"Highland Laddie", also known as "Hielan' Laddie", is the name of a

Scottish Scottish usually refers to something of, from, or related to Scotland, including: *Scottish Gaelic, a Celtic Goidelic language of the Indo-European language family native to Scotland *Scottish English *Scottish national identity, the Scottish ide ...

popular folk tune "If Thou'lt Play Me Fair Play", but as with many old melodies various sets of words can be sung to it, of which Robert Burns's poem "Highland Laddie" is probably the best known. "If Thou'lt Play Me Fair Play" has been reworked several times since Burns set down his words, Donkey Riding being one variant. Highland Regiments raised in the 18th and early 19th centuries employed many unique symbols to differentiate themselves from other regiments and enlisted distinctive music to announce their arrival, but as a result of the

Cardwell Reforms The Cardwell Reforms were a series of reforms of the British Army undertaken by Secretary of State for War Edward Cardwell between 1868 and 1874 with the support of Liberal prime minister William Ewart Gladstone. Gladstone paid little attention ...

of 1881, all British Army Highland Regiments were required to use "Highland Laddie" as their regimental march. Over time, many of these regiments had managed to return to their pre-Cardwell marches when, in March 2006, the establishment of the Royal Regiment of Scotland saw the disappearance of all Scotland's historic infantry regiments and their distinctions, including music, and the adoption of a new regimental march, " Scotland the Brave".

Regiments

"Highland Laddie" continues to be the regimental march of a number of

Commonwealth A commonwealth is a traditional English term for a political community founded for the common good. Historically, it has been synonymous with "republic". The noun "commonwealth", meaning "public welfare, general good or advantage", dates from the ...

regiments with Scottish affiliations. Some of these regiments include: United Kingdom * The Royal Scots Dragoon Guards * The Scots Guards * The London Scottish * The Tyneside Scottish Canada *

42nd Field Artillery Regiment (Lanark and Renfrew Scottish), RCA The 42nd Field Artillery Regiment (Lanark and Renfrew Scottish), RCA is a Canadian Army Reserve artillery regiment based in Pembroke, Ontario. It is part of the 4th Canadian Division's 33 Canadian Brigade Group. It was initially converted from ...

* The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada *

The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada The Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada is a Primary Reserve light infantry regiment of the Canadian Army, with companies in Cambridge and Kitchener, and is an infantry sub-unit of 31 Canadian Brigade Group, headquartered in London, Ontario. The ...

The Cape Breton Highlanders , colors = Facing colour yellow , colors_label = Colours , march = Quick – "Highland Laddie" , mascot = , battles = First World ...

formerly 2nd Battalion,

The Nova Scotia Highlanders , identification_symbol = MacDonald, Clan Donald , identification_symbol_label = Tartan , nickname = North Novies, North Novas , battles = Second Boer WarFirst World WarSecond World WarWar i ...

The Essex and Kent Scottish The Essex and Kent Scottish is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. The regiment was formed in 1954 by the amalgamation of The Essex Scottish Regiment and The Kent Regiment. Its colonel-in-chief is Prince Michael of Kent. ...

48th Highlanders of Canada , colors = , march = " 48th Highlanders Slow March"; Quick – "Highland Laddie" , mascot = , battles = Second Boer WarFirst World WarSecond World ...

* The Lake Superior Scottish Regiment * The Calgary Highlanders Australia *

16th Battalion 16 (sixteen) is the natural number following 15 and preceding 17. 16 is a composite number, and a square number, being 42 = 4 × 4. It is the smallest number with exactly five divisors, its proper divisors being , , and . In English speech, ...

(The Cameron Highlanders of Western Australia) *

41st Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment The 41st Battalion, Royal New South Wales Regiment, (41 RNSWR), is an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. An Army Reserve unit, it is one of four battalions of the Royal New South Wales Regiment and is attached to the 5th Brigade, 2nd D ...

(The Byron Regiment) *The

Adelaide Universities Regiment Adelaide Universities Regiment (AUR) is an officer training unit of the Australian Army headquartered in Adelaide, South Australia. Currently AUR maintains a cadre staff of trained Regular and Reserve personnel who oversee and administer the tra ...

3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment The 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) is a mechanised infantry battalion of the Australian Army, based in Kapyong Lines, Townsville as part of the 3rd Brigade. 3 RAR traces its lineage to 1945 and has seen operational serv ...

New Zealand * 1st Armoured Car Regiment (New Zealand Scottish) Republic of India * 9 Gorkha Rifles (1st Battalion 9 Gorkha Rifles) Sri Lanka * Gemunu Watch

Highland dance

Highland Laddie is also the name of a dance in

Scottish Highland dancing Highland dance or Highland dancing ( gd, dannsa Gàidhealach) is a style of competitive dancing developed in the Scottish Highlands in the 19th and 20th centuries, in the context of competitions at public events such as the Highland games. It ...

, of the "national dance" subtype. This version of the dance was first published by D.G. MacLennan in 1952, who referred to it as a Hebridean dance, collected by MacLennan in 1925 from Archie MacPherson on the island of South Uist. MacLennan himself suggested "a more effective finishing" of the dance, with entrechat at the end. Most national dances are usually danced in an Aboyne dress, but the Highland Laddie is one of two national dances that are typically danced in the standard kilt-based outfit, the other being " Wilt Thou Go to the Barracks, Johnny?".

