Cornkister
Encyclopedia
A Cornkister is a Doric
song, generally a comic song, written during the late nineteenth or early twentieth centuries, in the tradition of the Bothy ballad
s. The name refers to the cornkist, (corn chest), used to measure oats sufficient to feed a plough horse on the farms of North-east Scotland at that time. The reason for the association was that it was assumed that the singers -- or one of the listeners -- sat on top of the cornkist while singing and kicked their heels against it in time to the music. Nowadays most cornkisters are known via recordings made by entertainers of the 1920s and 1930s such as Willie Kemp
, G S Morris
or by later imitators such as Andy Stewart
.
While there is some overlap with the bothy ballads, in that they both often have the topic of farm life in the Northeast of Scotland, and that singers of one will generally sing the other, there is a difference in that the cornkister was more likely to be written for the music hall or for recording purposes, with the Beltona
record label in particular recording many pieces.
The most famous cornkisters are songs such as
but many others exist.
Doric dialect (Scotland)
Doric, the popular name for Mid Northern Scots or Northeast Scots, refers to the dialects of Scots spoken in the northeast of Scotland.-Nomenclature:...
song, generally a comic song, written during the late nineteenth or early twentieth centuries, in the tradition of the Bothy ballad
Bothy ballad
Bothy Ballads are songs sung by farm labourers, specifically in the northeast region of Scotland.Bothies are outbuildings on a big farm, where unmarried farm labourers used to sleep often in harsh conditions. In the evening, to entertain themselves they sang old songs and often composed their own...
s. The name refers to the cornkist, (corn chest), used to measure oats sufficient to feed a plough horse on the farms of North-east Scotland at that time. The reason for the association was that it was assumed that the singers -- or one of the listeners -- sat on top of the cornkist while singing and kicked their heels against it in time to the music. Nowadays most cornkisters are known via recordings made by entertainers of the 1920s and 1930s such as Willie Kemp
Willie Kemp
Willie Kemp, King of the Cornkisters, was born in Oldmeldrum in 1888 and died in 1965. He is best known as a singer and writer of Doric comic songs...
, G S Morris
George S. Morris (musician)
George Smith Morris, The Buchan Chiel, was born in Aberdeen in 1876 and died in 1958. He is best known as a singer and writer of Doric comic songs. His father was a farrier with his own business and in due time George too became a blacksmith...
or by later imitators such as Andy Stewart
Andy Stewart (musician)
Andrew "Andy" Stewart MBE was a Scottish singer and entertainer.-Career:The use of tartan patriotism and stereotypical Scottish humour goes back to Sir Harry Lauder and music hall songs. In the 1960s this strand was continued by the entertainer Andy Stewart.He was born in Glasgow, Scotland in...
.
While there is some overlap with the bothy ballads, in that they both often have the topic of farm life in the Northeast of Scotland, and that singers of one will generally sing the other, there is a difference in that the cornkister was more likely to be written for the music hall or for recording purposes, with the Beltona
Beltona Records
Beltona Records is a British record label founded in 1923, producing recordings 'of a mainly Scottish interest'. The company's early history began with 78rpm gramophone records of traditional Scottish music. They produced music common of the time, i.e. dance and barn music. Typical instrumentation...
record label in particular recording many pieces.
The most famous cornkisters are songs such as
- McGinty's Meal an Ale by George Bruce Thomson
- MacFarlane o the Sprotts o Burnieboosie by George Bruce Thomson
- A Pair o Nicky Tams by G S Morris
but many others exist.