Songbooks

This song may refer to Prince Madoc, born in North Wales between 1134 and 1142. He was an explorer and possibly landed in America around 1170. He supposedly found a land 'affording health, aire, gold,...

The 'lady' is Gwenllian, daughter of Rhys ab Gruffydd, Prince of South Wales, and the first wife of Ednyfed Vychan, chief counsellor of Llewellyn ab Iorweth, Prince of North Wales. She was eminent amo...

This is the North Wales version of an old song of the Druids. 'Hob y deri danno' literally means 'The swine (or pig) under the oaks'.

This song is said to have been a favourite of Henry V (1387-1422) when he was the Prince of Wales, and used to be sung by the Prince and his companions at the Boar's Head Tavern, Cheapside.

Gogerddan' is an ancient mansion near Aberystwyth.

This is the Welsh National Anthem and as such should always be sung in Welsh. However, it is also a lovely song in English, the words conveying the love of the Welsh for their native land. The melody...

The second verse is evidently the reply made by the 'Maid of Sker' to her lover's appeal in the first verse. Sker is the name of an ancient farmhouse hear the Sker Rocks, Glamorganshire, at one time i...

Eriskay is the island between Barra and South Uist, in the Outer Hebrides. It was here, in 1745, that Bonnie Prince Charlie first set foot on Scottish soil. The chorus of this gentle Gaelic melody is...

This is based on an 18th century ballad called Jean of Bethelrie. Many different versions of this song have been recorded, in which the stories are virtually the same.

This song has both English and Scottish versions, but the riddles in verse 4 are usually found only in the Scottish one. One of the earliest versions appeared on a broadside in the reign of James II (...

The 17th century outlaw, James Macpherson, who was also a violin player, is said to have written this melody just before being sent to the gallows. According to one story, he broke his fiddle before b...

This song is said to have been written by a street trader named Robert Coltart. He sold boiled sweets before the First World War and his street cry became a favourite song and lullaby.

The origins of this song are unknown, but it is noted as being sung by the famous London actress, Mrs Jordan (an Irish woman), at the Drury Lane Theatre around 1800.

This tune was possibly used to gather the Campbell clan during the Scots rebellion of 1715, but first appeared in print in 1745.

The Diamond was one of twenty whaling ships lost in 1830, trapped in the ice of Melville Bay on the west coast of Greenland.

This is the Scottish version of the story of the highborn lady who runs away with the gypsies.