Old Photograph Thatched Cottage Island Of Mull Scotland

Old photograph of a thatched cottage on the coast, opposite the Isle of Iona, on the Isle of Mull, Scotland. Mary MacDonald, born 1789, died 1872, from Ardtun, a small settlement on the Isle of Mull, wrote a hymn to the traditional melody Bunessan, best known today as the tune of Morning has Broken. Morning Has Broken is now a popular and well known Christian hymn first published in 1931. It has words by English author Eleanor Farjeon and is set to a traditional Scottish Gaelic tune known as Bunessan, it shares this tune with the 19th century Christmas Carol Child in the Manger. Bunessan" had been found in L. McBean's Songs and Hymns of the Gael, published in 1900. Before Farjeon's words, the tune was used as a Christmas carol, which began " Child in the manger, Infant of Mary, " translated from the Scottish Gaelic lyrics written by Mary MacDonald. The English language Roman Catholic hymnal also uses the tune for the James Quinn hymns, " Christ Be Beside Me " and " This Day God Gives Me," both of which were adapted from the traditional Irish hymn St. Patrick's Breastplate. Another Christian hymn, " Baptized In Water, " borrows the tune. The song has been recorded by numerous artists, including Steven Curtis Chapman, Judy Collins, Michael Card, Floyd Cramer, Dana, Neil Diamond, Órla Fallon, Art Garfunkel, Ellen Greene, Esther Ofarim, Daliah Lavi, Joe Longthorne, Jojje Wadenius and Anni-Frid Lyngstad, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Nana Mouskouri, Aaron Neville, Kenny Rogers and the First Edition, Joseph McManners, Sister Janet Mead, Mary O'Hara, Demis Roussos, Third Day, Pam Tillis, Hayley Westenra, Roger Whittaker, 2nd Chapter of Acts, Libera Choir, Richard Souther and Dana Winner.



All photographs are copyright of Sandy Stevenson, Tour Scotland, and may not be used without permission.

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