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The Gallowa Hills

Date June 1960
Track ID 88982
Part 1

Track Information

Original Track ID

SA1960.110.A6

Original Tape ID

SA1960.110

Summary

In this song the singer asks a pretty girl to come with him and share his lot in a strange country [i.e. district], to which she agrees, saying that she will sell her possessions and they will go over the hills to Galloway.

Item Notes

Recorded at the 'Bothy Ballads and Blues' ceilidh.

'The Gallowa Hills' is believed to have originated from a song by William Nicholson (15th August 1783 - 16th May 1849) called 'The Braes of Galloway', first published in his 'Tales in Verse, and Miscellaneous Poems descriptive of Rural Life and Manners' (1814). 20th century versions appear to stem from broadsides in the late 19th century.

See:
'101 Scottish Songs' (N. Buchan, 1962) p. 102
National Library of Scotland, Broadside Ballad collection, RB.m.143(119)
'Jeannie Robertson: Emergent Singer, Transformative Voice' (J. Porter & H. Gower, 1995) pp. 171-172
'Tales in Verse, and Miscellaneous Poems descriptive of Rural Life and Manners' (W. Nicholson, 1814), pp. 262-263

Recording Location

County - Aberdeenshire

Parish - Aberdeen

Village/Place - Aberdeen

Item Location

Village/Place - Galloway

Language

Scots

Genre

Song

Collection

SoSS

Classification

R3358

Source Type

Reel to reel

Audio Quality

Good