Seventy Scottish Songs

The arrangements in this compilation are for piano, but other instruments are easily improvised in or can take a certain section in the piano part. That's the music portion (and I love how well it underscores the voice parts), and has some great ones like Loch Lomand (the one that goes 'you take the high road, and I'll take the low road'; I remember it from all the Looney Toons cartoons :-)), Blue Bells of Scotland, Flow Gently Sweet Afton, and Auld Lang Sine. The better part about Hopekirk's book is that she tried to preserve the language in the lyrics. One may not understand what the song is about for that, so that's what the guide in the front does for you...a dictionary of sorts. There is also a good introduction to the music she chose to include, a bit of history on a few of the songs. I wish there were a few more historical notes, but I suppose there are other books for that.

Helen Hoepkirk's collection first appeared in 1905 published by the Boston firm of Oliver Ditson. Hopekirk composed music, but she was better known as one fo the foremost Scottish pianists of her time. She was born in Edinburgh in 1856, and brought her love with her to the US. So it is a delight for people interested in Scottish music, and many of the lesser known songs are gems.Thankfully Dover has rescued it and made it available, as they do with so many treasures.

Originally compiled by Helen Hopekirk in 1905, and reprinted in 1922, this collection of Scottish folk songs is a must have for anyone interested in the folk history of the Scottish people. Hopekirk provides information about how and where she came across these songs, giving a wonderful ethnographic picture of a world 100 years gone-by. I came across this collection while searching for the music for Mairi Bhan Og (Fair Young Mary), a beautiful Scottish love song, to use at my wedding. A must-visit website for anyone interested in Scottish, Irish, Welsh or English folk music is Lesley Nelson's Website .... Complete with lyrics and high quality MIDIs of hundreds of songs, there is also an excellent Bibliography to such collections as this Helen Hopekirk's Seventy Scottish Songs.