Old Songs of Skye

Ethel Bassin, well-known teacher and music festival organizer, spent her childhood in Edinburgh, and taught in Portree before going to Canada to lecture in the University of British Columbia on music methods. While there she wrote a number of playlets with English dialogue and Gaelic songs, which she produced at festivals. She then went to London to edit Rural Music, and returned in 1939 to the Hebrides, where she collected folksongs. Later she became Music Teacher at Dingwall Academy in Ross-shire and was still revising this book at the time of her death in 1974.

• Historical Foreword Dame Flora MacLeod of MacLeod Musical Foreword Frank Howes Introduction 1. Uiginish, Skye, 1840-4 2. Rudha an Dunain, Strontian, Bracadale, 1845-57 3. Edinburgh, 1857-8 4. Bracadale, 1858-62 5. Edinburgh, 1862-6 6. Portree, Nairn, North Uist, Contin, 1866-73 7. Cambridge, 1873-4 8. Coniston, 1874-95 9. Oban, 1895-1900 10. Oban, Edinburgh, 1900-7 11. Edinburgh, 1908-11: The Folk-Song Society 12. Edinburgh, 1907-15 13. Songs of the Hebrides 14. Dunvegan, 1915-26 15. Conclusion. Notes. Appendices A. Chronological Tables of the songs in the Journal of the Folk Song Society vol. iv, no. 16, London, December 1911 B. Songs which Frances Tolmie gave to Marjory Kennedy-Fraser C. Different Versions of A’ Bhean Eudach D. Remminiscences of Miss Frances Tolmie E. Frances Tolmie’s story, ‘Oirig and Gormul’. Index of Song Titles. Index to Persons

Review of the original publication:"..a most charming and satisfying story, copiously documented from primary sources, especially correspondence, as well as with the music of the airs and the words of the lyrics Frances Tolmie collected, arranged and put together during her long life…"J. M. Kirk