Caller Herrin'

"Caller Herrin'" is a Scottish song, the music by Nathaniel Gow (1763–1831), and the words by Carolina Nairne (1766–1845).

History

Newhaven fishergirls pose with a creel. Photograph by Hill & Adamson, 1840s.

"Caller herrin'" means fresh herring.[1] It was the traditional cry of Newhaven fishwives, who carried in creels freshly caught herring which they sold from door to door. Gow, a violinist and bandleader of Edinburgh, incorporated this cry, and also the bells of St Andrew's Church, into his composition, written about 1798. It became one of his best-known tunes.[2][3][4]

Carolina Oliphant, Lady Nairne, was a songwriter, using the pseudonym "Mrs Bogan of Bogan". Attending balls in country houses of Perthshire, she heard the music of Nathaniel Gow, and wrote words for "Caller Herrin'".[5]

It has been adapted many times. Philip Knapton composed a set of variations of the tune, for piano or harp, which appeared in 1820 and became popular.[6][7] Joseph Binns Hart (1794–1844) arranged the tune as a quadrille in his 8th Set of Scotch Quadrilles (1827).[3][8]

Music

The tune and words of the chorus:

{\key d \major d'8. d'16 d'8 d' cis'4 d'8 e' fis' b e' d' cis' a b cis' d'8. d'16 d'8 d' cis'4 d'8 e' fis'( g') e'8. fis'16 d'2} \addlyrics {Buy my call -- er herr -- in', They're bonn -- ie fish and hale -- some far -- in; Buy my call -- er herr -- in', New drawn frae the Forth. }

References

  1. ↑ The Wordsworth Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, rev. Ivor H. Evans. 1994.
  2. ↑ Percy Scholes, Concise Oxford Dictionary of Music. Oxford University Press, 1964.
  3. 1 2 Nathaniel Gow (1763-1831) regencydances.org, accessed 17 June 2016.
  4. ↑ (Wha'll Buy My) Caller Herring Education Scotland, accessed 17 June 2016
  5. ↑ Donaldson, William. "Oliphant, Carolina". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/19723. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  6. ↑ Philip Knapton. Caller Herring: a favorite Scotch air; arr. with variations, for the piano forte or harp, 1820.
  7. ↑ "Knapton, Philip". Oxford Dictionary of National Biography (online ed.). Oxford University Press. doi:10.1093/ref:odnb/15701. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  8. ↑ The Life & Quadrilles of Joseph Binns Hart (1794-1844) regencydances.org, accessed 17 June 2016.
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