SCOTS Project - www.scottishcorpus.ac.uk Document : 727 Title : Song-Cycle from the Bagpipe Opera "Tulsa" Author(s): Tom Hubbard Copyright holder(s): Tom Hubbard Text [NOTE: Tulsa, for which I am writing the libretto, is based on accounts of the race riots of 1921 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Charles Kerr, a Presbyterian minister of Scots descent, makes a vigorous defence of the black neighbourhood against the depredations of his fellow-whites, thereby becoming an Ibsen-like ‘enemy of the people’. The libretto is in Scots and the music is by Lindsay Davidson, who features the bagpipes prominently in the scoring.] NEGRO SPIRITUAL #1 (Adapted from the African-American English) Rowl, Jordan, rowl, Rowl, Jordan, rowl, I want ti gang ti Heiven whan I dee, Ti hear auld Jordan rowl. O brithers Rowl, Jordan, rowl, Rowl, Jordan, rowl, Want ti gang ti Heiven whan I dee, Ti hear auld Jordan rowl. O brithers, you ocht t’hae been there Ay, Lord, Sittin upby i the kinrik, Ti hear auld Jordan rowl. Sing it ower, O rowl. O, rowl, Jordan, rowl. I want ti gang to Heiven whan I dee, Ti hear auld Jordan rowl. CHARLES KERR’S PRAISE-POEM TO THE APPALACHIANS: HE SINGS TO HIS WIFE ANNA, RECALLING THEIR YOUTH TOGETHER O Anna we hae been blest in this life o oors And we maun mak blessins fir ithers in retour. Thon is oor mission, here at the faur side o Appalachia: For you and I, we hae coorted alang the trails o Appalachia … As the sun sprinkled throu the forest on-ti the ever-quickenin creeks, As the gloamin fell upon the sacrit flet rock Warm and sheenin whaur the Cherokee langsyne Incaa’d their forefolk, hailin the Gret Speerit. – O Anna, luve, Wadna my ain forefolk, sons o thon same Gret Speerit, As brithers o aa races hauden-doun and movit-on, Wadna they bless the enbrace o thir twa launds, My Scotland, my America; oor Alba, oor Appalachia … O Anna think o the airts o Appalachia And their braw place-names, fair dirlin i the lug. We waukened ti new life wi oor young kisses Ablow the faas o Catawba, aside the tweestin pad By the stane brig that led ti Rattlesnake Lodge. O rare Nantahala, the glen at Dysart Springs, The common poetrie o twa nations’ namins, The Indians and the Scots … The man and wumman Wha’d hike thir trails cuidna dae itherwise Nor faa inti ilk ither’s airms. Praise God, Praise the … Gret Speerit … frae Him comes luve, The grettest thing i the warld. And sae, I speir … whit fir suid folk like us No hae oor kirks upon a haly crag Wi God’s domain spreid braidlie ti oor view, Ocean o green, billowin ower the hills ayont Ti the blae ridge, and at the horizon fadin The cramasie lift that, at the daith o day, Gies promise o new dawin? – There, there’s the true heich kirk! The red man needs nae biggin fir ti worship: The white man, tho, needs waas fir sanctuarie, The bleck man, aa the mair … SONG OF THE REDNECK / GUTTER PRESS / OILMEN ALLIANCE Whan oor wey o life is threatened and the darkies stert ti lowp, And the New Warld Order looks like tummlin in the cowp, Then ilka true patriot maun git aff his dowp And fecht fir his yle. [yle = oil] God Himsel gien us dominion – ower the haill o the yirth: Democracie fir aabody, baur folk o lesser birth; Oor empire (and oor bellies) ken nae limit ti their girth, Sae lat’s fecht, fecht fir wir yle. Ye’re for us, or agin us, that’s whit the mannie said; Sae come up, y’all, and jyne oor great CRUSADE, Itherwise, we’ll find ye oot, and leave ye warse than DAID, Gin ye dinna fecht fir yle. It’s bleck stuff, no the blecks, that maks us kinda snazzy, And we’re no fir the haill jing-bang ti gurgle doun the kazzy: Sae lat’s declare oor Holy War, and spare nae razz-a-ma-tazzy, It’s their bluid, but it’s oor YLE! NEGRO SPIRITUAL #2 (Adapted from the African-American English) Ma Lord he lowsit Daniel, Daniel frae the lion’s den; Ma Lord he lowsit Daniel, Wha’s hauden-doun syne then? He lowsit Daniel frae the lion’s den, Jonah frae the wame o the whale, Three Hebrews frae the brennin furnace, - But why no lowse the haill? Ma Lord he lowsit Daniel, Daniel frae the lion’s den, Ma Lord he lowsit Daniel - Will he no come back again? Lat the müne rin doun in a purpour stream, And the sun be sweir ti shine, Lat ilka starn fade like a dream, Gin their Lord isna mine. Ma Lord he lowsit Daniel, As ilka Christian lairns; Ma Lord he lowsit Daniel - But why no aa his bairns? I set my fuit on the Gospel ship, And the ship begoud ti sail: It laundit me ower on Canaan’s shore, And I’ll tak nae mair my weary trail. Daniel wis lowsit frae a lion’s den, Jonah frae the wame o a whale; O Lord, you set thir guid folk free: Nou set that blessin on the haill! This work is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The SCOTS Project and the University of Glasgow do not necessarily endorse, support or recommend the views expressed in this document. Information about document and author: Text Text audience General public: Audience size: 100+ Text details Method of composition: Handwritten Year of composition: 2004 Title of original (if translation): Two of these pieces are Scots rendering of negro spirituals Language of original (if translation): African-American English Word count: 859 Text medium Book: Other: Musical performance Text performance/broadcast details Where performed/broadcast: Some Tulsa extracts performed by musicians in Poland and Hungary, Oct-Dec 2004 Performed/broadcast by: Polish and Hungarian musicians, the latter from Liszt Academy of Music, Budapest. Text publication details Published: Publisher: Akros Publication year: 2004 Place of publication: Kirkcaldy ISBN/ISSN: 0-86142-153-1 Edition: 1st Part of larger text: Contained in: "From Soda Fountain to Moonshine Mountain: American Poems" Editor: Author, Tom Hubbard Page numbers: 11-15 Part of a longer series of texts: Name of series: Tulsa: an opera in three acts. Music by Lindsay Davidson, Libretto by Tom Hubbard Text setting Leisure/entertainment: Text type Poem/song/ballad: Script (film, play, radio, tv etc.): Other: Opera libretto Author Author details Author id: 232 Forenames: Tom Surname: Hubbard Gender: Male Decade of birth: 1950 Educational attainment: University Age left school: 18 Upbringing/religious beliefs: N/A Occupation: Academic, librarian and writer Place of birth: Kirkcaldy Region of birth: Fife Birthplace CSD dialect area: Fif Country of birth: Scotland Place of residence: Kirkcaldy Region of residence: Fife Residence CSD dialect area: Fif Country of residence: Scotland Father's occupation: Caterer Father's place of birth: Dysart Father's region of birth: Fife Father's birthplace CSD dialect area: Fif Father's country of birth: Scotland Mother's occupation: Caterer Mother's place of birth: Dysart Mother's region of birth: Fife Mother's birthplace CSD dialect area: Fif Mother's country of birth: Scotland Languages: Language: English Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Everyday Language: Italian Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Work, holiday, fluency fluctuating Language: Polish Speak: No Read: No Write: No Understand: No Circumstances: Smattering. Work, holiday Language: Scots Speak: Yes Read: Yes Write: Yes Understand: Yes Circumstances: Everyday. Scots spoken in relaxed circumstances