Scots Musical Museum

Scots Musical Museum

The Scots Musical Museum was a major publication that had a pivotal role in the collecting and tradition of Music of Scotland. It was by no means the first collection of Scottish folk songs and music, but the six volumes, with 100 songs in each, collected more pieces, introduced new songs, and brought many of them into the classical music repertoire.

The project started with James Johnson, a struggling music engraver / music seller, with a love of old Scots songs and a determination to preserve them. In the winter of 1786 he met Robert Burns who was visiting Edinburgh for the first time, and found that Burns shared this interest and would become an enthusiastic contributor. The first volume was published in 1787 and included three songs by Burns. He contributed 40 songs to volume 2, and would end up responsible for about a third of the 600 songs in the whole collection as well as making a considerable editorial contribution. The final volume was published in 1803.

As well as collecting old songs, Burns wrote new words to old tunes, and many of the songs now attributed to Burns have older roots. Songs in the collection include "Auld Lang Syne", "Lord Ronald, my Son" (better known as "Lord Randal") and "My love is like a Red, Red Rose". Burns' songs include "The Battle of Sherramuir", "Scots Wha Hae", "Green Grow the Rashes, O", "Flow Gently Sweet Afton", "Ye Banks and Braes of Bonnie Doon", "Ae Fond Kiss", "Comin' Thro the Rye" and "John Anderson, My Jo".

The collection became popular internationally, and songs and tunes were arranged by composers such as Joseph Haydn and Ludwig van Beethoven. Burns collaborated with George Thomson in "A Select Collection of Original Scottish Airs", published from 1793 to 1818, which adapted Scottish folk-songs with "classical" arrangements. While this brought songs to new audiences, many of the songs and tunes continued in the folk tradition, both in Scotland and America.

External links

* [http://www.worldburnsclub.com/expert/burns_songs_an_american_connection.htm Expert Analysis: Burns Songs]
* [http://www.sc.edu/library/spcoll/britlit/burns/burns7.html Island 7: Burns and Scottish Song]
* [http://www.nls.uk/burns/mainsite/tam/tam.htm Robert Burns - Travels and Music]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем решить контрольную работу

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Columbian Museum — The Columbian Museum (1795–1825) was a museum and performance space in Boston, Massachusetts, established by Daniel Bowen, and continued by William M. S. Doyle. The museum featured artworks, natural history specimens, wax figures, and other… …   Wikipedia

  • Fife (musical instrument) — A fife is a small, high pitched, transverse flute that is similar to the piccolo, but louder and shriller due to its narrower bore. The fife originated in medieval Europe and is often used in military and marching bands. Someone who plays the… …   Wikipedia

  • Music of Scotland — A Pipe Major playing the Great Highland Bagpipe Scotland is internationally known for its traditional music, which has remained vibrant throughout the 20th century, when many traditional forms worldwide lost popularity to pop music. In spite of… …   Wikipedia

  • Robert Burns — infobox writer caption = Burns by Alexander Nasmyth, 1787 birthdate = 25 January 1759 birthplace = Alloway, Ayrshire, Scotland nationality = Scottish ethnicity = White movement = Romanticism deathdate = 21 July 1796 (aged 37) deathplace =… …   Wikipedia

  • Burns, Robert — born Jan. 25, 1759, Alloway, Ayrshire, Scot. died July 21, 1796, Dumfries, Dumfriesshire National poet of Scotland. The son of a poor farmer, he early became familiar with orally transmitted folk song and tales. His father s farm failed, and a… …   Universalium

  • A Red, Red Rose — My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose is a 1794 song in Scots by Robert Burns based on traditional sources. The song is also referred to by the title My Love is Like A Red, Red Rose or Red, Red Rose and is often published as a poem. Contents 1 The poem …   Wikipedia

  • Cock Up Your Beaver — Various types of beaver hats Cock Up Your Beaver is a song and poem by Robert Burns, written in 1792.[1] It was based on an older song, published as Johnny, cock up thy Beaver . It is widely claimed that this is found in The Dancing Master , a… …   Wikipedia

  • The Battle of Sherramuir — is a song written by the Scottish poet Robert Burns (January 25, 1759 – July 21, 1796) about the Battle of Sheriffmuir which occurred in Scotland in 1715 at the height of the Jacobite rebellion in England and Scotland. It was written when Burns… …   Wikipedia

  • George Thomson (musician) — George Thomson (1757 ndash;1851), born at Limekilns, Fife, Scotland, was a noted collector of the Music of Scotland and a friend of Robert Burns. He was clerk to the Board of Trustees in Edinburgh for sixty years. His A Select Collection of… …   Wikipedia

  • John Aitken (music publisher) — John Aitken ( c . 1745 – September 8, 1831) was a Scottish born American music publisher. Not much is known about his early life, but he seems to have been born in Dalkeith, Scotland around 1745. In October 1771, he arrived in Philadelphia via… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”