Jock Duncan Archive

Ye Shine Whar Ye Stan! Jock uncan SCOTTISHD SONG: the north-east tradition 1 Contents OCK DUNCAN was brought up in the ballad-rich Introduction: 1 farming country around New Deer and Fyvie in Aber- deenshire. He has been singing traditional songs and 1 Gruel 3 Jbothy ballads as long as he can remember. 2 Rhynie 4 Jockʼs father had the farm of Gelliebrae beside New Deer 3 Lothian Hairst 5 and Jock was born there in 1925. Three years later Jockʼs father took over at South Faddenhill of Fyvie when Jockʼs Hairstersʼ Reel grandfather gave up the farm. Jock grew up to take his part 4 Cruel Mother 6 in the every day work of the farm and by the age of 10 he 5 Hash o Benagoak 7 was good enough to be driving a horse at the plough. 6 Bogieʼs Bonnie Belle 8 One of the major influences on Jockʼs music was his mother. Jock writes: My mother was what I would term 7 Glenlogie 9 ʻthe stang o the trumpʼ [the best of the bunch], a fine pian- 8 Bonnie Udny 11 ist and accompanist to the many fine fiddle players who 9 Bonnie Lass o Fyvie 11 graced the great splores [house ceilidhs] she organised in the ben the hoose end at Faddenhill. We could listen or 10 13 Sleepytoon participate – singing the ald Scots sangs and ballads, the 11 Mormond Braes 14 ald bothy ballads and the new cornkisters of Willie Kemp 12 The Hairst o Rettie 15 and George Morris. They were my pop idols made famous 13 Macfarlan o the Sprotts 16 with the advent of their ʻ78ʼ Beltona records in the early 1930s. Halcyon days indeed! 14 Plooboy Lads 17 Jockʼs elder sister Marion was a great singer, and also 15 Drumdelgie 18 his fatherʼs cousin, Charlie Duncan, who often visited Fad- 16 The Battle of Harlaw 19 denhill. It was from him he picked up the style of Harlaw and many of the bothy ballads including Drumdelgie. Jockʼs The Desperate Battle brother Jimmy played fiddle. Jock also plays moothie and 17 Banks of Inverurie 21 diddles and as a boy he took chanter lessons with piper Peter 18 Barnyards o Delgaty 22 Elder (ex. of the Scots Guards) who had a ʻwee shoppieʼ References & Credits: 23 beside Millbrex School – where Jock was a pupil. Another major influence was the great traditional singer John Strachan, farmer at the farm of Crichie the other side ~ the band ~ of Fyvie. Jockʼs father and mother knew him well and often invited him to the musical evenings at Faddenhill on Brian McNeill – fiddle, bouzouki, concertina, a winter evening. John Strachan brought his songs into the guitar & electric bass; local schools and to the WRI concerts in the local village hall Peter Shepheard – melodeons; – telling stories and singing songs accompanying himself Gordon Duncan – cauldwind pipes, highland bagpipes, with a concertina on his knee. Jock well remembers singing whistles; along with the chorus of Down by the Farmyard Gate. During Chorus vocals – Palaver (Chris Miles, Aileen Carr, Mau- the war the BBC broadcast an occasional programme of reen Jelks), Peter Shepheard & Tommy Bonnar. 2 songs and John Strachan stories live from Crichie. Jockʼs Gruel brother, Fred remembers hearing the programme when out in ~ Brian - bouzouki; Pete - melodeon; Gordon - cauldwind pipes, low whistle; Chorus vocals - Palaver (Chris Miles, Aileen Carr, Maureen the desert in North Africa in 1943. Jock learned his versions Jelks), Peter Shepheard & Tommy Bonnar of both Bonnie Udny and Rhynie from John Strachan. ~ Trad. arr. J. Duncan; publ. Springthyme Music When he finished school at the age of 14 Jock worked A favourite comic song about a cantankerous and newly for a couple of years at Faddenhill. Then in 1943, when he wed weaver whose only desire was to sup his gruel – his was 18, he joined the Air Force and finished up in Lyon porridge of oatmeal. Jock remembers his father humming in France. After the war Jock was back in the North East and singing snatches of the song. working on farms for a short while and during that time Jock Jock: Ma faither wisna a singer by any means – it’s the formed a bothy ballad concert party ʻThe Fyvie Loons and only een I heard him gaun on wi. But his cousin from Quinesʼ. ower the hill of Belnagoak, Charlie Duncan, sang it with Then Jock moved from the area taking a job with the his melodeon. Hydro Board working first in Caithness and finishing up at Pitlochry where he has lived ever since. Being out of the Oh there