100 Scottish National Airs for William Napier - part 1 - 1792

By September, 1791, while in London, Haydn had met a music publisher named William Napier. Napier had already published (in 1790) the first volume of a projected set of Scottish National Airs with accompaniment of a violin and figured bass continuo. A pianoforte played the vocal line in the right hand and realized the figured bass in the left hand. In practice, a cello frequently sat in and helped with that, so essentially it was a very simplified piano trio.

Napier's project was sound enough, but he simply hadn't made the money needed to support the project, and in fact, was on the verge of going to debtor's prison. Haydn must have liked him, because he offered to 'harmonize' the one hundred songs for Volume II, free of charge! By May of 1792 the project was complete. Here are those first hundred Scots National Airs.

Wherever the poet was known I have included it. In some cases they were traditional poems, no author ever known. Hope the information is useful, but please, just don't call them 'folk songs'!   See the full story here

 

Hob 31	Title	Lyric	Key
a:001	Mary's dream	John Lowe	f#
a:002	John Anderson, my jo	Robert Burns	g
a:003	I love my love in secret	Robert Burns	G
a:004	Willie was a wanton wag	Allan Ramsay	C
a:005	Saw ye my father?	Robert Burns	D
a:006	Todlen hame	Anon.	A
a:007	Fy! gar rub her o'er wi' strae	Allan Ramsay	e
a:008	Green grow the rashes	Robert Burns	d
a:009	The Waefu' heart	Susanna Blamire	F
a:010	The Ploughman	Robert Burns	D
a:011	Barbara Allen	Sir Gilbert Elliot of Minto	d
a:012	Thou'rt gane awa' OR 'Had awa frae me, Donald	Anon.	A
a:013	Gramachree	"Said to have been written in Bedlam by a Negro" (Haydn's note)	Eb
a:014	This is no mine ain house	Anon.	Bb
a:015	Braw lads of Galla water	Anon.	D
a:016	O'er bogie	Allan Ramsay	g
a:017	I had a horse	Anon.	b
a:018	My boy Tammy	Hector Macneill	d
a:019	St Kilda song (By the stream so cool and clear)	Andrew MacDonald	F
a:020	Fy, let us a' to the bridal	Anon.	D
a:021	The Shepherd Adonis	Anon.	g
a:022	The White cockade	Robert Burns	D
a:023	The Lass of Livingston (Pain'd with her slighting Jamie's love)	Anon.	c
a:024	John of Badenyon	Rev. John Skinner	g
a:025	The Bonniest lass in a' the warld	William Hamilton	D
a:026	Duncan Davison	Robert Burns	C
a:027	Leader haughs and yarrow	Anon.	F
a:028	Up in the morning early	Robert Burns	g
a:029	Fife and a' the lands about it	Anon.	D
a:030	I'm o'er young to marry yet	Robert Burns	Bb
a:031	The Lea-rig	Robert Burns	F
a:032	Dainty Davie	Anon.	D
a:033	Pentland Hills	Anon.	F
a:034	Duncan Gray	Traditional (Anon.)	G
a:035	Maggy Lauder	Francis Sempill	Bb
a:036	How can I be sad on my wedding day?	Anon.	D
a:037	My Nanie, O	Robert Burns	c
a:038	Woo'd and married and a'	Anon.	d
a:039	Blue bonnets	John Walcot (Pindar)	C
a:040	The Wawking of the fauld	Allan Ramsay	D
a:041	John, come kiss me now	Anon.	Eb
a:042	Mount your baggage	Robert Burns	C
a:043	Ye Gods! was Strephon's picture blest	William Hamilton	D
a:044	Sleepy bodie	Anon.	F
a:045	The Gard'ner wi' his paidle	Robert Burns	A
a:046	The Brisk young lad	Anon.	g
a:047	Cumbernauld House	Robert Fergusson	Eb
a:048	O can you sew cushions	Traditional (Anon.)	G
a:049	Here's a health to my true love	Dr. Thomas Blacklock	b
a:050	Merry may the maid be	Anon.	d
a:051	The Mucking of Geordie's byer	Anon. (original version)	e
a:052	Tibby Fowler	Robert Burns	b
a:053	Love will find out the way	Traditional (Anon.)	A
a:054	Be kind to the young thing	Anon.	Bb
a:055	Cauld kail in Aberdeen	Alexander Gordon	D
a:056	Saw ye nae my Peggy?	Anon.	d
a:057	The Banks of Spey	Robert Burns	C
a:058	The Birks of Abergeldie	Robert Burns	b
a:059	The Bonny brucket lassie	Robert Burns	D
a:060	The Soger laddie	Anon.	Eb
a:061	Let me in this ae night	Anon.	d
a:062	When she came ben she bobbit	John Walcot (Pindar)	e
a:063	Hallow ev'n	William Hamilton	D
a:064	Young Jockey was the blythest lad	Robert Burns	a
a:065	Marg'ret's ghost	David Mallet	D
a:066	The Black Eagle	James Fordyce	f
a:067	How long and dreary is the night (Gaelic air)	Robert Burns	D
a:068	Blink o'er the burn, sweet Betty	Joseph Mitchell	Bb
a:069	Wat ye wha I met yestreen?	Allan Ramsay	Eb
a:070	My mither's ay glowran o'er me	Anon.	e
a:071	Young Damon	Robert Fergusson	Bb
a:072	Robin, quo' she	Anon.	G
a:073	Logie of Buchan	Anon.	g
a:074	Eppie Adair	Robert Burns	e
a:075	Widow, are ye waking?	Allan Ramsay	Eb
a:076	Whistle o'er the lave o't	Robert Burns	F
a:077	My heart's in the highlands	Robert Burns	Bb
a:078	Steer her up, and had ger gawin	Allan Ramsay	Bb
a:079	Jamie, come try me	Robert Burns	D
a:080	If a body meet a body	Robert Burns	G
a:081	McGrigor of Rora's lament (Celtic air)	Traditional (Anon.)	C
a:082	Willy's rare	Anon.	Bb
a:083	Bonny Lizae Baillie	Anon.	F
a:084	The Maid's complaint	Anon.	b
a:085	Oh, onochrie [Oh! ono Chrio] (Irish air)	Anon.	F
a:086	Maggie's tocher	Allan Ramsay	e
a:087	I dream'd I lay	Robert Burns	F
a:088	The Glancing of her apron	Anon.	D
a:089	O bonny lass (?Irish air)	Anon.	e
a:090	The Flowers of Edinburgh	Anon. (original version)	Eb
a:091	Jockie and Sandy	Robert Burns	G
a:092	The mill, mill O!	John Walcot (Pindar)	Bb
a:093	Shepherds, I have lost my love (Anna)	Anon.	D
a:094	Bonny Kate of Edinburgh	Dr. Thomas Blacklock	G
a:095	If e'er ye do well it's a wonder	Anon.	D
a:096	Peggy in devotion	John Walcot (Pindar)	C
a:097	Colonel Gardner	Sir Gilbert Elliot	Bb
a:098	To daunton me	Anon.	d
a:099	Jenny was fair	John Lapraik	Eb
a:100	Her absence will not alter me	Anon.	D