Grim Winter Was Howlin'

Àireamh a' Chlàir Thùsail

SA1962.68.A1; SA1962.68.A4

Àireamh an Teip Thùsail

SA1962.068

Notaichean a' Chlàir

6 verses of 4 lines; hesitation after verse 4 followed by attempt at recalling a further verse (verse 6); Charlotte Higgins later sings the correct verses 5 and 6 from a written copy.

The original of this song was composed by Charles Gray (1782-1851), of Anstruther-wester, Fife, and published by him in poetry collections, first in 1811, and again in 1841. In the decades that followed his death, the Dundee broadside seller, 'The Poet's Box', began printing the now famous song 'The Road to Dundee' (Roud Folk Song Index no. 2300), which is in part clearly derived from Gray's song.

Gray suggested the air 'Bonnie Dundee' ('Up wi' the Bonnets o Bonnie Dundee') for his song, which fits his 3 stanzas of 8 lines. All versions of 'The Road to Dundee' however are grouped into 4-line verses. At least one broadside suggests the air to the song 'Lucy's Flittin' (Roud 2641) by William Laidlaw (1780-1845) and James Hogg (1770-1835). The air originally suggested by the authors of 'Lucy's Flittin' was the tune 'Paddy O'Rafferty' but there is also a later setting by R. A. Smith (1779-1829); neither of these correspond to the later well-known popular melody for 'The Road to Dundee'.

See:
'Poems' (C. Gray, 1811) pp. 158-159
'Lays and Lyrics' (C. Gray, 1841) pp. 83-84
'The Scottish Minstrel' (C. Rogers, 1872) p. 207
'The Modern Scottish Minstrel' vol. 3 (C. Rogers, 1857) pp. 55-56
Poet's Box Broadsides 13(a) & 13(b), Lamb Collection, Dundee City Library

Àite a' Chuspair

Cànan

Albais

Seòrsa

Òran Fiosrachadh

Cruinneachadh

SoSS

Cruth Inneal a' Chlàir

Reel to reel

Càileachd an Fhuaime

Meadhanach Math