There is a strange foce at play here. Last night Billy Kay came to visit -
he is a writer and broadcaster on the Scots language and culture - and told
me about a radio series he is putting together for Radio Scotland - six half
hour programmes starting in April. It is about the relationship between
poets and songs. One programme is dedicated to Burns. I mentioned the
Balcarres version and played it to him. It was immediately accepted into the
programme. I shall play the four known versions of the tune. I shall also
play the original version of Ae Fond Kiss which James Oswald wrote and
described as being written by Rorie Dall, just as he claimed other of
compositions as being by Rizio - which gave an air of antiquity to his
publications, which therefore sold more copies. 'Flowers of the Forest' will
also be played from my CD, 'Flowers of the Forest', which is the earliest
setting for that tune. And some of the tunes mentioned by Fergusson. The
show is to be hosted by Sheena Wellington. I'll remind you when the
programmes start.
> [Rob, how about translating the "Hallow my Fancy" tune into
> normal music notation? I can't translate the tablature, and I
> need the tune for the song.]
I'll try and get round to it very soon. There was a version of it put
together by Kenneth Elliott (or Death Knelliott, as he is sometimes called)
with the words in his Music of Scotland, Vol 15 of Musica Britanica.
Rob
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