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Songs. Musical compositions.

 Subject
Subject Source: Local sources
Scope Note: Musical compositions, typically relatively short, consisting of words, melody and, often but not necessarily, other elements of musical arrangement. The words, which may be sung with or without instrumental accompaniment, may be specific to the music, lyrics, or the music may be composed to accompany existing words, such as those of a poem.

Found in 411 Collections and/or Records:

Music book of James Robertson, with other music manuscripts of Margaret Robertson.

 Collection
Identifier: Acc.12304
Scope and Contents

Music book of James Robertson, containing some 260 Scottish fiddle tunes (some possibly from printed sources); volume of harpsichord music of Margaret Robertson; collection of reels and songs of Margaret Robertson.

Dates: circa 1770-1800.

Music book of John Thompson Smith containing dance and song tunes for the German flute, 1810, and at the back, for the Spanish guitar, 1826.

 Item
Identifier: MS.21754
Scope and Contents

Some music has been written in a later (possibly a child's) hand at folio 20.

Leaves have been torn out before folios 13, 22, 23, 26, and 28, and folios 13-19, 21-28 are blank.

Dates: 1810, 1826.

Music book of Leonora Grant consisting of leaves and gatherings of leaves containing dances, marches and songs, bound together inside a pair of hard covers.

 Item
Identifier: MS.21776
Scope and Contents The pieces are written in a number of different hands.Some of the pieces are dated 1842 (folios 34, 34 verso) and 1871 (folios 22 verso, 27, 28). Folios 52, 54, and 61-62 are watermarked 1862 and 1865 respectively.A sheet of paper containing a tune is stuck to folio 10 verso, and folio 59 consists of two leaves stuck together. Folios 1-8, 23, 29, 32, 63 and 71 are blank. A scrap of paper containing a tune formerly loosely enclosed has been tipped in at the back (folio...
Dates: 1842-1871, undated.

Music book of Leonora M H Grant containing songs arranged for voice and keyboard, and a few other pieces., 1842.

 Item
Identifier: MS.21766
Scope and Contents

The music book is inscribed (folio i) 'Leonora M H Grant from James Thomason. Calcutta. 1842'.

Dates: 1842.

Music book of M Carter, containing the words and melodies (occasionally with bass) of songs from late 17th- and early 18th-century operas.

 Item
Identifier: Adv.MS.23.1.20
Scope and Contents

Composers include Handel, Henry and Daniel Purcell, Pepusch, Leveridge, Carey, Hayden etc. The collection also contains English country dances arranged for violin, and scraps of poetry by Milton, Pope, and others. The name M Carter, and the date 1719 appear inside the front cover.

Dates: 1719-circa 1750.

Music book of Robert Kelsall, consisting of over 500 songs, and settings for fiddle, of a broad range of music., [Circa 1735-circa 1747.]

 Item
Identifier: MS.21716
Scope and Contents

The music book includes traditional material both English and Scottish, the works of Purcell, Pepusch, and Corelli, and those of slightly later composers such as Handel, Vivaldi, and McGibbon.

Robert Kelsall was apparently interested in trumpet music, for the volume contains numerous trumpet minuets, and a transcript of 'Trumpet tune' by Nicola Matteis.

Dates: [Circa 1735-circa 1747.]

Music book of simple treble notation, containing marches, dances and songs, which appears to have been owned successively by Francis and John Hughes, whose names are written at the front and back of the book respectively.

 Item
Identifier: MS.21751
Scope and Contents

Francis Hughes appears to have been the first owner and to have written most of the pieces; a tune apparently entitled 'March y[e] 21:' (folio 16 verso) is described as having been 'Perform:[d] at the Kings Coronation', apparently that of George III, in September 1761. The signature of John Hughes appears inside the back cover, and, dated 1768, at folio i (inverted). Most of the pieces at the back of the volume are religious. The book appears to lack a leaf before folio 1.

Dates: [Circa 1761-circa 1768.]

Music book of the daughters of James Douglas containing songs and dances from various countries., Early 19th century-mid 19th century.

 Item
Identifier: MS.21791
Scope and Contents

The music book contains a contents list at folio i and a note referring to a newspaper report dated 1852 at folio iv. There are references to a Mrs P Douglas at folios 1, 27 verso, and 50 verso. A leaf from another source watermarked 1811 is bound in at folio 56.

Dates: Early 19th century-mid 19th century.

Music book of unknown ownership containing operatic arias, Scottish and other songs, marches and psalm tunes.

 Item
Identifier: MS.21753
Scope and Contents

The paper is watermarked 1797 and the pieces appear to be written in a contemporary hand. An engraved preliminary leaf (with a large space for the owner's name, etc.) is at folio i. Leaves have been cut or torn out after folios i, 30 and 39, and folios 38 and 39 were formerly stuck together with wax seals.

Dates: [1797, or after.]

