From the Traditional Tune Archive:
MAIRI’S WEDDING. AKA – “Mari’s Wedding.” AKA and see “Jack Sweeney’s (3),” “Lewis Bridal Song.” Scottish, Scottish Measure (4/4 time). Scotland, Hebrides. G Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABB. The tune is from the Hebrides Islands (the alternate title refers to the Isle of Lewis) which lie off the north coast of Scotland. It was first printed in Marjory Kennedy-Fraser’s Songs of the Hebrides (1909), as a song written originally in Scots Gaelic and translated into English a year later by Sir Hugh Robertson. There is nothing that particularly distinguishes this tune as Scottish, notes Emmerson (1972), save for the “hint of Rant in the first two phrases.” Nevertheless, it has had remarkable longevity, and is popular in traditional circles to this day as a song, country dance, march and polka.
An article in the Glasgow Daily Record by Stephen Houston claimed that the song “Mairi’s Wedding” was originally written for Mary C. MacNiven (1905–1997) by her friend Johnny Bannerman (in Gaelic) and was first played to her at the Old Highlanders Institute in Glasgow’s Elmbank Streeet for the Mod of 1935 (where she won the prize for singing). The article states that although the song was written for her, it was not on the occasion of her wedding, but rather for her birthday. In fact, she was unmarried at the time, and remained so until she wed Skye-born sea captain John Campbell 6 years later. The article (date unknown) was published the day before Mary’s 90th birthday.
Chorus:
Step it gaily, off we go
Heel for heel and toe for toe,
Arm in arm and off we go (or ‘row on row’)
All for Mairi’s wedding.
Over hillways up and down
Myrtle green and bracken brown,
Past the sheiling through the town
All for sake of Mairi.
Plenty herring, plenty meal
Plenty peat to fill her creel,
Plenty bonny bairns as weel
That’s the toast for Mairi.
Cheeks as bright as rowans are
Brighter far than any star,
(or Red her cheeks as rowans are
Bright her eye as any star)
Fairest o’ them all by far
Is my darlin’ Mairi.
Mairi’s Wedding is one of the first fiddle tunes the girls learned. It’s has such a sweet joyful sound that Chatter and Austin had it played at their wedding.
The girls have never sung the lyrics and I haven’t heard anyone else sing them in person. You can hear The Corries sing it here.
I hope you enjoyed the fiddle tune!
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First things first. Wonder if you got more than a skift of snow, or any all yesterday? Lots of snowmen got built in Ohio yesterday after church.
What a great fiddle tune! I always enjoy learning the origin. I was kinda hoping one of the girls would sing a verse or two though.
Geoff-no snow but lots of rain 🙂
Love the fiddle tune by the sweet girls. They both play so well and compliment each other with the fiddle and guitar.
I also went to hear The Corries video. They must be either Irish or Scottish…it’s hard for me to tell the difference, and I hope I’m not making anybody mad for saying that. I don’t mean too, I just not one to tell what nationality accents are from. I was talking to a lady one day in the store and I thought her accent sounded British so I asked her what part of Britain she was from and she said none, I’m from Australia…lol…I did apologize. She said us southern people just didn’t have the ear for recognizing National accents. I told her I don’t know about other southern folks, but I sure knew I didn’t. Anyway, I enjoyed hearing The Corries sing it too. Thank you for sharing the song, I like it.
Having gone to many Scottish festivals I immediately recognize the time. Well played girls.
That’s quite a rock the girls are sitting on, and lovely beside the lake!
Just beautiful!! I remember watching the video of Austin and Corie’s wedding and the young men playing, that was just perfect for their day!! Hard to believe that it’s been almost a year! Also enjoyed the sights and sounds today. Wish I had a chair by the creek just to sit and watch and listen.
That was really a beautiful tune and great picking! Got to ask this question – what is that big rock they were sitting on and how was it formed – for what purpose? Is it an old mill rock? That sweet little stream sounded as cold as it looked clear. Just beautiful.
Mary-I is just a rock placed there for decoration 🙂
Tipper, your girls are so beautiful and talented! The y fairly compliment each other I love this joyful tune
I sure did enjoy it. Dennis Morgan
Thank you, I did enjoy that tune. I have a love for those types of tunes. I think of it as pioneer music, but I know it’s because I associate them with the pioneers who left the south in general and Appalachia in particular and brought all those tunes with them as they migrated out west. I know so many of those tunes have a Celtic origin, be they Irish or Scots, which I adore. Have a wonderful Sunday my dear. Blessings.
Beautifully done! I love that lovely old fiddle tune.
Jolly tune alright and a great setting for the video with light & dark and the willow twigs and the water. Makes me want some springtime. About that, I have three yellow daffodil buds but why they came up on the heels of The Big Freeze is a mystery to me.
I love this tune! I don’t think I have ever heard it before! Katie, you and Corie do it proud!❤❤
Had to listen to The Corries too, super awesome, what a sunny song, love it!! We have a 5 yr old at our church who just started fiddle lessons and blessed our church at our evening Christmas Eve Service, she did so good for having just started lessons over the summer. She plays with a local group called The Coon Holler Kids, you’ll have to google them sometime, it’s Coon Holler Music on FB.
What a lively little tune and the girls did such a fine job sitting on that rock! Chitter and Chatter are without a doubt two of the prettiest fiddlers I ever saw! All the animals and fauna in the woods beheld a musical treat that lovely day!!! This is a video that has it all- amazing scenery and real talent! What a blessed way to start off my Sabbath! Thank you gals from North Crackalacki!!! You’re more wonderful than a rooster with socks on!!!
Beautiful!!
Wonderful! Wonderful!!! We enjoy y’all sooooo much! Thanks for sharing!!!
From Southeast Indiana
My dad played this regularly on the bagpipes, usually when he was tuning up before practicing at home, and at do’s like Burn’s night and New Year’s Eve. Catchy wee tune.
Love this song, and if you want to hear a wonderful rendition of the same, check out Van Morrison’s version.
https://youtu.be/8zwNO6k4b60
What a wonderful tune!! Thank you for sharing it Tipper. I’ll be humming it all day. 🙂
That is a right smart little ditty! Makes a body want to get up and dance! I love any music with a fiddle, or mandolin…..thank you for sharing!
If that does not get your toe a tappin’ nothing will. Great tunes for sure. I loved Katie’s shoes and was wondering what she saw off to her right that got her attention. Have a wonderful Blessed Sunday.
Glenda-thank you! I think it was a car driving by that got Katie’s attention 🙂