Loch Lomond (SATB)

This is an easy-to-learn SATB a cappella setting of Loch Lomond. "The Bonnie Banks o' Loch Lomond", or simply "Loch Lomond" for short, is a well-known traditional Scottish song first published in 1841 in Vocal Melodies of Scotland. The song prominently features Loch Lomond, the largest Scottish loch, located between the counties of Dunbartonshire and Stirlingshire. In Scotland, the song is often the final piece of music played during an evening of revelry (a dance party or dinner, etc.). The original composer is unknown, as is definitive information on any traditional lyrics. The lyrics most commonly known are not the original, which was based on a Jacobite lament written after the Battle of Culloden. The second verse goes as: "As weel may I weep, O yet dreams in my sleep, / we stood bride and bridegroom together, / but his arms and his breath were as cold as the earth / and his heart's blood ran red in the heather." There are many theories about the meaning of the song, most of which are connected to the Jacobite Uprising of 1745. This arrangement is based on what could be considered a combination of interpretations. After the 1745 uprising, the Hanoverian British victors were known to play cruel games on the captured Highlander Jacobites, and would supposedly find a pair of either brothers or friends and tell them one could live and the other would be executed. It was up to the pair to decide. For this interpretation, the song is being sung by a soldier who chooses to die to save the life of his friend. But with that decision, his true sacrifice is revealed, as he will not only lose his life, but his true love as well. Each of the main verses are sung to her. However, his refrain then turns back toward his friend whom he reassures by reminding him that they will both go back to Scotland...That he (his soul) will go on the "low road" and get back to Scotland first, whereas his friend and brother-in-arms would take the high road home that linked London and Edinburgh upon his release. The texture of this arrangement revolves around the concept of the traditional Loch Lomond melody being played or accompanied by Scottish bagpipes, which inherently provide a distinct and enchanting drone quality beneath the melody. In order to retain this feature and create interest and contrast between the very similar verse and chorus, the bagpipe’s presence is primarily featured on each statement of the chorus. All historical information from: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Bonnie_Banks_o%27_Loch_Lomond. The text is adapted from multiple sources.