Paul McClelland-1st Degree Burns (a tribute to Robert Burns) (Winter, 2008)

01. Scots, Wha' Hae
02. Ye Banks and Braes O' Bonny Doon
03. McPherson's Lament
04. The Winter it is Past
05. Wantonness
06. Silver Tassie
07. Now, Westlin Winds
08. Jamie, Come Try Me
09. Coming Thru the Rye
10. Dainty Davey
11. My Wife's a Wanton Wee Thing
12. Ye Jacobites by Name
13. Green Grow the Rushes-O
14. Auld Lang Syne
words and music by Robert Burns--(25 January 1759 – 21 July 1796) (also known as Rabbie Burns, Scotland's favourite son, the Ploughman Poet, Robden of Solway Firth, the Bard of Ayrshire and in Scotland as simply The Bard) was a Scottish poet and a lyricist. He is widely regarded as the national poet of Scotland, and is celebrated worldwide. He is the best known of the poets who have written in the Scots language, although much of his writing is also in English and a "light" Scots dialect, accessible to an audience beyond Scotland. He also wrote in standard English, and in these his political or civil commentary is often at its most blunt.

The beauty and scope of his poetry is personally astounding. For instance, in "The Winter it is Past", Burns addresses the age old question of never being able to predict the opposite sex:
"My love is like the sun in the firmament does run,
forever constant and true,
but her's is like the moon that wanders up and doon,
and every month it is new."
...and in one verse of "Green Grow the Rushes O", not only does he state that the Almighty Creator is in fact a woman, but "her practice hand, she tried on Man, then she made the lasses-o"
(Creating Man, a practice round. The Lasses, perfection.)

Two of the most important contributions from Burns is, 1st and foremost, his lyrics, which are among the most beautiful in the English language, addressing with precision such diverse topics as love, loss, societal status, slavery and the charms of nature. (Not to mention the erotic and quite bawdy verses in the little known collection "The Merry Muses of Caledonia")
But his 2nd contribution is that of a musical archivist. Burns would attach his lovely words to older Scottish airs, and in doing so, preserved the ancient melodies which otherwise might have been lost over time.

With all of this in mind, this collection of my favorite Robert Burns tunes came about in the late 90's, using my 4-track multitrack tape recorder. It was remastered in the winter of 2008 in time for what was to be the Bard's 250th birthday commemoration. Please enjoy often.