S 10 E 13 Music of Robert Louis Stevenson with Guest Host Rod Nevin

All songs in this episode are poems by Robert Louis Stevenson set to traditional tunes:
“A Song of the Road” with Over the Hills and Far Away
“The Spaewife” with unnamed tune collected by George St. J. Bremner
“Wandering Willie” with Here Awa’ There Awa’ and Bonnie Dundee
“Over the Sea to Skye” with the Skye Boat Song

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Thanks to J.F.M. Russell, who has made his research into the music of Robert Louis Stevenson available on his website, https://sites.google.com/a/music-of-robert-louis-stevenson.org/introduction/home
You can find many tantalizing tidbits about RLS’ music manuscripts and stories about his writings. The index on his site will guide you to more information about the poems and songs I selected.

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Thanks to Jeremy Kingsbury for inviting me to guest host this episode, and for the many words of advice and encouragement in the process of recording and editing it.

Thanks to my son Ethan for his assistance and expert advice on mixing and mastering this episode.

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A Song of the Road

You can hear much more about the Over the Hills and Far Away tune in Wetootwaag’s Bagpipe and History Podcast, Season 7 Episode 10:
https://www.wetootwaag.com/s7e10

I didn’t mention it in the episode, but one of my favorite sung settings of this song is arranged by Sean Dagher on La Nef’s Sea Songs & Shanties album: (a great collection of sea shanty arrangements!)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vd69tvWD0xI&list=RDvd69tvWD0xI&start_radio=1

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The Spaewife

Bremner’s (unnamed) tune from a note with transcription by Fannie, Robert’s wife, in her preface to Underwoods, A Child's Garden of Verses & Underwoods, Ballads, which is from the Works of Robert Louis Stevenson, Vailima Edition Volume VIII

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Wandering Willie

Original tune that Burns used for his Here Awa’ There Awa’, from a book RLS had in his library, The Songs of Scotland Without Words:
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_songs_of_Scotland_without_words_for/pGhBAQAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&pg=PA19&printsec=frontcover&dq=wandering

From (another book RLS had in his library) Gems of Scottish Song: (this is an adaptation of the tune that Burns used for his Bonnie Dundee)
Page 1 and Page 2
RLS sketched a tune for Wandering Willie in his manuscripts, and based it on this Bonnie Dundee version, and likely altered it further in the second part.

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Over the Sea to Skye

Please see Mr. Russell’s page about this song, which includes two examples of the song notated in Stevenson’s hand.
https://sites.google.com/a/music-of-robert-louis-stevenson.org/over-the-sea-to-skye/

And this note with transcription by Fannie, Robert’s wife, in her preface to Underwoods,
which is again from the Works of Robert Louis Stevenson, Vailima Edition Volume VIII
https://www.google.com/books/edition/The_Works_of_Robert_Louis_Stevenson/t2Q4AAAAIAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=spae%20wife%20brenmer&pg=PA89&printsec=frontcover

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The Peter Pauper Press music journal is what I have been using for a few years to write down tunes as I’m learning them, or compose new ones, along with descriptions and other thoughts:
https://www.peterpauper.com/products/music-journal

My bellows-blown scottish smallpipes were made by Nate Banton
https://natebanton.com/

My C chanter was made by Robert Felsburg
https://www.thequietpiper.com/

My low D whistle and C whistle were made by Rob Gandara
https://carbony.com/

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