William Thom in Aberdeen - early 19th Century

from Rhymes and Recollections of a Hand-Loom Weaver, 2nd edition, pages 14-15:

Nearer and dearer [than Lord Byron and other poets] to hearts like ours was the Ettrick Shepherd, then in his full tide of song and story; but nearer and dearer still than he, or any living songster—to us dearer—was our ill-fated fellow-craftsman, [Robert] Tannahill, who had just taken himself from a neglecting world, while yet that world waxed mellow in his lay. Poor weaver chiel [child]! What we owe to thee! Your “Braes o’ Balquidder,” and “Yon Burnside,” and “Gloomy Winter,” and the …   more >>

cite as

William Thom, Rhymes and Recollections of a Hand-Loom Weaver, 2nd edition (London, 1845), p. 14-15. https://led.kmi.open.ac.uk/entity/lexp/1524243384393 accessed: 10 December, 2024

location of experience: Aberdeen

Listeners

William Thom
handloom weaver, Poet
1798-1848

Listening to

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Traditional Scottish songs performed by Scottish handloom weavers

Experience Information

Date/Time early 19th Century
Medium live
Listening Environment in the company of others, in private, indoors

Notes

The 'Song Spirits' named by Thom were all self-educated, working class Scots. James Hogg, 'The Ettrick Shepherd' (1770-1835) was a poet, novelist, essayist and shepherd, from the Scottish Borders, who made collections of Scottish song. Robert Tannahill (b. 1774), a handloom weaver from Paisley, near Glasgow, wrote poetry in Scots dialect set to traditional tunes. He killed himself in 1810. Robert Burns is the most famous 'poet ploughman' of this Scottish tradition.


Originally submitted by 5011Henning on Fri, 20 Apr 2018 17:56:24 +0100
Approved on Fri, 22 Jun 2018 09:29:43 +0100