Annotation:Lady Barnard's Lament

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LADY BARNARD'S LAMENT. Scottish, Air (3/4 time). D Major. Standard tuning (fiddle). AABBCCDDEE. The title may refer to John (Parson) Home's [1] (1722-1808) pastoral drama Douglas [2], produced in Edinburgh in 1756. The protagonist of the play was originally Lady Barnard, but the heroine's name was changed to Lady Randolph when it was staged at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden [Child, The English and Scottish Popular Ballads, 1886, p. 264]. Peg Woffington acted the part of Lady Randolph in its London debut. The play was very popular in England and Scotland alike, and was repeatedly staged.

The name of Barnard was adopted from the popular [Child] ballad, "Little Musgrave and Lady Barnard," and the play itself was suggested to Home when he heard a woman sing the related ballad of "Gill Morrice" or "Child Maurice."

Source for notated version:

Printed sources: Oswald (Caledonian Pocket Companion, Book 7), 1760; p. 24.

Recorded sources:



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