Scottish step dances

Highland (or Hielan') Laddie is the name of several Scottish soft-shoe step dances, different from the National dance mentioned above. Two different dances of this name have been taught in Scottish (Ladies) Step dance classes within the frame of the RSCDS Summer Schools in

St Andrews St Andrews ( la, S. Andrea(s); sco, Saunt Aundraes; gd, Cill Rìmhinn) is a town on the east coast of Fife in Scotland, southeast of Dundee and northeast of Edinburgh. St Andrews had a recorded population of 16,800 , making it Fife's fou ...

, Scotland. Yet another version, collected by Jack McConachie and published in 1972 is now commonly referred to as "Hebridean Laddie". There are reasons to believe that dances taught by Jack McConachie as Hebridean, namely

Flowers of Edinburgh "Flowers of Edinburgh" is a traditional fiddle tune, of eighteenth century Scottish lineage. It is also prominent in American fiddle, Canadian fiddle and wherever old time fiddle is cultivated. The tune is also the basis for a Morris Dance, in ...

and Bonnie Dundee, originally used to be danced to the music of Hielan' Laddie as well.

Settings

As a tune with martial affiliations Highland Laddie is still widely played by the regimental bands and/or pipes and drums of the Scottish regiments. As a traditional Scottish tune, Highland Laddie is also commonly played on the

bagpipes Bagpipes are a woodwind instrument using enclosed reeds fed from a constant reservoir of air in the form of a bag. The Great Highland bagpipes are well known, but people have played bagpipes for centuries throughout large parts of Europe, No ...

for Scottish dances. Typically categorised as a "Quick March," Highland Laddie is normally written in 2/4 time. The "standard" setting contains two parts (8 bars per part). As with any of the older melodies, variations have been composed and some published with the most distinctive settings appearing in Pipe Major William Ross' 1885 book containing eight parts to 'Highland Laddie'.

Canadian settings

"Highland Laddie" appears as the most frequently used regimental march in the Canadian Armed Forces and demonstrates a variety of settings depending upon which music book and/or instructor was used in any particular area. Some regiments play two parts and some a four-part version as their regimental march. Not all the parts are in the same order and some are not played at all.

Lyrics

Numerous lyrics for the tune exist.

Jacobite Rebellion

Where ha' ye been a' the day?
Bonnie laddie, Hielan' laddie
Saw ye him that' far awa'
Bonnie laddie, Hielan' laddie On his head a bonnet blue
Bonnie laddie, Hielan' laddie
Tartan plaid and Hielan' trews
Bonnie laddie, Hielan' laddie When he drew his gude braid-sword
Then he gave his royal word.
Frae the field he ne'er wad flee
Wi' his friends wad live or dee. Geordie sits in Charlie's chair
But I think he'll no bide there.
Charlie yet shall mount the throne
Weel ye ken it is his own.

Sea Shanty

Was you ever in Quebec?
Bonny laddie, Highland laddie,
Loading timber on the deck,
My bonny Highland laddie. High-ho, and away she goes,
Bonny laddie, Highland laddie,
High-ho, and away she goes,
My bonny Highland laddie. Was you ever in Callao
Where the girls are never slow? Was you ever in Baltimore
Dancing on the sanded floor? Was you ever in Mobile Bay,
Screwing cotton by the day? Was you on the Brummalow,
Where Yankee boys are all the go?

Four-Part Variation

The Lawland Lads think they are fine
But oh they're vain and idle gaudy
How much unlike the graceful mein
And manly looks o' my Highland Laddie If I were free at will to choose
To be the wealthiest Lawland Lady
I'd tak' young Donald without trews
Wi' bonnet blue and Highland plaidie (Chorus): Oh my bonnie bonnie Highland Laddie
Oh my bonnie bonnie Highland Laddie
When I was sick and like to die
He rowed me in his Highland plaidie O'er Bently Hill wi' him I'll run
And leave my Lawland kin and daddy
Frae winters chill and summers sun
He'll screen me in his Highland plaidie A painted room, a silken bed
Maun please a Lawland Lord and Lady
But I could kiss and be as glad
Behind a bush in his Highland plaidie Nae greater joy I'll e'er pretend
Than that his love prove true and steady
Like mine to him, which ne'er shall end
While heaven preserves my Highland Laddie (Repeat Chorus)

Beethoven

Bonny Laddie, Highland Laddie Beethoven Op. 108 no.7 (for Piano, Violin and Cello) Four Verses, written by James Hogg http://www.lieder.net/lieder/get_text.html?TextId=23687 "Where got ye siller moon", The Lieder Net Archive Where got ye siller moon, Bonnie laddie, highland laddie, Glinting braw your belt aboon, Bonnie laddie, highland laddie? Belted plaid and bonnet blue, Have ye been at Waterloo? Weels me on your tartan trews, Tell me, tell me a' the news! Saw ye Boney by the way, Blucher wi' his beard sae grey? Or, the doure and deadly Duke, Scatt'ring Frenchmen wi'his look? Some say he the day may rue; You can till gin this be true. Would ye tell me gin ye ken, Aught o' Donald and his men? Tell me o' my kilted Clan, Gin they fought, or gin they ran?

References

External links

*
Robert Burns' lyrics
* * *

Notes

*Smith, Alexander, ed. ''Poems Songs and Letters being the Complete Works of Robert Burns'', (The Globe Edition), London, MacMillan and Co., 1868.