1. Reading between the lines:
interpreting compilers'
intentions
Scottish Musical History Lecture 5 (18 April 2013)
Dr Karen E McAulay

2. The story so far …
• Celtic song collections quite often have introductions or
commentary which can tell us a lot about the compilers’
attitudes and priorities
• We can often deduce how they regarded their country’s
cultural history, eg
• Politics
• Provenance of songs
• Interaction with or influence of literary trends, eg
• Bards and minstrels
• Authenticity
• Fakery
• ‘Discovered’ manuscripts

3. If we examine a songbook …
• What kind of things would we look out for, in a historic
songbook?
• (1) On the title page

4. If we examine a songbook …
• What kind of things would we look out for, in a historic
songbook?
• (2) Is there a subscribers list?

5. If we examine a songbook …
• What kind of things would we look out for, in a historic
songbook?
• (3) Is there a contents page?

6. If we examine a songbook …
• What kind of things would we look out for, in a historic
songbook?
• (4) Is there a preface?

7. If we examine a songbook …
• What kind of things would we look out for, in a historic
songbook?
• (5) Are individual songs annotated?

8. If we examine a songbook …
• What kind of things would we look out for, in a historic
songbook?
• (6) Can we say anything about the accompaniment?

9. If we examine a songbook …
• What kind of things would we look out for, in a historic
songbook?
• (7) Are particular instruments specified?

10. Cultural History Through
National Song
• (Handout)

11. Putting theory into practice
• Let’s look at some songbooks!

12. An interesting aside
• Songbooks have all this interesting paratext.
• Fiddle tunebooks tend not to? (Though there are exceptions,
like the Macdonald collection.)
• Does this suggest the fiddle books have a more utilitarian
purpose? Whereas songbook compilers have the urge to
educate/ inform?