Singing a 17th Century Scottish Song and Playing Harmonium
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- Опубликовано: 10 фев 2025
- I’ve been pretty tired this past couple of weeks, so here's an impromptu performance of the historical song "The Lowlands of Holland" played on the harmonium with singing.
No fancy editing, no fancy mics, just one take of practicing this song which I learned a day prior to recording. Enjoy!
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I've been feeling pretty tired this past couple of weeks, so here's an impromptu performance of "The Lowlands of Holland" played on the harmonium with singing.
No fancy editing, no fancy mics, just one take of practicing this song which I learned a day prior. Enjoy!
Some extra context about the performance:
I started playing harmonium when I was 9 or 10 years old. I learned it because of kirtan at the spiritual and meditation centre I went to with my father many Sundays. Until a few weeks ago, I hadn’t touched a harmonium in about 7 years, but it’s this common thread that has run through many major parts of my life. I felt drawn to share this intimate moment when I was rehearsing a new song in my kitchen I recently learned.
This is a (most likely) Scottish traditional song called “The Lowlands of Holland,” said to have originated during the Anglo-Dutch Wars in the 17th century, though it is also well-known throughout Ireland and England. The Ye Vagabonds version is one of my favourite songs.
When I was 18 I was houseless for a year and often lived in my car, and I would busk playing harmonium and singing. Now in my late 20s, the harmonium feels like a recollection of the full spectrum of my memories, some of the most blissful and also scariest times, acting as a sort of northern star.
I’m a professional singer and used to perform a couple of days a week before everything in our world changed a few years ago, so it feels wonderful to slowly get back into practicing music again. I started working on an EP 5 years ago and it’s actually nearly complete but I’ve had to shelve it for some years due to major life transitions and financial instability. I’m really hoping to release it next year once I have the ability to get into a better financial situation and finally save up the last bit of money.
Also, this is a new linen/cotton dress that I just finished hand-stitching last month! It’s based off a 1485 shift but I modified the sleeves with a fun little ties system to help create more texture to the garment 🥰 It took about 50 hours to make and it was worth every minute.
Thank you for sharing this part of your life.
It's a lovely song.
Thanks for sharing this intimate moment with us, Vasi.
Beautiful song and performance! Thank you! I didn't know what a harmonium was, so I had to look it up. I'm pretty sure I've heard one before, but I never knew what it was called.
The pandemic has been particularly hard on performing artists. I know someone who is a singer and she is still struggling to rebuild her career to where it was before everything shut down. I'm sorry you had to go through that, too. I'm glad you are getting back into music again, though. The world needs artists and performers. ❤
My family is from Galloway and my grandpa sang old songs and did gigs❤
That was a beautiful read
Hope ur doing ok
There is something so deep and soulful about Scottish music from the past.
The fact that it's recorded in one take, in a room of your home, with no processing or other production niceties makes it all the better.
I'd love to learn more about the harmonium. Good second-channel content maybe? Cheers Vasi :)
At least worth a video of its own!
A beautiful rendition to be sure. Truly a woman of many talents!
A dear friend once told me "if you have a song in your heart you must sing it" Thank you Vasi for sharing what was on your heart
I'd love to see more videos of you singing folk songs.
You have a lovely speaking voice, so we shouldn't be surprised that you have an equally lovely singing voice. It is an especially wonderful performance given that you have not been feeling well and that it was done in one take without fancy editing and the fact that you only learned the song a day prior.
That was hauntingly sad and beautiful. You have a beautiful voice, thank you for singing this for us. 🥀
This is so very beautiful. Your performance here is technically skilled to be sure, but what touched me most is how honest it felt. It felt like it was watching you really feel in your body how much you connect with the act of singing. I hope this comment doesn't read as too cringe, but I guess that's the risk one takes with being sincere! 😅 Thank you for sharing your music 💜
Beautiful. I didn’t know I needed this, this morning. But I did. ❤
Just lovely, Miss V. Brought tears to my eyes. And that new dress is very nice. The color is great on you. Hope you are getting rest and feeling better. Thank you for sharing!
Absolutely beautiful, it made me tear up. I've known only slightly different versions, I guess more modern phrases, but this version is really beautifully written written. Thank you V 😘
This is so lovely! The whole picture - the green shift, the ornate frame in the corner, the harmonium - is strangely entrancing! And you sing in such a captivating way!
I’ve loved that song since I first heard it as a teenager. I’m now a great-grandmother!
What a wonderful morning treat!😀
The whole atmosphere of the video is simply delightful and refreshing! 🌞🌱
Some delineations:
The dress is so lovely.💚
Your immaculate & understated grooming "vibes" so well with your instrument, clothing, and decor.🐝
The harmonium and your singing complete the illusion of an old painting brought skillfully to life.🌻
your skill and excellence of various recording and editing techniques are essential to share this lovely song.😀🌟🎉
There's more to notice, I am sure, but, these are the ones I perceive at the moment.
Thank you again for sharing 💚🌻
Wow! Your voice is absolutely amazing. Thank you for sharing
So amazing! Could you do a video showing us more of your harmonium
Your voice reminds me a bit of Dolores O’Riordan 💕 You truly are incredibly talented in many areas! Hope you continue to thrive and enjoy life ✨
Wow! What an incredible performance. I listened to this on repeat while writing on a book. My hat is most certainly off!
Thank you for this! I love Scottish songs so much, and you sang and played this one beautifully!
I wish I could like this twice. Every layer to your life is absolutely fascinating and amazing to read in your own words, about learning and resilience. I do kirtan at my spiritual center every Saturday and I've never heard harmonium not used in chant. Very cool.
You can like a video twice. Just need two RUclips-accounts. (But honestly, too much a hassle for exceptional cases).
