paid professionals. Many Italians, such as Domenico Corri (1746-1825) and Pietro Urbani (1749-1816), were among the professional musicians specifically invited to the city in order to participate in the concerts, but their activities were not merely restricted to a weekly performance. Each also had an active life as a teacher of both keyboard and singing, and their students included both upper-class men and women. Relatively few amateur pianists were male although during the eighteenth century the majority of professional pianists were men as the rigours of the travelling virtuoso life were generally considered unsuitable for the gentler sex but singing was an extremely popular pastime, and many others played either the violin or cello.
alone) of the Scots songs contained within Johnson's volumes. Although often described as 'lazy' by Burns, Clarke's minimalist approach seems rather to have been a conscious stance in opposition to that of many of his contemporaries, who not only added opening and closing instrumental phrases to the songs, but arranged them for large instrumental groupings or with elaborate decorations. A statement inserted on the title-page of the sixth part of the series (1803), and subsequently reprinted on the title-pages of the earlier volumes reads: 'In this publication the original simplicity of our Ancient National Airs is retained unencumbered with useless Accompaniments & graces depriving the hearers of the sweet simplicity of their native melodies.' Such sentiments were common in the latter part of the century, probably because they attempted to preserve the performing traditions of the earlier part of the century, and it would seem that Johnson and Clarke made a clear decision to present their work in the traditional form of their homeland. This idea is supported by Burns, who again and again portrays Johnson as 'a Patriot for the Music of [his] Country', imploring Johnson to 'let us go on correctly; and your name shall be immortal'. Johnson, Burns and Clarke were all motivated by patriotic impulse rather than commercial gain, and to them this was the only justifiable approach.
O
ne of the most significant figures in the annals of Scots song was the Ayrshire-born poet, Robert Burns (1759-96). Burns' contribution to the development and redefinition of the repertory is the single most important influence on the profile and availability of these works today, and his sensitive approach to the relationship between poetry and music was undoubtedly the primary reason for their popularity within his own lifetime. Burns first met James Johnson (c.1750-1811), editor of the Scots Musical Museum (SMM), during a visit to Edinburgh in 1787. His interest in writing songs had begun as early as 1783, when he was only twenty-four, but the meeting with Johnson was to inspire the composition of many hundreds of songs during the remaining nine years of his life. Johnson's collaborator was the composer and musical editor of the SMM, Stephen Clarke (c.1735-1797). Clarke, a folk-song enthusiast, was regarded as the best organist of his generation in Scotland, yet provided the simplest possible arrangements (comprising melodies and figured bass
In June 1796, only a few weeks before his death, Burns wrote to Johnson, 'Your Work is a great one . . . I will venture to prophesy, that to future ages your Publication with be the text book & standard of Scotish Song & Music'. Such a prophecy was well founded; in 1794 Burns had already written to Johnson enquiring 'how many, & what are the songs Urbani has borrowed from your Museum', although other letters suggest that B u r n s h i m s e l f b o r r owe d t h e m u s i c a n d 3
Auld baudrans by the ingle sits, An' wi' her loof her face a-washin; But Willie's wife is nae sae trig, She dights her grunzie wi' a hushion; Her walie nieves like midden-creels, Her face wad fyle the Logan-water; Sic a wife as Willie had, I wad na gie a button for her.
The Yellow-hair'd Laddie In April when primroses paint the sweet plain, And summer approaching rejoiceth the swain. The yellow-hair'd laddie wou'd oftentimes go, To wilds and deep glens, where the hawthorn trees grow. There under the shade of an old sacred thorn With freedom he sung his loves ev'ning and morn; He sang with so saft and enchanting a sound, That silvans and fairies unseen danc'd around.
Hamilla Look where my dear Hamilla smiles, Hamilla, heavn'ly charmer! See how with all their arts and wiles, The loves and graces arm her! A blush dwells glowing on her cheek, Fair seat of youthful pleasure! There love in smiling language speaks, There spreads the rosy treasure.
The shepherd thus sang, Tho' young Mary be fair, Her beauty is dash'd with a scornfu' proud air; But Susie was handsome, and sweetly could sing, Her breath like the breezes perfum'd in the spring. That Maddie, in all the gay bloom of her youth, Like the moon was inconstant, and never spoke truth; But Susie was faithful, good humour'd and free, And fair as the goddess who sprung from the sea.
O fairest maid, I own thy power; I gaze, I sigh, and languish; Yet ever, ever will adore, And triumph in my anguish. But ease, O charmer, ease my care, And let my torments move thee; As thou art fairest of the fair, So I the dearest love thee.
That Mamma's fine daughter, with all her great dow'r, Was awkwardly airy, and frequently sour; Then sighing he wished would parents agree, The witty sweet Susie his mistress might be.
12
