Guitar,Piano,Vocal,Voice - Level 2 - Digital Download
SKU: A0.1373465
Composed by Traditional. Arranged by Alpin Smart (transcription for voice and guitar). 19th Century,Celtic,Folk,Irish,Romantic Period,Traditional. Score. 3 pages. SmartWorks Publications #957823. Published by SmartWorks Publications (A0.1373465).
The celebrated 19th century Scottish novelist, Sir Walter Scott - like Robert Burns (Scotland) and Thomas Moore (Ireland) - took old ballads and folksong melodies, and wrote new lyrics to these traditional melodies, a common practice from at least the 18th century onwards, and right up to the time of W. B. Yeats' The Salley Gardens. Scott adapted the 'border ballad' (old folksongs and ballads from the southern border of Scotland and the north of England), John of Hazel Green (or 'Hazelgreen'), keeping to the 'gist' of the original story about a young woman forced against her will into an arranged marriage with a young wealthy 'squire'; but, she loves 'Jock' (or 'John', and sometimes, 'Jack'!), and so, on her wedding day, she elopes with 'John'/'Jack'/'Jock', escaping 'over the border' (north or south, take your pick!), thus beyond the reach of powerful 'squires' and family! (the small border town of 'Gretna Green' was traditionally the place to elope to, and be guaranteed a swift union without the usual formalities, like the 'posting of bans').