wis a weaver in the north, North East put him out of touch with other singers and on And oh but he wis cruel, his return visits he found the ballad singers fast disappear- For the very first nicht that he wis wad, ing. But Jock never lost his rich Doric speech nor his love He sat an he grat for gruel. [i.e. cried of the old ballads and songs nor his sense of ʻplaceʼ and knowledge of local tradition and history. His enthusiasm He sat an he grat for gruel, for, and knowledge of, traditional music has no doubt been Oh he couldna want his gruel, partly responsible for launching his two sons into the world For the very first nicht that he wis wad, of piping, Iain as Pipe Major of the Vale of Atholl Pipe Band He sat an he grat for gruel. and Gordon being involved there and also as a very highly regarded solo piper. “Oh thereʼs nae a speen in aa the house, In 1975 Jock entered and won the bothy ballad com- For tae sup your gruel.” petition at the Kinross Festival and he has taken part in the “Oh the gairden spadʼll dae wi me, Auchtermuchty Festival every year since it started in 1981. For I maun hae ma gruel. In 1978 Jock took part in the Bothy Ballad King competition For I maun hae ma gruel, held open air before an audience of over 12,000 at Turriff Oh I canna want ma gruel; where he gained third place. Jock is now recognised as Oh the gairden spadʼll dae wi me, one of Scotlandʼs finest traditional singers. The richness For I maun hae ma gruel.” of his repertoire and quality and style of his singing reflect the pedigree of his musical influences. His knowledge of “Oh thereʼs nae a dish in aa the hoose, traditional songs, including as it does several of the older For tae sup your gruel.” classic ballads and his all inclusive repertoire of bothy “Oh the horseʼs trochʼll dae wi me ballads is today unique. For I maun hae ma gruel. For I maun hae ma gruel, Peter Shepheard, September 1996 Oh I canna want ma gruel; Och, the horseʼs trochʼll dae wi me 3 She gaed ben the hoose for wine an cakes, Collection (GD 348) under the title Jock o Rhynie. An old And brocht them ben on a stool, man, William Forsyth, told Greig that he ‘remembered as “Oh gae wa, gae wa wi yer falderals, [i.e. go away a boy his mother sing Jock o Rhynie and this would take For I maun hae ma gruel. the song back to say 1830.’ The farmer at Mains o Rhynie For I maun hae ma gruel, (in the high glens of Auchindoir in Strathbogie about 8 Oh I canna want ma gruel; miles south of Huntly) from 1830 until his death in 1851 Oh gae wa, gae wa wi yer falderals, was John Gordon and he was known as ‘Jock o Rhynie’ For I maun hae ma gruel.” – but there may have been earlier Jocks at Rhynie and the song could well be earlier. He is said to have denied his work was ‘ill to work’ although he admitted, probably Oh come aa young lassies and listen tae me, with pride, that Rhynie’s work was very hard. An dinna mairry a weaver, Jock: Folk think o Rhynie as being ‘My God, that’s a wild The very first nicht that he wis wad, place, there canna be much growin up there.’ It’s hilly He sat an he grat for gruel. and there’s a lot a sheepie grun, but it’s [also] some o He sat an he grat for gruel, the finest corn growin country that ever wis. Oh he couldna want his gruel; For the very first nicht that he wis wad, Jock never worked on Rhynie, but not long ago he and He sat an he grat for gruel. his wife Frances climbed the nearby hill Tap o Noth to look down over Rhynie. An the very first nicht that he wis wad, Jock: Whit drew me to Tap o Noth wis the fine walk He sat an he grat for gruel. through the whin and up through the breem. You’re gaun back 4, 5000 year because ye’d the vitrified fort on the Jimmy McBeath also recorded the song on his album Wild top. And here’s me standin on the top o the vitrified fort Rover no More (Springthyme SPRC 1020). singin Rhynie, lookin doun, a beautiful sunny day, on the hairst parks o Rhynie away in the distance. And I Rhynie wis thinkin o Jock . ~ Brian - fiddle; Gordon - cauldwind pipes ~ Trad. arr. J. Duncan; publ. Springthyme Music At Rhynie I sheared my first hairst, Jock learned this masterpiece from the singing of the Doun by the fit o Benachie, great John Strachan who sang it accompanying himself Ma maister there was ill tae fit, [hard to please on concertina.

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