Day 76: Of Ghosts and Miracles

HaydnCD76My first destination this morning was the new Tim Horton’s near our home. I went in, sat down, remarked to myself how much fun it’ll be to listen and write from a different location (not to mention eat different food and drink different coffee).

Then, I thought, “I’d better check to see if their Wi-Fi works before I order.” I set up my laptop, searched for a signal…

And found none.

I asked the gal behind the counter if they have  Wi-Fi (since their signs indicate they do). She told me Wi-Fi wasn’t available yet.

So I packed up and left.

I’m back at Panera Bread.

But that’s okay. It’s good coffee and good food and – like Cheers – everybody knows my name.

As I listen to Haydn’s Scottish Songs for William Napier III, I gaze out the window to witness yet another blizzard. I observe the people around me (including the very animated lady ahead at a table on the left chatting about her latest Bible study) reading, eating, laughing.

A minute ago, a friend sent me the URL to this WestJet Christmas Miracle video, which I watched, tears streaming down my face.

This line was especially meaningful to me:

“A WestJetter would say it was more than mere fun. Miracles do happen when we all work as one.”

Indeed.

There’s a tie-in between the WestJet stunt and today’s CD of folk songs written for William Napier. As I mentioned in a previous blog entry, Joseph Haydn composed these songs to help Napier.

According to a product listing on the AllMusic web site, William Napier was a Scottish publisher who had fallen on hard times. Haydn saved him. Here’s the story:

The first of the three volumes of 50 settings each for Napier was partly motivated by charity on Haydn’s part, as in 1791, Napier was forced into bankruptcy and looking at serving some time in debtor’s prison; for a man with 12 kids, that must’ve seemed like a raw deal. Haydn spun out the first 100 settings heard here in typically short order, and Napier was saved; a further 50 were published in 1795. Setting Scots’ popular melodies turned out to be something of a cottage industry for Haydn in his last years, as overall he produced 400 such settings for various publishing houses. It proved highly profitable for Haydn, and as he was in failing health when the final commissions for yet more came around, he was able to delegate that work to students. All of these pieces, however, are presumed to have come from the master himself.

To Napier, that must have seemed like a miracle, a tremendous demonstration of grace and compassion. Much like how the WestJet passengers must have felt to see presents with their names on them come out of the luggage chute.

Today’s songs aren’t as sock-knocking-off as yesterday’s. They’re good. But not mind-blowing (with at least one noteworthy exception, as you’ll see).

I had high hopes for Track 1 (“Marg’ret’s ghost”) based on its title, alone. But it wasn’t the kick-ass song I thought it would be. As a duet between soprano Lorna Anderson and tenor Jamie MacDougall, it’s fine. Lots of rolling Rs. And emotive singing. But I wouldn’t have chosen this as the CD opener.

The next song that stuck out to me was Track 7 (“The ploughman”) because (a) its tempo was brisker than the songs that came before, (b) Anderson’s voice sounds terrific, and (c) the lyrics made me chuckle:

The ploughman he’s a bonny lad,
His mind is ever true, jo,
His garters knit below his knee,
His bonnet it is blue, jo.

(NOTE: All lyrics are from the superb web site The Lied, Art Song, and Choral Texts Archive created by Emily Ezust. Please visit them, and donate something to help keep her project going.)

How can I resist a song about a “bonny lad”?

The next song that grabbed my attention is Track 10 (“Wawking of the fauld”) performed by MacDougall. The pace is jaunty. The lyrics made me smile:

My Peggy is a young thing,
Just enter’d in her teens;
Fair as the day, and sweet as May,
Fair as the day, and always gay;

My Peggy is a young thing,
And I’m not very auld;
Yet well I like to meet her at
The wawking of the fauld.

The next song that stood out to me was Track 13 (“The glancing of her apron”), another performed by tenor Jamie MacDougall. His voice sounds incredibly powerful here, in spots soaring to heights that amazed me. I’m not sure what the song is about. But it’s first few lyrics are:

In lovely August last,
On Munanday at morn,
As thro’ the fields I past,
To view the yellow corn:
I looked me behind,
And saw come o’er the know,
Ane glancing in her apron,
With a bonny brent brow.