Music book, undated, compiled in the north of England, consisting of various gatherings of sheets bound together, containing dances, songs and marches (including a number of Scottish tunes), and some other music, all written in a number of hands.

 Item
Identifier: MS.21763
Scope and Contents

None of the pieces is dated, but some of the sheets have watermarks ranging in date from 1817 to 1825. The last third of the volume is blank.

Included are four unidentified sonatas for two flutes (folios 52-56).

Dates: 1st half of 19th century.

Music book, undated, containing simple arrangements for singing voice and piano, probably by Evelyn Stewart-Murray., Late 19th century-early 20th century.

 Item
Identifier: MS.14888
Scope and Contents

The music book is mostly blank. It contains two songs, beginning ‘Last night the nightingale woke me’ and “Souvenirs du jeune âge sont graves dans mon Coeur”.

Dates: Late 19th century-early 20th century.

Music books belonging to a member, or members, of the family of James Sanderson., 1856-1864.

 Sub-Series
Identifier: MSS.22165-22167
Scope and Contents

The music books contain settings of songs in English (including a few Jacobite airs) and several other languages, and were composed at various times between September 1856, when the family were at Ootacamund, and December 1864, after their return, or move, to Edinburgh.

Several of the song writers and composers are identified.

Dates: 1856-1864.

Music books of John Davidson containing parts of arrangements for string quartet of Davidson's own compositions originally for other combinations of instruments, of operatic and other pieces by various composers, and of some songs., [?1871-?1926.]

 Sub-Series
Identifier: MSS.22038-22041
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Series: John Davidson, a member of the family of J & A Davidson, coal merchants and shipping agents, Aberdeen, was an amateur musician and composer. His preferred medium appears to have been the string quartet, but he composed and arranged pieces also for other combinations of instruments, chiefly strings. A number of pieces appear in more than one form. The collection contains both full scores and parts.The earliest and latest dates discernible are 1871 and 1926, but almost...
Dates: [?1871-?1926.]

Music by Hungarian composers gathered, circa 1902-1921, by Emma Gruber, first wife of Zoltán Kodály.

 File
Identifier: MS.21579
Scope and Contents The contents are as follows:(i) Music by Emma Gruber herself, including 'Albumblatt', for piano, 1902; 'Märchen' for voice and piano, 1908, sketch only; the song 'Kicsi Viragom', undated, for voice and piano; drafts of several movements for string quartet, chiefly in score, though including a version of one movement for piano duet; and other unidentified scraps (folio 1);(ii) Pieces by Zoltán Kodály: Valsette for piano Op. 3, 1910; and a short piece for the collection...
Dates: 1902-1921.

Music for voices by G W Crawford., [?1892-?1941.]

 Sub-Series
Identifier: MSS.21920-21924
Scope and Contents From the Series: Most of the compositions of G W Crawford are written on a large scale and the collection consists chiefly of full scores, piano reductions and orchestral parts. There are very few drafts or sketches: almost all the compositions are in their final form, and many are in the hands of copyists. Most of the works are undated. Those dates that appear (usually on the last page or leaf) range from 1892 to 1941, but it is rarely clear whether these are of composition, revision or performance. Almost...
Dates: [?1892-?1941.]

Music manuscript sketch-book of Ronald Center containing on the versos of the leaves sketches of the 'Dies irae' from the Requiem, with drafts of other pieces., Mid 20th century.

 Item
Identifier: MS.22188
Scope and Contents

As well as the 'Dies Irae' (folio 1 verso; cf. MS.22173, folio 100 for the final version), there is also what appears to be a draft of a fugue in F minor, 4/4, for piano solo (folio 1); ‘Air’ (folio 8; cf. MS.22171, folio 1 for the final version) and ‘Cradle song’ (folio 10; cf. MS.22173, folio 119 for the final version).

Dates: Mid 20th century.

Music notebook.

 Item
Identifier: Adv.MS.5.2.11
Scope and Contents

The notebook contains:

notes on musical theory (folios 1-12 verso, 32 verso-33);

the common psalms tunes as in the psalter of 1625 with the addition of ‘Newtoun’, all in four parts (folios 13-25);

the proper tunes to psalms 119, 136 and 25, church part only (folios 27v.-29v.); and,

the song `Gather your rosebuds`, attributed to William Lawes (folios 30-31).

Dates: Circa 1700.

Music of John Davidson chiefly for string quartet., [?1871-?1926.]

 Sub-Series
Identifier: MSS.22022-22046
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Series: John Davidson, a member of the family of J & A Davidson, coal merchants and shipping agents, Aberdeen, was an amateur musician and composer. His preferred medium appears to have been the string quartet, but he composed and arranged pieces also for other combinations of instruments, chiefly strings. A number of pieces appear in more than one form. The collection contains both full scores and parts.The earliest and latest dates discernible are 1871 and 1926, but almost...
Dates: [?1871-?1926.]