SP6001
The muckle man
Music: Sheena Phillips, Words: William Soutar (1898-1943)
Voicing: Treble unison chorus & piano
Performance time approx: 0m 40s
Range: c' – e''♭
Price code: A
Complexity:
This piece is part of the set "Three Soutar songs".
The set also includes:
This is a short and playful piece about a muckle (big) man who creates havoc in a graveyard. A mischievous chromatic melody jumps about – like the muckle man – over a thumping piano accompaniment.
There was a muckle man [muckle ~ big]
Wi' a muckle black beard [wi' ~ with]
Wha rade a muckle horse [wha ~ who]
Through a muckle kirk-yaird: [kirk-yaird ~ churchyard / graveyard]
Hallachin and yallachin [hallachin ~ acting noisily; yallachin ~ shouting]
He rattl'd on the stanes: [stanes ~ stones]
Hallachin and yallachin
He birl'd abune the banes: [birl'd ~ whirled; abune ~ about; banes ~ bones]
Up and doun and up and doun [doun ~ down]
Wi' muckle steer and stour, [steer ~ stir, disturbance; stour ~ dust]
Wallopin a muckle whup [wallopin ~ thrashing; whup ~ whip]
Owre and owre and owre. [owre ~ over]
William Soutar
Reproduced with permission from the Trustees of the National Library of Scotland, who hold William Soutar's copyright.