell O / B: Robin’s Tes’ment (Roud 3900; G/D 3:646; Henry H527)
23. A: Wearies Wells / B: Wearie’s Wells (Roud 21; Child 4; G/D 2:225; Henry H163)
24. A: Hughie Graham / B: Hughie Grame (Roud 84; Child 191; G/D 2:271)
25. AB: Brown Edom (Roud 482; Child 98; G/D 5:994)
26. A: The Lady o’ Arngosk / B: An’ They Hae Brocht Her to a Bed (Roud 340; Child 225)
27. A: The Higher That the Mountain Is (Roud 18042)
28. A: Hech Heigh Durham (Roud 126; G/D 3:645; TYG 59)
29. AB: East Muir King (Roud 57; Child 89; G/D 8:1930)

Songs appearing only in MS B

30. The Earl of Aboyne (Roud 99; Child 235; G/D 6:1159)
31. As the King Lay Musing on His Bed (Roud 251; Child 164)
32. I Wald Be Very Sorry (Roud 6; Child 93; G/D 2:187; Henry H735)
33. Hey for the Birds o Benothie (Roud 18041)
34. Mosey Mare (Roud 6104; G/D 3:677)
35. Lord Revel (Roud 48; Child 75; G/D 6:1232)
36. Prince Robert (Roud 55; Child 87)
37. I’ll Gar Our Gudeman Trow (Roud 1560; G/D 7:1310)
38. Oh! Mither I Hae a Batchelor Been (Roud 8548)
39. A Wee Bittie East There Leeved a Man (Roud 18023)
40. Tod Lowrie (Roud 131; G/D 3:499; Henry H38)
41. Hark Niebour Here (Roud 3859; G/D 7:1394)
42. Molly Hustan (Roud 18043)
43. Cronnen’s Song (Roud 18040)
44. Gentle Johnnie Ogilvie the Kicht o’ Invverwharity (Roud 966)
45. In Cortachy Cottage (Roud 18047)
46. They Ca’ Me Nelly Douglas Butt the Hoose (Roud 5547)
47. Kemp, Kemp My Johnnie Soutar (Roud 18046)
48. There’s Buckies i’ the Bog, There’s Gairies i’ Glen (Roud 18045)
49. She’s A Wrang for the Richtin Ot (Roud 18044)
50. Hey Tutti Taitie (Roud 8687)
51. The Ghaist o’ Fern Den (Roud 5872; G/D 2:342)
52. The Battle of La Hogue (Roud 18039)
53. There Cam a Ghost (Roud 50; Child 77)
54. Benorie (Roud 8; Child 10; G/D 2:213)
55. Babie Allan (Roud 54; Child 84; G/D 6:1193; Henry H236)
56. Hie Marshall (Roud 2169; G/D 7:1462)
57. Young Becon (Roud 40; Child 53L; G/D 5:1023; Henry H470)
58. Hech Hey Lowrie Lay (Roud 16; G/D 8:1669)

Ethnomusicologist Dr. Katherine Campbell sings ballads and songs from the unique family repertoire of sisters Amelia and Jane Harris who inherited a wealth of ballads and songs from a Perthshire family tradition dating back to the mid 1700s.

This CD is a companion to the book The Song Repertoire of Amelia and Jane Harris, edited by Emily Lyle, School of Scottish Studies, Edinburgh University, with Kaye McAlpine and Anne Dhu McLucas, and published in 2002 by the Scottish Text Society.

Recorded by Peter Haugh at Pier House Studios, Edinburgh;
Produced by Peter Shepheard;
Pre-production adviser: Emily Lyle;
Booklet notes by Peter Shepheard

Song texts and notes

Musicians

Katherine Campbell: vocals;
Mairi Campbell: fiddle [3, 7, 9, 14];
Tony McManus: guitar [2, 6, 11, 15, 17];
Peter Shepheard: melodeon [4, 12];
Gary West: small pipes [1, 8, 10, 16]

Tracks

1. Fair Margaret (Roud 43; Child 63; G/D 6:1229) (8.20)
2. Johnnie Armstrong (Roud 76; Child 169) (5.10)
3. Young Logie (Roud 81; Child 182; G/D 2:247) (4.41)
4. The Knicht o Archerdale (Roud 37; Child 47; G/D 2:336) (4.47)
5. Tod Lowrie (Roud 131; G/D 3:499; Henry H38) (1.06)
6. Sweet William (Roud 199; Child 106; G/D 1:163) (4.45)
7. Mary Hamilton (Roud 79; Child 173; G/D 2:195) (4.21)
8. Broun Edom (Roud 482; Child 98; G/D 5:994) (3.03)
9. My Luve She Lives (Roud 245; Child 256) (3.41)
10. Johnnie Brod (Roud 69; Child 114; G/D 2:250) (4.24)
11. Rose o Malindie (Roud 9; Child 20; G/D 2:193; TYG 73) (4.19)
12. East Muir King (Roud 57; Child 89; G/D 8:1930) (1.16)
13. Cruel Brother (Roud 26; Child 11) (5.36)
14. Earl of Aboyne (Roud 99; Child 235; G/D 6:1159) (2.41)
15. Captain Wedderburn (Roud 36; Child 46; G/D 4:842; Henry H681) (3.59)
16. Burd Helen (Roud 108; Child 258) (5.37)
17. Molly Hustan (Roud 18043) (2.54)