From the NYOS website, with due acknowledgment |
A highlight of the programme will be Nicola Benedetti playing the Bruch Fantasia on Scottish Folksongs.
This favourite piece includes a tune called 'I'm a' doun for lack of Johnnie'. The tune first appeared in a mid-19th century Scottish songbook called Songs of Scotland. The commentary tells us it was a Highland melody, probably not very old, found and arranged by Finlay Dun. It had never been published before.
Does this mean Bruch had a copy of Songs of Scotland? Or did someone else pass the tune on to him? We can only speculate.
The Whittaker Library at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland is glad they've got copies of the songbook, in any case!
Vol.1, Songs of Scotland: Finlay Dun's setting |
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