many are dance tunes, and some, we candidly confess, appear to us to be nondescripts of no great merit, and occasionally not very intelligible. Mr Dauney has given us the MS. almost exactly as it stands, and we think he was right in doing so, though the consequence is, that a good deal of alloy is mixed with the finer metal which composes it. Of the Scottish melodies now for the first time intro. duced to our acquaintance, we may particularly name three, which appear to us to possess peculiar beauty or interest. We refer to the airs which are entitled "Peggie is over ye Sie wi ye Souldier," " My Love shoe wonnis not her away," and "I will not goe to my bed till I suld die." Having given what we fear is an imperfect account of this MS., but such as we hope will induce our readers to look into it for themselves, we proceed to offer some observations as to the elementary principles on which the peculiar character of Scottish music may be considered to depend. The melodies of Scotland, as is obvious, on a very slight examination, are not all of them of the same character. Even where we cannot draw a distinction in point of known antiquity, we see some of them that have all the aspect of modern compositions, while others present us with passages of melody to which we are elsewhere unaccustomed, and which have a wild and strange, though, in general, also a pleasing and touching effect. "The Lass of Patie's Mill," for instance, is not known to be a modern air, but, if presented to us for the first time, with out information as to its history, we might pronounce it to be beautiful, but we should not conjecture it to be ancient. Others of the Scotch airs are in a different situation, and would strike us, even without explanation, as different from the compositions of modern masters, and as the probable growth of another age, or country, or system, from our own. On these facts, it comes to be a question, What are the essential peculiarities into which this singularity of effect can be analysed where it occurs? And, perhaps, a second question arises, How far the absence of those peculiarities is demonstrative of a recent origin in the airs in which they do not occur? The most ingenious theory, perhaps, for the solution of the first of these questions is one which has been suggested in various musical publications, but of which the fullest view is to be found in a "Dissertation concerning the National Melodies of Scotland," prefixed to the edition of Mr George Thomson's collection of 1822, and which is generally considered as the production of a musical critic and amateur of well-known talent and intelligence. Supported by such authority, this theory is entitled to the utmost attention; and it has certainly the further recommendation of great simplicity, if, in such a complicated subject, a simple explanation is likely to be a true and complete one. It resolves into these propositions, as expressed in the words of the Dissertation referred to: "that there is but one series of sounds in the national scale, upon which every ancient Scottish air is constructed, whatever may be its varieties, either of mode or of character." "This national scale is the modern diatonic scale, divested of the fourth and seventh," there being "no such thing in the national scale as the interval of a semitone." It is said to appear, from a careful examination of the whole body of our national music, that "every air (with a very few exceptions), which is really ancient, is constructed precisely according to this scale, and does not contain a single note which is foreign to it; excepting, only, in the case of those airs (which are few in number) of which the series has occasionally been altered by the introduction of the flat seventh." The supposition that the fourth and seventh are absent in the Scottish scale, is supported in the Dissertation we have referred to, by several arguments of considerable plausibility. In particular, it is noticed, that in some nations instruments have existed in which the intervals in question were wanting; and a good many Scotch melodies are analysed and presented in a simple form, according to which they appear to be constructed out of a series of notes in which those intervals do not occur. But, in our opinion, this theory is opposed by many powerful considerations. On the one hand, there is no evidence that there ever existed in Scotland any musical instrument defi cient in the fourth and seventh of the is made in the Dissertation in question, to maintain that the flat seventh is a modern innovation: but this opinion seems scarcely to be insisted in with any seriousness, and could not be adopted on solid grounds, or without overturning all our ideas of Scottish melody. This qualification alone, then, would go far to break in upon the supposed scale. But the exceptions to the theory under consideration, extend greatly beyond even this class. Many undoubted Scottish melodies possess both the fourth and seventh, and still more of them exhibit one or other of those intervals. He would be a bold theorist who would deny the genuine origin of the " Broom of the Cowdenknows." But that air has both the fourth and seventh of the key, and the fourth is a note of peculiar emphasis. We could not, without presumption, dispute the authenticity of " Ca' the Ewes to the Knowes," in which the seventh is introduced with a beautiful effect; or of the " Souters of Selkirk," in which the fourth is an important feature in the melody, while the occurrence of the seventh, at the close, is one of its most striking peculiarities. Again, there is a large class of airs, in which both the second and third of the minor key are to be found co-existent, in direct contradiction to the theory referred to. "Jenny Nettles,” “Katharine Ogie,” “Logan Water," are striking examples of this common peculiarity, and must either. be held destructive of the theory, or must be violently deprived of the status of genuine and ancient melodies, of which they have enjoyed the undisturbed possession, ever since we know any thing of them at all. The result, then, seems to be, that although the fourth or seventh of the key are absent in certain Scottish airs, we are only entitled to say that this is an occasional peculiarity in the structure of our music, and not that it is an essential or invariable peculiarity, or that all those airs are spurious, or cor.. rupt, to which that category is inapplicable. But further, the mere omission of one or more intervals gives but an