Lassie, Art Thou Sleeping?

[33rdaladrummer]

Anyone know the origin of the third strain of "Lassie"? This one has me stumped. I have the same question about Paddy O'Toole, coincidentally. The first two strains are very old, but the third stanza first appears after the war, at least in print. Maybe after a couple of centuries people just get bored with the same old tune...

[Old Cremona]

Re: Lassie, Art Thou Sleeping?

I think you may have "stumped the chumps," Will.:thinking:

[33rdaladrummer]

Re: Lassie, Art Thou Sleeping?

In case anyone's interested, you can hear fifers and drummers playing the tune here:

(for those with short attention spans, fast forward about halfway through)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6UBXzeSiOg

According to Sue Cifaldi and Walt Sweet's book, "Lassie" is the first tune in the medley. As the story goes, Ed Olsen, a fifer (probably from Connecticut, I'd think), went to see the movie several times to learn those tunes. The tunes are called "The Muckin' of Georfie's Byre" and "Shirt-Tail's Out, Wind's A-Blowin'". The first title is another name for what used to be called "Lassie". The tunes were also played by the Victor Drum, Fife, and Bugle corps in a 1908 recording, so "Shirt-Tail's" is at least that old, but unfortunately it cannot be dated to the War Between the States.

Modern "ancient" fifers and drummers today play the combination of Lassie and the first half of "Shirt-Tail's" as a medley and call it "Northwest Passage". Aparently Mr. Olsen couldn't remember the second half of "Shirt-Tail's" so the two tunes became one tune with three strains.

[JKfifer119]

Re: Lassie, Art Thou Sleeping?

[QUOTE=33rdaladrummer;126445]In case anyone's interested, you can hear fifers and drummers playing the tune here:

(for those with short attention spans, fast forward about halfway through)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6UBXzeSiOg

According to Sue Cifaldi and Walt Sweet's book, "Lassie" is the first tune in the medley. As the story goes, Ed Olsen, a fifer (probably from Connecticut, I'd think),

Actually Ed, got his start as a fifer in NYC, mainly Brooklyn, he did eventually move to CT after retiring but remains a staunch brooklynite to this day. Now the first tune, The Muckin of Geordie's Byre, is an old scottish tune, a "duty" tune for some Scottish regiments, example, Scots Guards, but only two parts, also the words to the song are often attributed to Robert Burns but that may or may not be the case, but generally thougt to be from at least as far back as Burns. never heard of a the third part so I reckon Sue is right

joe korber

[33rdaladrummer]

Re: Lassie, Art Thou Sleeping?

Thanks for clearing that up, Joe.

Here's some additional info from The Fiddler’s Companion
on "Muckin' O' Geordie's Byre" AKA “O Lassie Art Thou Sleeping Yet”

MUCKIN' O' GEORDIE'S BYRE. AKA and see “Bonnie Strahyre,” “The Jordie Jig,” “O Lassie Art Thou Sleeping Yet.” Scottish (originally), English, Canadian, American; Air, Jig, Country and Morris Dance Tune (6/8 time). Canada; Cape Breton, Prince Edward Island. USA, New England. D Major. Standard tuning. AB (Martin): AABB (most versions): AA’BB (Cranford). According to Donald Ferguson (Beyond the Furtherest Hebrides) there is some evidence that the original of this tune is from the Hebrides Islands, originally used for the song “Eilean Mo Chridhe.” This famous tune appears to be a variation of "(O) Lassie, Art Thou Sleeping Yet?" or the similarly old titles "The Lea Rig" and "My Ain Kind Dearie O"‑‑all of which are taken (as is the 'Muckin' title) from various songs set to the tune. At some point "My Tocher's the Jewel," attributed to Nathaniel Gow, may have been derived from this tune (so, at least, charged Robert Burns, who termed the practice 'notorious'). The tune appears in Allan Ramsay's ballad opera The Gentle Shepherd (1725), while the song “Muckin’ of Geordie’s Byre” appears in David Herd’s Scottish Songs and Heroic Ballads (1776). McGibbon (1762) notes it in ¾ time, although with the direction it is to be played “briskly”. The air under this title has been used for a single step dance in the North‑West (England) morris tradition. Cape Breton fiddler Angus Chisholm (1908-1979) recorded the tune in the 1950's as “The Jordie Jig.” See also the note for "Keppoch Desolate." In modern times the melody can be found used for the song “Westering Home.”

***

One verse sung by Willie Kemp (from the many songs written to the tune) goes:

***

The whisky ga'ed roun' Tammy Fleeing' the doo' (‘flee the blue’; to go out
And aye as they drank, the mair they go fou' for more whiskey)
The only anes sober, the calf an' the coo'
At the mucking of Geordie's byre.

***

http://www.ibiblio.org/fiddlers/MT_MUI.htm