Willie o Winsbury

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Willie O Winsbury is Child Ballad #100, existing in several variants.[1] It is a traditional Scottish ballad that dates from at least 1775, and is known under a number of different names, including Lord Thomas of Winesberry.

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[edit] Synopsis

A king is away for a long time. His daughter becomes pregnant by the hero, William or Thomas. The king threatens to hang him, but is struck by his beauty and offers him the heroine and gold. The hero accepts the lady but declares that he has both gold and lands enough of his own.

[edit] Commentary

This ballad closely parallels Child ballad 99, Johnie Scot.[2].

In one variants, the lands are specifically described: he will be king when he returns to Scotland. It may, in fact, be based on James V's courtship of and marriage to Madeleine de Valois of France; James came to see the woman he was betrothed to in disguise, and went on to meet the princess, who fell in love with him.[3]

Nowadays the song is often sung to the tune of Fause Foodrage, rather than its own traditional tune.

[edit] Recordings

This song was recorded by Sweeney's Men on their debut album Sweeney's Men (album) in 1968. Andy Irvine performs the vocal on the track.

Anne Briggs recorded this song in 1971, accompanied by Johnny Moynihan, for her album Anne Briggs.

The song was recorded by Pentangle in 1972, on their album Solomon's Seal.

The Great Big Sea song John Barbour, on their Something Beautiful* CD, is based on this ballad.

The Song "Farewell Farewell" recorded by Fairport Convention on Liege and Lief is actually new lyrics (written by Richard Thompson) set to the Fause Foodrage tune now commonly used for Willie O Winsbury. A recording of Willie O Winsbury played and sung by Thompson was included in his compilation boxset RT.

The lyrics of the song Sumer Is Icumen In were sung over the melody of Willie O Winsbury, at the end of the 1973 cult classic The Wicker Man.

Maps (band) sampled the Sweeney's Men version on their song "To The Sky", from their album We Can Create

Meg Baird of Espers recorded the song for her 2007 album "Dear Companion."[4]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Francis James Child, English and Scottish Popular Ballads, "Willie o Winesberry"
  2. ^ Francis James Child, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, v 2, p 377, Dover Publications, New York 1965
  3. ^ Francis James Child, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, v 2, p 398-9, Dover Publications, New York 1965
  4. ^ Meg Baird: Dear Companion - PopMatters Music Review

[edit] External links

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