Where can you find the words to thousands of songs and poems?
A useful free database, The Lied, Art Song and Choral Texts Archive contains the words of thousands of songs.
Take the Romantic Scottish poet, Allan Cunningham, for example. (Well, today's his birthday, so it's a good day to focus on him!)
Allan Cunningham (1784-1842) was a bit of a prankster, to be honest. He invented some Borders songs for Cromek's collection called Remains of Nithsdale and Galloway Song. (He admitted this to close friends.) And he was thought to have done the same for his own larger collection, Songs of Scotland, Ancient and Modern. (This is a collection of poetry, not music.) Plenty of composers have drawn upon his lyrics, all the same. As you'll see in The Lied, Art Song and Choral Texts Archive. Here's his page.
Looking for Scottish verse? Allan Cunningham might not be quite what you're looking for, but you can find plenty of source-material at the Scottish Poetry Library. Here's their catalogue. Learn a poem, or set one to music.
- If you're using a poem as lyrics, do remember to check if the poet is still in copyright. Poets have feelings (and rights!), but they'll be flattered to be asked ...
NB this post is one of Whittaker Live's 'On this day' series about Scotland's song history.
Latest issue is out now (December 2011)
"New Poetry Titles, including a stunning new translation from Simon Armitage, the 20th Century in Poetry, and Douglas Dunn’s new pamphlet
Recommended titles for Burns Night and Scots Weeks projects and queries ...
… and a brand new free Handbook to download on easy ways to approach discussing poetry."
Scottish Poetry Library homepage
Thursday 6th October was National Poetry Day.
Have you come across the Scottish Poetry Library? Their website is appropriately named, Reading Room. Click the link to find out more.
5 Crichton's Close, Edinburgh EH8 8DT, tel 0131 557 2876 (main number)
http://www.readingroom.spl.org.uk
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Opening hours: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday 10-5; Thursday 10-7; Saturday 10-4; Closed Monday, Sunday
- National Poetry Day - 6th October
