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Fareweel to Tarwathie
Last updated: 11.10.23
I probably first heard "Fareweel to Tarwathie" from Brian Kelly as this song was played frequently in the Idle Fellows, my part generally being in providing a penny whistle accompaniment. I vividly remember hearing Judy Collins singing it most beautifully on Wally Whyton's Folk Music programme sometime in 1983.
I still sing this very beautiful and haunting Scottish sea song myself and in the past (1998) accompanied Steffi Lubrich, who you can hear on the MP3 link above, with my concertina.
Since writing the above in the late 1990's I have recently (August 2013) had the good fortune to have been invited to the 2nd Leserpromenade. There I sang this song on the Schulschiff Deutschland along with Off to Sea Once More and Whaling in Greenland to provide a musical background to the reading of Moby Dick by Egbert Heiß. A most enjoyable occasion!
In researching this song for the event, I learned that the text was written by the Scottish poet, George Scroggie, and published in his The Peasants Lyre in 1857. It is generally sung to the Scottish tune entitled Kennet's Dream. The version I sing has the same lyrics given in the lyric link above has just 5 verses that have been selected from the 16 verses written originally by the poet given in this link.
This song may be found in the Tyneside Maritime Chorus songbook
  Issue Instruments Performer
       
  DBE MP3 Sample    
audiodbemp315.gif Ditty Box Voice Steffi Lubrich
  Midi File(s)   Sequencer(s)
audiomidi15.gif Midi Frank Petersohn
     Performer CD Title Supplier
       
cd15.gif Ian Campbell Contempary Campbells CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif
cd15.gif Judy Collins Colors of the Day: The Best of Judy Collins CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif The Gaugers Awa Wi the Rovin Sailor CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif
cd15.gif Geoff Grainger Ditty Box dbe15.gif
cd15.gif The Herminas The Herminas dbe15.gif
cd15.gif Custer LaRue The Daemon Lover CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif A.L. Lloyd Leviathan! CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
cd15.gif Various Artists Scottish & Irish Sea Songs flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif
cd15.gif Starboard List Songs of the Tall Ships/Cruising Round Yarmouth CD(s) & MP3 Album(s) flag15us.gif flag15uk.gif flag15de.gif flag15fr.gif flag15ca.gif flag15it.gif flag15es.gif
     Title Performer Composer
       
youtube15.jpg Fareweel to Tarwathie (5:44) Judy Collins