Glen Collection of printed music > Printed music > Choice selection of ancient and modern Scots songs

THE following
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obscrvaiions on the SeoHifli M usn by William Tyt l< r Hlq
have been thought too pertinent^ and Valuable, to be omitted as a prefa< e .
to the prefent Selection
As^ the Scottitli fbngs are the flights of genius-* devoid of art* they
bid defiance to artificial graces and affected cadences. A Scots long can .
only be lung in taste by a Scottifh voice. To a fwcet * liquid* flowing
voice* capable of IVelling a note from the fofteft to the fullcft tone* and
vhat the Italians call a voce di petto*, muft be joined lenfibility and feel
ing, and a - perfect understanding of the fubject and words of the
long* fo as to know the fignificant word on which to fwell or (often
the tone* and lay the force of the note. From a want of knowledge of
the language* it generally happens* that, to moft of the foreign matters*
our melodies* at first* must leem wild and uncouth* for which reason*
in their performance* they generally fall fhort of our expectation. We
fometimes* however, find a foreig'n matter* who, with a genius for the
pathetic* and a knowledge of the fubjcct and words* has afforded very,
high pleasure in a Scottish long, who could hear
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with infenfibility, or
without being moved in the greateft degree, Tenducci fing 'i’ll never
leave thee* or' The braes of Ballendine! or'will ye go to the ewebughts
Marion* fung by Signora Corri >
It is a common defect in lb me who pretend to fing* to affect to fmothcr
the words* by not articulating them* lb as we fcarce can find out either
the fubject or language of their long. This is always a 1 ign of want of
feeling* and the mark of a bad finger* particularly of Scottifh longs*
where there is generally fo intimate a correspondence between their air
and fubject. Indeed* there can be no good vocal music without it.
^The proper accompaniment of a Scottish fong is a plain* thin* dropping
bafs * on the harpfichord or guittar. The fine breathings* those heartfelt
touches* which genius alone can exprefs* in our longs* arc loft in a
noify accompaniment of inftruments. The full chords of a thorough bals
fhou 1 d be used fparingly, and with judgment not to overpower, but to
fupport and raife the voice at proper paufes .
W
where * with a fine voice* is Joined fome fkill and execution on either
of thofe i-nftruments * the air* by way of fymphony or introduction to the
fong, fhould always be first played over, and* at the clofe of every ftanza,
the last part of the air fhould be repeated, as a relief for the voict,which
it gracefully lets off. In this fytnphonic part, the performer may flu *
his tafte and fare y on the inftrument, be varying it ad libitum.
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A Scottifh for admits of no cadence ; 1 mean by this, no fanciful or
eapruiocis d*. : fi» uj oi thr i loir of the tune. There is one embcllilh
ho we*, '-r, ' *•. •> tjnger x* easily a exj uire * that is* an ealy Omf*
This.,while th** organs air 5 rvhl- in a young voire, may* with practice*!)!*
< a f'i ■ v alia in \ .