Ten comments
Strictly speaking, it’s merely the melody of a song of the same name, but nonetheless a good 32-bar waltz tune to play at a ceilidh/ceili.
It’s from the north-east of England.
Most of the older manuscripts set the tune in 6/8 - especially when it appears under the title ‘Kinloch of Kinloch’. According to Jack Campin, the tune ‘Kinloch of Kinloch’ first appeared in McFadyen’s ‘Beauties of Melody’ in the 18th century.
Kathleen Ferrier made a well known recording of the song, being an arrangement by William Gillies Whittaker.
Might I add that Whittaker also set the melody in 6/8.
That’s interesting, Weejie. I’ve a vague recollection of hearing the Ferrier song on the radio, w—a—y back in the 1950s (although they called the radio the "wireless" back then!).
And here it is on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjvHg9cBriw
Listening to it again, it is possible to pick up the 6/8 metre, albeit that Ferrier’s "a capella" approach to it departs quite a lot from a fixed time signature.
BTW - how did you know that Whittaker set it in 6/8 - do you possess a copy of the score?
You’ll find some versions on the FARNE website, also on page 183 here:
http://www.archive.org/details/ACollectionOfTheBalladsMelodiesAndSmall-pipeTunesOfNorthumbria
Merci, Monsieur Weejie!
But I notice that the first link points to a setting of it by Maurice Jacobson - scored in G Maj.
The Ferrier rendition (assuming the accuracy of the YouTube recording) is something approximating to Eb Maj.
Perhaps Kathleen Ferrier was more comfortable with it in Eb. It’s the singer’s prerogative. Jacobson scored Whittaker’s arrangement for SATB - he wouldn’t have changed the time signature and still credited Whittaker. Moreover, Ferrier is clearly singing in 6/8 in the verses (the record says "Trad arr Whittaker").
Interesting stuff here on pages 177 and 178 (Allan MacDonald):
http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~rja14/musicfiles/manuscripts/allanmacdonald/case2.pdf