Ballads
Scots ballad
Scots ballads are Scottish songs that tell a story. They are based on dramatic events including war, love, heartbreak, betrayal, magic, trickery, long journeys and strange events. Some Scots ballads are acknowledged to composers from more than two hundred years ago.
Scots ballads are strophicA piece of music in which all verses are sung or played to the same music. in form which means the same melody is repeated for each verse. They are often accompanied by acoustic guitar.
In this video Breabach performs the Scots ballad, 'The Rolling Hills of The Borders' by Matt McGinn.
Breabach performs the Scots ballad, 'The Rolling Hills of The Borders'
Bothy ballad
Throughout the 19th Century, farmworkers of north-east Scotland were commonly housed in outbuildings on the farm. These buildings were known as bothies.
In their leisure time, the men would sing lighthearted songs about work and life in the farming community. These songs became known as bothy ballads.
Bothy ballads were usually sung a capella. The lyrics were in Doric, the regional dialect of Aberdeenshire.
They would often be set to existing fiddle or bagpipe tunes and would be strophic in form. Often, the verse would be sung as a solo with a group of men joining in a simple chorus.
In this video, James Lindsay from Breabach sings the bothy ballad, 'The Barnyards of Delgaty'.
James Lindsay from Breabach sings 'The Barnyards of Delgaty'