Album Summary: William Thomson's Orpheus Caledonius (1725) was a landmark publication; the first ever large-scale collection of "Scotch Songs" in print — 50 songs arranged with un-figured bass, most with lyrics from Allan Ramsay's Scots Songs and Tea-Table Miscellany, plus an appendix of melodic reductions. It was an instant hit and in 1733, expanded into 2 volumes with 100 songs. Indeed, Thomson's Orpheus set the standard format for Scots Song settings for the rest of the eighteenth century, including those of Robert Burns in The Scots Musical Museum. This ScotMus.com album is a faithful reprint of the song arrangements from the historic 1st edition of 1725.
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(2)
Now Bessie's Hair's like a lint Tap,
She Smiles like a May Morning, When Phæbus Starts frae Thetis' Lap, The Hills with rays adorning; White is her Neck, saft is her Hand, Her Waste, and Feet's fow genty, With ilka grace she can Command, Her Lips, o wow! they're Dainty. |
(3)
And Mary's Locks are like the Craw,
Her Eye like Diamonds Glances, She's ay sae Clean redd-up and braw, She kills when e'er she Dances, Blith as a Kid with wit at will, She Blooming, Tight, and tall is, And Guides her Airs sae gracefu' Still, Oh! Jove she's like thy Pallas. |
(4)
Dear Bessie Bell, and Mary Gray,
Ye Unco Sair oppress us, Our fancies jee between you twa, Ye are sic bonny Lasses; Wae's me for baith I Canna' gett To Ane by Law we're Stented, Then I'll Draw Cutts and take my Fate, And be with Ane Contented. |