Episode 45: Auld Lang Syne

In the final episode of A Tisket-Tasket podcast for 2023, host Gina explores the history and cultural significance of the traditional New Year's song, "Auld Lang Syne." Starting the podcast as a means to cope with anxiety and depression related to chronic health issues, Gina reflects on 45 episodes and a conference presentation throughout the year. Delving into the origins of the song, which originated from a Robert Burns poem in 1788, Gina discusses its multiple Folk Song Index numbers and its adoption into various cultural traditions worldwide. The episode also features a retelling of the poem and a 1909 recording of the song, showcasing its enduring popularity. As we bid farewell to 2023, Gina expresses gratitude to the listeners and anticipates more intriguing explorations of nursery rhymes in 2024. #AuldLangSyne #NewYearTradition #NurseryRhymes #PodcastHistory #CulturalTraditions #GinaPodcast #FolkloreJourney #YearEndReflections 🎙️🎉

Transcript

Gina: 0:00

Hello everyone. And welcome to another episode of A Tisket-Tasketk podcast. I'm your host, Gina. This is my last episode of 2023. And I want to thank all of you for listening. I started this podcast back in January as a way to help my anxiety and my depression regarding my ongoing chronic health issues. I needed something to engage my love of learning. I had always been interested in the history of nursery rhymes, especially regarding both folklore and language. And, well, here I am. 45 episodes later, plus a conference presentation. Absolutely loving what I do. For this last episode of the year, I continued december's a theme of holiday rhymes or carols. And we end the year looking at the traditional new year's song, Auld Lang Syne join me and ringing out 2023 and embracing 2024. And this episode of A TIsket-Tasket podcast Odd thing. Sign has to route folk song, index numbers. 6,294. And 13,892. I'm not really sure why it's listed twice. And when I went through the database to try and find its alternative listing. I could only find it's listed 6,294 number. I wonder if the database was later reviewed and remove duplicates or perhaps the two were combined. But in any case, I'm not sure. This popular song is a famous Robert Burns poem. Written in 1788. The melody is based on an older Scottish folk song. And by 1799, the poem was officially set to the song. Not only is it played or song at midnight on New year's Eve. But also at funerals, graduations in other farewells. Further the phrase for is somewhat of a traditional poem. Trope used by other poets, such as Robert Aten, 1570 to 1638. Alan Ramsey, 1686 to 1757. In James Watson, 1936 to 2014 among others. More modern writers, such as Matthew fit 1968. Uses in the days of online design in the same manner as others would use. Once upon a time. In his Scott fairytale, retellings. Before I play the audio version of the song. I thought I might play a retelling of the poem. This is a recording. By library, vox.org. By Joseph Finkenberg. In 2009. You can find a link to the recording in my reference page. In General, the song's title means long ago. Or translated literally into old, long since. Four odd Lang Syne may also be translated to for the sake of old times. The song itself begins with the rhetorical question, asking if the old times should be forgotten. In the face of new memories or new friendships. Modernly only the first verse in chorus is song. ON Robert burns.org website. There is a short letter from Robert Burns to Mrs. Dunlop from December 17th, 1788. Where does said he penned the first version of his Palm. He writes. Your meeting, which you so well-described with your old school fellow and friend was truly interesting. Out's upon the ways of the world. They spoil these social offsprings of the year. To veterans of the men of the world would have met with little more heart workings than to old hacks. Weren't out on the road. Apropos, this is not the scotch phrase. Oddly anxiety, exceedingly expressive. There is an old song in tune, which has often thrilled through my soul. You know, I am an enthusiast in old Scott songs. I shall give you the verses on the other sheet. Uh, light speed. The turf on the breast of the heaven inspired poet who compose this glorious fragment. There is more of the fire of native genius in it than half a dozen of modern English. Bacchanalian. The website continues to describe the tune we know today came from John Playford's, who I've mentioned many a time in this podcast. Original Scotstoun in 1700. Although the website also claims that the tune was likely more than a half a century older than that. Quote four, it was the tune to which the antecedents. Burns' poems were written. In fact part of online zine appears in an anonymous ballot in Bannatyne manuscript in 1568, titled old kindness for yet. Which can be read in its entirety through my reference list. I mentioned earlier that sir, Robert Aten was credited with the ballot as well, which appears right around the times of James the sixth in England. If you'd like to follow the historical path of this ballad, which is kind of long and complicated, please visit Robert burns.org. It gives a much more, in-depth look into the poem as well as kind of its historical and etymological changes. There appears to be other versions of this song of the melody itself and maybe looking back, that's why there were two route folk song indexes for it. I'm not sure. But an American folk song collector, James made us in carpenter. Collected a different version in 1930. That can be heard on the Vaughan Williams Memorial library website, which is the same place that houses their route folks on index. In any case singing odd anxiety quickly became a Scott's new year's or Hagia money. Custom that spread to other British Isles after the 19th century. The most common use of the song. Only sings the first, first and it's chorus. Although you now have heard the poem in its entirety here. The song has been translated into standard English in the first verse in the chorus, which we usually hear is as follows. Should old acquaintance be forgot. And never brought to mind should old acquaintance be forgot. In online anxiety. For oddly anxiety, my dear for oddly anxiety. We'll take a cup of kindness yet for OD Lang sign. I am used to singing or hearing this song around Christmas times in new years. But in Scotland, people sing it in a hug of money. I hope I pronounce that. Right. Where people join hands in a circle around a dance floor. According to folklorist at the beginning of the last verse, which is in there's a hand, my trusty friend. And give me a hand of dine. Everyone crosses their arms across their chests so that the right hand reaches out to their neighbor. And then they rush into the middle of the dance floor as the song ends. This is kind of like a giant group hug, as I imagined it. There are apparently many other usage of the song outside of a new year tradition, including many non English speaking ones, which I was really surprised to see how long the list of non-English. Versions of Design there are, separate from the Scott's version, but this song is used in a lot of different traditional dances and moments, including weddings, which I thought was really cool. Usually ushering out the end of something and bringing in the new. So again, there are reports in non-English versions using like retail stores when the retail store is closed or at weddings or at funerals. And so I think it's really cool how this has been kind of reappropriated into. Other cultural moments. But in any case for your listening pleasure today, I will play a 1909 recording of the song. But before we get into that. I want to mention that this song has been recorded basically as soon as there was recording technology. There is an 1898 wax cylinder version recorded by Englishman Charles Samuel Myers and Alfred court Hayden, which was used to demonstrate wax cylinder recordings. So it's not an. Edison wax cylinder, but it is, around the same time. You can listen to this 1898 version. On the British library sound archives. I will be playing the first commercial recording by Frank C. Stanley. Which was recorded either in 1909 or 1910. There's a little dispute from that. It's kind of unclear. But in any case, let's go ahead and listen to this 1909 recording of Auld Lang Syne and well there, we have it folks, the history of Auld Lang Syne for me, it is the song of the new year. And traditionally the 1947 Decca record version is played every year in times. Square. That that would be in New York when the ball is dropped on the new year. But I hope everyone listening has a wonderful new years and may the upcoming year be an absolutely amazing one. This is Gina signing off for the last episode of a task at podcast for 2023. Tune in to 2024, where I continued to talk about the weirdness. Of nursery rhymes.

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