Annotation:Soor Plooms of Galashiels
X:1 T:Sour Plumbs M:C L:1/8 R:Air Q:"Slow" S:McGibbon – Scots Tunes, book III, p. 86 (1762) Z:AK/Fiddler’s Companion K:G GA | {A}B3c B3g | (d<B) T(A>G) A3B | G3A TB>ABd | {d}e3d B2g2 | (e>d)(B>e) (d>B)(A>d) | (B>A)(G>B) A3B | G>AB>c (d>B)(g>B) | TA4G2 :| |: g2 | (e>f)(g>a) g2G2 | g2 (d/e/=f) {f}e3d | B2 de =fagf | Te4d3g | e>fg>a g2G2 | g>ba>g Te3d | B2 d>e =fagf | Te4d3g | e>fg>a g2G2 | g2 (de/=f/) {f}e3d | (BA) B2 (dB) d2 | ed e2=f3a | (g>e) g2 (e>d) e2 | (d>B) d2 B>A B2 | {e/f/}g3f/e/ d>gB>g | TA4G2 :|
SOOR/SOUR PLOOMS (OF GALASHIELS). AKA and see "Squire Wood's Lamentation on the Refusal of his Halfpence," "Wood's Lamentation." Scottish, Irish; Air (4/4 time). G Major/Mixolydian (Johnson, McGibbon, Neil): D Major (Gatherer). Standard tuning (fiddle). AAB (Gatherer): AABB (McGibbon): AABBCC (Neil): AABBCCDD (Johnson). Galashiels is a town in the Border region of Scotland, on the River Tweed. Robin Williamson observes it is "virtually" the same tune attributed to harper Turlough O'Carolan and called in Ireland "Squire Wood's Lamentation on the Refusal of his Halfpence" (though he points out the earliest ascription of the tune to that master was by Petrie, the Victorian collector). "Perhaps it was that O'Carolan wrote, to an existing tune, a song in which he satirized the scandal of 1722 involving the minting of excessive amounts of copper money by the aforementioned William Wood, a conniving copper mine owner" (Williamson). Gatherer identifies the air as a composition from the early 1700's by the Laird of Galashiels' piper. It was popular in the early years of the 19th century in the Borders region, and contintues to be part of Borders piping repertory.
Scottish versions were printed by Oswald in the 1740's, and by Munro, who composed a variation sonata (air, allemand, largo, giga) on the tune (which appears in his Collection of Scots Tunes, 1732). It also appears in the [James] Gillespie Manuscript of Perth (1768). Collinson says the tune was referred to as early as 1700 and was associated with the Border pipes, while Johnson (1984) dates the tune to 1710, on stylistic criteria. Neil (1991) remarks that the title is thought to originate from an episode in 1337 when an English army was retreating down the Gala Water from Edinburgh. The troop had thought to rest themselves in an area where wild plums grew in profusion on the riverbank, when, taken by surprise, they were nearly wiped out by the Scottish forces. A site called "The Englishman's Syke" or "Laid Stane" marks the location where the fight was fiercest."
Galashiels became a Burgh of Barony in 1599, when the Baron and his baillie administered justice and where a number of privilages, including the holding of markets and fairs were conferred. On those occasions, a herald would make a proclamation from the foot of the town cross. One of the most famous criers was Wattie Blaikie, who made the proclamation holding any old piece of 'paper' in his hands and he would declare the fair open on behalf of the Scott of Gala and his deputy the Baillie but 'prohibiting all Egyptians, randy beggars and cutters of purses' from being present and that no one was to be 'molestit for auld or new debt, auld feud or new feud!' The cry was concluded by 'God Save the King' and a roll of drums by the town drummer. …. [Neil]
