ALISON McMORLAND – Some Ballads Of Anna Gordon Mrs. Brown Of Falkland (own label AGB01)

Some Ballads Of Anna Gordon Mrs. Brown Of FalklandMy, oh, my. Some Ballads Of Anna Gordon Mrs. Brown Of Falkland is an album that transcends the pieces of plastic that carry it and it seems that I must again delve into Scottish history. Anna Gordon was a collector of ballads in the late 18th century, fifty of those ballads being published by notables such as Walter Scott and Francis James Child. Alison McMorland, supported by Jo Miller and Kirsty Potts with Alasdair Roberts, Owen Sutcliffe and Daniel Thorpe, has recorded twelve of them across two CDs and if that seems profligate remember that ballads are long – her version of ‘The Cruel Sister’ runs to seventeen minutes.

Anna Gordon is noted as a prime source of several ballads, notably ‘Thomas Rhymer & Queen Of Elfland’ which opens disc one. The Steeleye Span recording of the song, which most people will know, mostly stays faithful to the original although the verses about their lunch break were omitted. Alison sings the original Scottish text unaccompanied. Next is the supernatural ballad ‘Kempion’ complete with a wicked witch, a fiery beast which must be kissed and a brave hero. There is a happy ending in which the witch is banished and may only be rescued by a visit from the patron saint of Glasgow, St. Mungo.

‘Lady Elspat’, a little known song, is a variant on the undesirable marriage story complete with a false accusation of theft and a trial before the Lord Justice. Our heroine defends young William and he goes free, helped by the fact that he is the Justice’s nephew. It’s not what you know! The twenty-eight verses of ‘The Cruel Sister’ include just about all the elements of better-known versions as well as unfamiliar refrain lines on which Jo and Kirsty join in. When we come to the harper he only takes three locks of her hair leaving her skeleton intact. ‘Clark Colven’ also has mythical elements and is a warning about dallying with mermaids and, closing the first disc, is ‘Young Bekie’, a distant cousin of ‘Lord Bateman’ and the second longest track in the collection. For the first time we hear Thorpe’s fiddle.

I should say that this album was commissioned as a companion to The Ballad World Of Anna Gordon Mrs. Brown Of Falkland, a new biography by Ruth Perry and there is an emphasis on historical accuracy – perhaps not for the faint-hearted.

The second disc begins with two familiar stories. ‘Lamkin’ has no hints of the supernatural present in other versions of the song and makes the nurse the real villain, egging Lamkin on to greater acts of cruelty. The wonderful ‘King Henry’ is another supernatural tale featuring a witch and a gallant monarch with a happy ending unless you’re a horse or a greyhound. Sutcliffe’s flute provides a subtle accompaniment and a short instrumental break. ‘Brown Adam’ is an odd story. Adam, the smith, has been banished but we’re not told why and a “fu fa’se knight” comes to court his lady. There’s a kerfuffle, inevitably, and four fingers are severed from someone’s right hand but the text isn’t explicit about whose fingers. Most commentators maintain it is the false knight who loses the fight, otherwise Adam would be right royally screwed, wouldn’t he?

‘The Gay Goss Hawk’ enjoys a warm guitar accompaniment by Roberts, appropriate for a  in romantic tale. This is another long text which may explain why it is rarely heard. ‘The Baron Of Braikly’ is rarely heard other than by Scottish singers. It’s a story of revenge, sometimes called ‘Inverey’, and some sources credit Hamish Henderson with its collection but Mrs. Brown was related to both protagonists, the Farquharsons and the Gordons, so I’m sure she got there first. Finally, ‘Lady Maisry’ is the inevitably tragic story of a Scottish noblewoman in a secret relationship with an English lord. You know it couldn’t end well.

There is much to enjoy about Some Ballads Of Anna Gordon Mrs. Brown Of Falkland, not least Alison’s pure and unmannered voice and the lavish packaging. There is much to unpick in the stories as well and if you have any interest in the history of ballads you’ll be burning up the internet for more information. Most importantly, though, is the opportunity to hear these songs in their original form for the first time.

Dai Jeffries

Artist’s website: www.alisonmcmorland.com

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