Scottish Repertoire

Celtic Songs

Bagpipe Tutorials

Practice Chanter

The song was composed by John Roderick Bannerman in 1934 in honour of Mary C. MacNiven (1905-1997) who won an award that year at the National Mòd (Scottish Gaelic Culture Festival).
Bannerman, a native of South Uist (Outer Hebrides), had a keen interest in Gaelic culture during his life while Mary distinguished herself almost until the end as a renowned Gaelic singer.

However, they did not convolate since Mary's marriage took place six years later with another suitor...

The original lyrics were very logically written in Gaelic by J.R. Bannerman.

Sir Hugh Roberton, choirmaster at the Glasgow Orpheus Choir he created, heard this song and wrote his own version of lyrics, thus beginning a collaboration with Bannerman crowned with several successes.

Its transposition no longer has much to do with the event (the success at the Mòd) that inspired Mairi's Wedding, and the "new" song was published in 1936 under the title The Lewis Bridal Song, without reference or to the original author (whose name turned into Dr. Peter A. MacLeod!) and even less to the Gaelic version of the lyrics...
An inelegance whose reasons escape us...

It seems, however, that the melody could still come from the Island of Lewis and would in this case have been reused by Bannerman...

However, Roberton's version has passed to posterity and now most often illustrates this tune.

Finally, it should be noted that the melody is frequently used in traditional Scottish dance.

Wikipedia

The Lewis Bridal Song
(Sir Hugh Roberton - 1936)

Step we gaily, on we go
Heel for heel and toe for toe
Arm and arm and row on row
All for Mairi's wedding

Over hill-ways up and down
Myrtle green and bracken brown
Past the shielings through the town
All for sake o' Mairi

(chorus)

Red her cheeks as rowans are
Bright her eye as any star
Fairest o'them a' by far
Is our darling Mairi

(chorus)

Plenty herring, plenty meal
Plenty peat to fill her creel
Plenty bonny bairns as weel
That's the toast for Mairi

Step we gaily, on we go
Heel for heel and toe for toe
Arm and arm and row on row
All for Mairi's wedding

Save
(portrait format)

Save

MAIRI'S WEDDING

MARCH

- score by Eric Maclewis with CelticPipes