Methinks the bonny lad wished to do more than just glance at the maiden’s apron. But these were the 1700s. I’m not likely to find lyrics in these songs as I would in Rap tunes, although these folk songs are bawdy in their own way at times.

The next song that I enjoyed was Track 17 (“This is no mine ain house”) performed by Anderson, the initial lyrics of which are:

O, this is no mine ain house,
I ken by the rigging o’t;
Since with my love I’ve changed vows,
I dinna like the bigging o’t:
For now that I’m young Robie’s bride,
And mistress of his fire-side,
Mine ain house I like to guide,
And please me wi’ the trigging o’t.

On a good day, such lyrics would trip the tongue. But try singing them quickly, with rolling Rs, and a soprano voice that bounces between a lower range and a very respectable upper range. It’s a fun song.

Another fun song is Track 24 (“Willie was a wanton wag”), performed by MacDougall. At just :53, it’s much too short. But what it lacks in length, it makes up for in wit. It’s complete lyrics are:

O Willie was a wanton wag,
The blythest lad that e’er I saw,
At bridals still he bore the brag,
And carried ay the gree awa!
His doublet was of Zetland shag,
And vow! but Willie he was braw,
And at his shoulder hung a tag,
That pleas’d the lasses ane and a’.

He was a man without a clag,
His heart was frank without a flaw;
And ay whatever Willie said,
It still was hadden as a law.
His boots they were made of the jag,
When he went to the weapon-shaw;
Upon the green nane durst him brag,
The fiend a ane amang them a’.

The next track (“Willy’s rare”) is another haunting performance by soprano Anderson. (Incidetnally, I’m not sure what the Scots’ fascination was with the name Willie. But it does seem to crop up a lot in their songs.)

This is another Favorite Song of mine. Anderson’s voice is as magical as that of Lorenna McKennitt, reaching beautifully high, clear notes that just sort of soothe my soul. Here are the complete lyrics:

Willy’s rare, and Willy’s fair,
And Willy’s wond’rous bonny;
And Willy heght to marry me,
Gin e’er he marry’d ony.

Yestreen I made my bed fu’ brade,
The night I’ll make it narrow;
For a’ the live long winter’s night,
I’ll lie twin’d of my marrow.

O! came you by yon water side?
Pu’d you the rose or lily?
Or came you by yon meadow green?
Or saw you my sweet Willy?

She sought him east, she sought him west,
She sought him brade and narrow;
Sine, in the clifting of a craig,
She found him drown’d in Yarrow.

Such a wonderful song, emotional yet not maudlin. Anderson truly shines in this performance.

Superb.

The rest of the songs are alternately performed by Anderson or MacDougall. And all are competent in their own way (especially Track 34 – “The lass of Livingston” performed by a soaring Anderson). But the songs I noted above are the ones that really caused me to sit up and take notice.

Your mileage may vary.

CD 76 features the same singers and musicians as on the previous folk-song selections:

Lorna Anderson and tenor Jamie MacDougall, both of whom actually are Scottish. They have fine voices.

Haydn Trio Eisenstadt, which consists of:

Harald Kosik piano
Verena Stourzh violin
Hannes Gradwohl cello

Also, as with the previous CDs of Scottish and Welsh Songs for George Thomson, William Whyte, and William Napier, these were recorded where they were likely first performed, or even composed: Haydn Hall, Esterhazy Palace, Eisenstadt.

The recording is perfect. The musicianship is magical. The entire performance is superb. Typical Brilliant Classics excellence. (Seriously, you really ought to buy box sets from Brilliant Classics. They are first-rate in every way. Here. I’ll make it easy for you. Just click on this link and it’ll take you to the listing on Amazon. Buy the Haydn Edition that I’ve been listening to for 71 days now. You’ll thank me for it later.)

Here’s what I listened to this morning:

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