Robert Burns songs re-recorded in their original, genteel context

Academics say arrangements for harpsichords, cellos and violas will not appeal to everyone, but that this is how they were meant to be heard

• Video: musicians perform ‘Does haughty Gaul invasion threat?’ as intended

Cautiously warning that they may not be to everyone’s taste, the University of Glasgow has recorded a collection of songs by Robert Burns as they would originally have been performed.

According to the university, the Scottish poet’s songs, written in the late 18th and early 19th century, were “tailored for the parlours of the middle classes”, and would have been performed in that setting on Baroque harpsichords, cellos and violas, rather than their more usual airing today; in a pub, accompanied by a violin or guitar.

Related: Would Rabbie Burns thrive in Nationalist Scotland? | Kevin McKenna

Continue reading...