Cromlet's Lilt

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Theme code Index
Also known as
Composer/Core Source
Region	Scotland
Genre/Style	Scottish
Meter/Rhythm	Air/Lament/Listening Piece
Key/Tonic of
Accidental
Mode
Time signature
History
Structure
Editor/Compiler
Book/Manuscript title
Tune and/or Page number
Year of publication/Date of MS
Artist	Biography:Robin Williamson
Title of recording	Legacy of the Scottish Harpers vol. 1
Record label/Catalogue nr.	Flying Fish FF358
Year recorded
Media
Score ()

CROMLET'S LILT. Scottish, Air. Robin Williamson dates the tune from the 1590's but notes that it was first found in print in the Reverand William Geddes' Saints' Recreation, 1683. It later appeared in James Oswald's Curious Collection of Scots Tunes (c. 1739) as the fourth figure of his 'Sonata of Scots Tunes'. D'Urfey printed the song in Tea Table Miscellany (1724) with the signature 'X', supposedly to denote all songs the editor thought were English in origin (Chambers). Robert Chambers (Scottish Songs, vol. 2, 1824) prints verses under the title "Cromlet's Lilt", directed to be sung to the tune of "Robin Adair". They begin:

Since all thy vows, false maid,
Are blown to air,
And my poor heart betray'd
To sad despair;
Into some wilderness
My grief I will express,
And thy hard-heartedness,
Oh, cruel fair!

According the Chambers, who attributes the story to Robert Burns (perhaps referring to its publication in Johnson's Scots Musical Museum {1788}', although Maidement {'Scottish Ballads and Songs, vol. 2, 1859} the background story to Stenhouse) the protagonist of the story was the eldest son of one Chisholm of Cromleck (or Cromlix), who courted a beauty named Helen, one of a family of 31 children of a Perthshire gentleman named Stirling of Ardoch (who lived in the reign of James VI). "Her youngest brother died at the age of 111, at which age he could still drink a bottle of ale at a draught", remarks Williamson. Cromleck had to remove for a time to France, but kept up a steady correspondence with his love. Unfortunately, a friend had, in his absence, wooed the same Helen, suppressed Cromlick's letters, and connived to split them. He so succeeded denigrating Cromlick, and in winning Helen's affections himself that they were married. On their bridal night however, she was visited by at least the voice of Croleck which cried "Oh Helen, Helen, mind me," at which she lept from the bed in horror and could not be persuaded to return. Cromleck returned from the Continent soon after and was able to procure an annulment of the marriage, after which he and Helen were wed.

Recorded source: Flying Fish FF358, Robin Williamson - "Legacy of the Scottish Harpers, vol. 1."

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