imperfect explanation of the characteristic features of the Scotch airs. They are not more distinguished by the general progression of the melody, than by the closes to which the melody is brought, and which, under the limited theory we have been "They were doubtedly very ancient. noticing, are left to be considered as We think that a new and most valuable light has been thrown upon this question by Mr Finlay Dun's "Analysis of the Scottish Music," to which we have already adverted. Mr Dun observes with truth, that "we cannot say, with our present scanty information upon the subject, what the Scottish scales originally were. But we know to a certainty what the tunes are that have been handed down to us." He has, therefore, commenced his essay by an analysis of ancient Scottish airs, with the view of tracing their peculiar features, before attempting to explain them. Mr Dun's examples are taken chiefly from the airs in the Skene MS., although he informs us that these tend merely to corroborate the ideas which he had previously adopted from a minute analysis of those common melodies which have been transmitted by tradition. On an examination of their prevailing modulations and cadences, Mr Dun has been led to the conclusion that our characteristic melodies are of an ́cient date, and are, for the most part, regular compositions, according to the laws of melody which were then in force. Those laws are illustrated by a reference to the chants of the Church, composed according to what are known as the ecclesiastical modes, which may be thus explained in Mr Dun's words:" The arrangement or disposition of the sounds composing the scales upon which these chants were constructed, was made according to the natural or diatonic order of progression, without any accidental alterations of flats or sharps, that is, from D (the first mode) upwards to its octave above: from E, F, G, A, and B in like manner; employing, in short, in all these scales the same sounds as the moderns do in the scale of C major (which was also among the number), but beginning the series from D, E, F, G, A or B, according to the mode." These modes are un We shall not enter into detail on this subject, but shall content ourselves with saying that the examples given by Mr Dun, from ancient chants, appear to us strongly to confirm his proposition, that "in the character of the melody, and in the peculiar cadences upon various sounds of the modescadences initial, medial, and final strong points of resemblance may be traced between the ancient Canto Fermo of the Romish Church, and a number of the Scottish airs, particularly those of a graver cast.' It is obvious how comprehensive an explanation is thus afforded of the peculiar structure of Scotch melodies. It not only reconciles to a general principle the cadences which otherwise appear anomalous, but it shows the origin, also, of those omissions in the scale which the other theory is intended to account for. Although in the ancient music the various major and minor keys of modern times were not properly established, yet as the sensibilities of the human ear are, in all ages, substantially the same, there must have been from the earliest period a tendency to run into the same series of sounds with which we are de. lighted at the present day. In the different ancient modes, accordingly, impressions would come, in a great degree, to be produced, corresponding to those of the major and minor keys, which are now founded upon the several initial notes from which the modes proceeded. Thus there would be a disposition in the mode of D to run into the sounds which we now use in D minor, and in the mode of F into those which belong to the modern key of F major. The circumstance, however, that the ancient modes were all framed upon the notes which occur in the diatonic scale of C major, made it necessary often to avoid those intervals that were inconsistent with the general impression of the several modes. Thus, in the mode of F, the natural B, or fourth of the mode, would frequently be a disagreeable note, and there being no flat B in the scale, that interval would come to be often omitted. Again, in the mode of G, the natural F, or seventh of the scale, would be omitted for the same reason, except in those cases where it could be made subservient to a pleasing and peculiar modulation. In this way the frequent omission of the fourth and seventh in Scotch music is accounted for, and the occurrence of the flat seventh is, at the same time, explained, as well as many other peculiarities of structure. The theory which we first noticed has been familiarly illustrated by saying, that the Scottish scale is to be found in the black notes of the piano-forte, which exhibit the key of F sharp deficient in the fourth and seventh, which, in that key, are found in the notes of B natural and F natural. The theory now submitted to consideration, supposes the Scottish scale to be comprised within the white notes of the instrument, which afford one perfect scale in the key of C, while the other keys or scales are, according to modern ideas, deficient or peculiar in certain respects, according to their several positions in the general scale. Thus, the key of D is a minor key, but has a sharp sixth and flat seventh. The key of F major has only a sharp fourth, a note rarely admissible in vocal music. The key of G has only a flat seventh, and the key of A minor has both the sixth and seventh flat. It is important to observe that the airs in the Skene MS. confirm the views above submitted. They contain numerous instances of semitonic intervals, inconsistent with the idea of their being systematically constructed according to a rude scale in which those intervals were wanting. They are generally, however, reducible to the more comprehensive principles which we have endeavoured to illus trate. We have also, with reference to these views, gone over the original volume of Thomson's Orpheus, and the result of our examination is that out of fifty airs which it contains, only about half-a-dozen are defective, both in the fourth and seventh. Ten of them contain a flat seventh in the major key, and the whole of them, abating here and there a stray appoggiatura of the editor's, are referable to the system of modes, with this exception, that, in minor keys, the ascending sixth and seventh are generally made sharp-a feature which does not radically affect the structure of the melody, and which we know, from historical evidence, to have been a modern innovation. If