Bells of Edinburgh On Caller Herrin' is composed for organ solo with optional 3rd hand. When performed solo, the performer is encouraged to freely incorporate the upper 3rd staff into the texture.

The piece is a fantasy on the 18th century Scottish fish-wives' street cry, Caller Herrin', composed by Nathaniel Gow (1763-1831) with words by Carolina Nairne (1766-1845).

I adopted the song’s traditional chorus and verse form to create a fantasy in four sections. Each section is introduced by what I hear as the “bell theme”, or the descending scale motive used for the verses of Caller Herrin’. Following the bell theme, we hear the melody of the chorus – each time in a new key and with a different personality:

Section 1 – Clean and simple: Measures 1-22

Section 2 – Calm and distant: Measures 23-45

Section 3 – Quasi Bagpipe: Measures 46-66

Section 4 – Grand Statement with bell coda: Measures 67-87

For example, see below the first two choruses and verses of Caller Herrin’:

Chorus (chorus melody)

Wha'll buy my caller herrin'?

They're bonnie fish and halesome farin';

Wha'll buy my caller herrin',

New drawn frae the Forth?

Verse (bell theme)

When ye were sleepin' on your pillows,

Dream'd ye aught o' our puir fellows,

Darkling as they fac'd the billows,

A' to fill the woven willows?

Buy my caller herrin',

New drawn frae the Forth.

Chorus (chorus melody)

Verse (bell theme)

Wha'll buy my caller herrin'?

They're no brought here without brave darin';

Buy my caller herrin',

Haul'd through wind and rain.