Ok I didn’t see the full title when I clicked this and I assumed it was gonna be informational so what a surprise when I click and there’s just straight up music 🎶 😂
What a bop. Great job.
Thanks!
This is so cool. I study Indian classical music and have accompanied North Indian folk/spiritual musical performances with the harmonium since I was a kid. Even after knowing that the harmonium was an import to India, I am still so unfamiliar with the instrument being used outside of South Asia.
Beautiful song and playing. Thank you :)
Just...wonderful! You are fantastic ♥
Wonderful! Now I want to learn to play the harmonium.
Beautiful Vasi!! Thank you for sharing this lovely song and harmonium music! It was perfect coming straight from you and your home! Loved it!!
Today i have watched a utube upload on thatching roofs & making lye from ash, and now your beautiful song,sung with no effort and playing a near on extinct musical instrument,while also wearing a handmade dress that took you 50hrs to sew...
That is what is failing dramatically in our mainstream society & education system.. all these wonderful talents and almost forgotten arts and workmanship are being left behind and not taught as deemed not inkeeping with todays world...well i feel incredibly strong that your wonderful talents (as you have many) and those ive mentioned should be in the curriculum and taught today.
Thank you V for sharing all of your wonderful talents with us as making a platform for the potential for others to follow in your foot steps.
I hope you manage to feel stronger soon, i have issue with my white blood cells so i fully understand what you are feeling like.
Take care.
This recording is a gift to us, thank you so much!
Thank you Vasi for gifting us today.
Well, from a musician to another : looking forward to the EP =)
Beautiful.
That was lovely! Your heart is so beautifully evident in everything you do!
Your voice is absolutely wonderful.
I would love to hear so much more of your singing.
Plus: That chemise dress is stunningly beautiful. I love the texture and the green.
Beautiful Vasi! Very beautiful singing!
A hauntingly beautiful and mournful song. Lovely job.
I’m crying… it was beautiful! Thank you! ❤
Beautiful both the performance and the shift ❤
This is absolutely beautiful. Thank you for this.
Wow! Brava! What an amazing interpretation. Absolutely beautiful.
Absolutely beautiful!
Beautiful!
Beautiful, Vasi! But so sad 😢
Beautiful, simply beautiful
That was lovely. I love your gentle, yet supported, sound. I hope you are feeling better soon. I'd love to see a video about the instrument and how you came to learn to play it. Be well, friend.
Multiples talents. Bravo, sacrée harmonie dans tous les sens. Impressionnant chère demoiselle. Salutations distinguées
Wonderful music! There's a number of beautiful Irish, Scottish & Welsh folk music from the 16th to 19th centuries I've come across in the last year or so, but I haven't heard this one before.
Thank you for honoring my Scottish ancestry, one truly precious gift from one stranger to another. Bless you.
this is so beautiful!!!
Beautiful, just beautiful!
Oh I was hoping you’d start posting some singing V. Beautiful.
So beautiful!
Beautiful!
And this beautiful green piece! So wonderful! I wonder if you could teach us how to make something similar? I’ve been meaning to sew a similar one for myself inspired by Albrecht Dürer…! 💚
Thank you!
Breathtaking ! Wow
how wonderful! thanks for sharing!
Yay!
You're a beautiful musician, Vasi. My maternal heritage is Dutch and there is an old foot "pump organ" here that my Mom used to play often. One of the pedal straps is broken, but I think I may be able to mend it with a heavy duty backstitch. Gonna try. If that doesn't work, will have someone in to fix it, if I can find anyone! Thank you for sharing.
And you played that harmonica like it was nothing. 👏👏👏
Beautiful song, beautiful performance, and beautiful dress.
💛
So beautiful ❤
Vasilisa!! Girl of many talents! Breathtaking 💔
Lovely!
Wow, so beautiful!
Beautiful 💙
I love this
Very beautiful song ❤ It reminded me of Jackie by Sinead o Connor. Would love to hear more.
Awww, this is such a sad but pretty song.
The true angel of music 🎶 😇
This song sounds somewhat familiar. Reading the video description that it was also known in Ireland I guess I must have heard a version by The Dubliners, to which I listened a lot.
amazing
Holy moly! You have a Harmonium??? AND can use it? Wow.
I like to imagine myself, lighting a cigar or sipping on my scotch, listening to my wife sing a song just like this.
Very nice!
Liked, shared and commented
Very nice...the first part reminds me of "the willow garden"
Lovely.
I love your voice and performance!
Would you happen to have sheet music or even just chords for this?
I love the melody and I think it would make for a really cool orchestration.
I like that instrument 😄
Lovely
💜
More please
❤
Vasi, thank you for this beautiful rendition. Hope your energy will pick up soon. Any B12 or Iron deficiencies ? Take care !
We totally need a tutorial for that dress
Atāahua! (Te Reo Māori for beautiful. The English didn't cut it for me).
❤
Amazing!
The language is very interesting. I imagine this is kinda what english sounds like to people who don't understand it.
Very good very good madam very good❤
👍💕
😀
Cursive singing
Uau uau uauq
I love this. It's just a bit hard to understand you--perhaps a little more enunciation?
The next steps are to 1) find a man of virtue and marry him, and 2) have children and place your efforts into raising responsible and virtuous children along with supporting your husband-That’s what women of the time period you celebrate (with their clothes and other institutions) would be telling a woman or virtue and character to be doing with her time.
And what about you? What do you celebrate with the clothes you wear? I am assuming it's a contemporary style, so exploitation of workers, over production, poluting the ocean with micro plastic?
Enjoying one part of any given time periode does not mean you stand behind everything that happened at said time. There has not been a time when everything was perfect and I doubt there ever will be. So, let people wear what ever style makes them happy.
Lovely!
Beautiful! Thank you for sharing.
Beautiful!
So beautiful!