Volume VI, song 577, page 596 - 'Bruce's address to his Army' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)

Verse 1: ''Scots wha hae wi' Wallace bled, 'Scots, wham Bruce has aften led, 'Welcome to your gory bed 'Or to victory 'Now's the day and now's the hour; 'See the front of battle lour see approach proud 'Edward's pow'r Chains and slavery.' The 'Scots Musical Museum' is the most important of the numerous eighteenth- and nineteenth-century collections of Scottish song. When the engraver James Johnson started work on the second volume of his collection in 1787, he enlisted Robert Burns as contributor and editor. Burns enthusiastically collected songs from various sources, often expanding or revising them, whilst including much of his own work. The resulting combination of innovation and antiquarianism gives the work a feel of living tradition. The melody used for these words is entitled 'Hey tuttie tattie' and is supposed to be as old as the Battle of Bannockburn (1314), described here. Certainly there were instruments capable of playing this tune as early as 1344, with King David II employing pipers at his court. The lyrics were written by Burns himself in honour of Scottish freedom. Nationalism in Scotland after the Treaty of Union in 1707 was starting to reassert itself during this century, although it remained fairly sporadic.

Collection

Scots Musical Museum

Inventory Number

4503772

Title

Volume VI, song 577, page 596 - 'Bruce's address to his Army' - Scanned from the 1853 edition of the 'Scots Musical Museum', James Johnson and Robert Burns (Edinburgh and London: W. Blackwood & Sons, 1853)

Object Type

PhysicalObject

Measurements

- 129 x 211 mm