Glen Collection of printed music > Printed music > Songs of Robert Burns

xxxvi BIBLIOGRAPHY
MDCCLXXXVI. i2mo. pp. 347. Inscribed to the Provost, Baillies, and Town
Council of Perth. The first handbook of songs with music printed in Scotland.
All preceding collections were 4to or folio size.
' The Scots Musical Museum, humbly dedicated to the Catch Club, insti-
tuted at Edin""., June, 1771. By James Johnson. Vol. i. Price 6s. [vignette
without border]. Edinburgh : Sold and subscriptions taken in by and for the
publisher, N. Stewart, R. Bremner, Corri and Sutherland, R. Ross, Edin''. and
all the music sellers in London.' Preface dated May 22, 1787. In the text
Burns is named once.
Vol. ii. has the same title-page as tha,t of vol. i. so far as the address at foot,
which is altered to ' Edinburgh : Printed and sold by James Johnson, Engraver,
Bells Wynd. Sold also by N. Stewart, R. Bremner, Corri and Sutherland,
R. Ross, C. Elliot, W. Creech, J. Sibbald, Edin"'. ; A. M«Gowan and W. Gould,
Glasgow; Boyd, Dumfries; More, Dundee; Sherriffs, Aberdeen; Fisher and
Atkinson, Newcastle; Massey, Manchester; C. Elliot, T. Kay & Co., No. 332
Strand ; Longman and Broadrip, No. 26 Cheapside, London.' Preface dated
March i, 1788. Burns is named once, and that in the Index.
Vol. iii. Same title-page as vol. ii, except that the vignette has an orna-
mental border surmounted by a thistle, and the address at foot is enlarged,
ending with 'J. Preston, No. 97 Strand, London.' Preface dated February 2,
1790, ends with ' materials for the 4th and in all probability the last volume are
in great forwardness.' In the Index Burns is marked as the author of six
songs.
Vol. iiii. has the same title-page as vol. iii. with the ornamental vignette as
above described, but with a changed address, which is ' Edin"". Printed and sold by
Johnson & Co., Music Sellers, head of Lady Stair's Close, Lawnmarket, where
may be had variety of music and musical instruments lent out, Tun'd and Re-
paired.' Preface is dated August 13, 1792. In the Index Burns is named as
the author of six songs.
Vol. v. The title-page is throughout identical with that of vol. iiii. as follows :
' The Scots Musical Mtisettm humbly dedicated to the Catch Club instituted at
Edinburgh, June 1771. By James Johnson. Vol. v. Price 6s. [Vignette with
an ornamented border surmounted by a thistle.] Edin"". Printed and sold by
Johnson & Co., Music Sellers, head of Lady Stair's Close, Lawnmarket, where
may be had variety of music and musical instruments lent out, Tun'd and
Repaired.' Undated [Dec. 1796]. Preface undated. In the Index only Burns
is named as the author of fifteen songs, one of which, however, is not his.
Vol. vi. and last is titled as follows : ' The Scots Musical Museum in six
volumes consisting of six hundred Scots Songs with proper Basses for the
pianoforte, &c. Humbly dedicated to the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland.
By James Johnson. In this publication the original simplicity of our ancient
national airs is retained unincumbered with useless accompaniments and graces
depriving the hearers of the sweet simplicity of their native melodies. Vol. vi.
75. Printed and sold by Johnson, music seller, Edinburgh, to be had at T.
Preston, 97 Strand, London ; MacFadyen, Glasgow, and at all the principal
music sellers.' Preface is dated June 4, 1803, and in the Index and Text Burns
is marked as the author of twenty-six songs. Each volume contains one
hundred songs. On the completion of the work in 1 803 the title-pages of the
preceding volumes were altered and made uniform with that of the sixth ; the
Prefaces were revised and corrected ; and under the titles in the Text of many
of the songs of vols. ii. to v. were added : ' Written for this work by Robert
Burns.' During his lifetime all the songs of Burns in Johnson's Museum were
published anonymously, except those marked in the Indexes referred to above.
A complete set of the original issues is very rare, and hitherto difficult to
recognize. During the long course of publication the title-pages of some of the
early volumes were altered more than once.