it were necessary to account for the influence of the ecclesiastical modes upon Scottish music, it might not be difficult to do so. The power of the Church, built as it was upon truth and knowledge, and extended by policy and superstition, was not less considerable in Scotland than in other countries. Our ecclesiastical architecture shows the tendency of our churchmen and their patrons to cherish the arts of refinement; and, if music was cultivated by them in any proportional degree, the influence of their style would extend through all ranks of society. Even the perversions of the system might tend to a similar result. If we suppose the reality and frequency of such scenes as are described in the "Freiris of Berwick," where the hospitality and example of Symon Lawder draw forth the convivial talents of his clerical guest "They sportit thame and makis mirry cheir With sangis lowd, baith Symone and the Freir" we can easily conceive the foundation of a school of parody, where the ecclesiastical Cantus would soon be converted into excellent drinking songs. But, in truth, we do not know that the Scottish music is derived from the ecclesiastical: we only see that it resembles it. For ought we can tell, our own system may be, not the daughter, but the sister or cousin of the other. Neither must it be thought that a correspondence in the scales of the Scottish music and the ecclesiastical modes, while it proves the antiquity of our national melodies, deprives them of their title to originality. What is thus accounted for is only the scale itself and its general laws. These, as Mr Dun observes, supply merely the colours with which the artist is to work. All that gives expression or beauty to the composition must come from the individual composer. "The Scottish music has measure, rhythm, accent, besides a very peculiar manner or style of performance. The Canto Fermo had none of these." It remains to advert to a question which we formerly proposed on this subject, how far, namely, the absence, in any air, of the striking peculiarities of structure above noticed, is demonstrative of its recent origin. This question is attended with difficulty. But we would say that so long as an air could be reduced to the diatonic key of C, without any modulation requiring notes extraneous to that key, we have no right to infer that it is not ancient, if it has been handed down to us by immemorial tradition. We have many regular airs for whose antiquity we have the same, or nearly the same, evidence as for others of a more peculiar character. Thus the air of "Alace that I came o'er the Moor," as given in the Skene MS., has much of the polish of a modern composition. "The Lass of Patie's Mill,' ‚"«The Bush aboon Traquair," "The Bonny Boatman," "An thou wert mine ain thing," which have all a character of much regularity, are given in the first edition of the Orpheus as the compositions of Rizzio, and this may at least be received as evidence that they were then reputed to be ancient. Goldsmith, in one of his essays, tells us that Geminiani was of opinion that the Scotch music was of Italian origin; and although this evidence does not go far back, and we are not bound to adopt Geminiani's conjecture, it tends to show that a large proportion of regular airs were considered to be mixed up in the general body of our national melody. We have no grounds for concluding that they were derived from Italian models, as we know little of the early history and diffusion even of national Italian music. But we have no precise right to limit the powers of ancient melody except, at least, to the boundaries of its own established scale. Compositions might be made at a very early period, on the mode of C major, which would be little distinguishable from modern airs. Mr Dun has, in the plates accompanying his Essay, given us a specimen of the Ambrosian chant of the year 400, which presents us with an exquisite strain of melody, that has no peculiar character of antiquity except its simplicity. We cannot infer that Scottish composers might not, in like manner, at a very early period, have composed melodies such as those we have above re. ferred to, and which, it will be observed, are all confined within the limits of one diatonic key. To illustrate the views which we have submitted, we think it may be curious and interesting to go over the different scales, as they occur within the peculiar range we have describedthat is, on the notes of the diatonic of C, or white notes of the piano-forte -and to point out one or two airs, which may be adapted to each of them. In the key of C, "The Lass of Patie's Mill," "The Yellow-haired Laddie," "Saw ye my Father," Jenny's Bawbee, or any other of our airs, that are composed on what a modern ear would consider a more regular plan. In the key of D minor, "Ca' the Ewes to the Knowes," "My boy Tammie," "Brose and Butter," "Peggie is over the Sea," (from the Skene MS.), all of which illustrate, in different ways, the peculiarities of this singular and beautiful mode. In the key of E minor, "The Mucking of Geordie's Byre," a pleasing and peculiar air, which wants the second of the key. In the key of F major, any air, defective merely in the fourth of the scale, such as "Fye let us a' to the Bridal," as given in the "Orpheus Caledonius," and "Alace that I came o'er the Moor," as in the Skene MS., or even its modern representative, with the omission of a single grace note. In the key of G major, any air deficient merely in the seventh, such as "An thou were my ain thing," "Auld Rob Morris," or, on the other hand, any air exhibiting a flat seventh, such as "The Fowers of the Forest,' either the old or new set, where that peculiarity has a plaintive effect; or the tune of " Pease Strae," where its comic. On G minor we may arrange occurrence is extremely quaint and the air of "Adew Dundee," as given in the Skene MS.; which, although will, when thus set, exhibit no flat the signature of that key is two flats, note whatever, the B never occurring at all in the melody, and the E occurring only in its natural state. minor we may adapt a great number To A of Scotch airs, such as morning early," "Katherine Ogie," Up in the and "Logan Water." All the arrangements, it will be observed, have the character or impression of the different modern keys we have mentioned, and yet require no notes that are On the mode of B it would be diffinot to be found in the key of C major. cult to compose any effective air, and no example of it occurs to us. 66 |