TO THE TRUE LOVERS OF CALEDONIAN
Music and Song.
IT has long been a juſt and general Complaint, that among all the Muſic Books of SCOTS SONGS that have been hitherto offered to the Public, not one, nor even all of them put together, can be ſaid to have merited the name of what may be called A COMPLETE COLLECTION; having been publiſhed only in detached pieces and parcels; amounting however upon the whole, to more than twice the price of this Publication; attended moreover with this further diſadvantage, that they have been printed in ſuch large unportable Sizes, that they could by no means anſwer the purpoſe of being pocket-companions; which is no ſmall incumbrance, eſpecially to the admirers of ſocial Muſic.
To remedy theſe, and all other complaints and inconveniencies of the kind, this work, now before the public eye, has been undertaken, and carried on, Under the Patronage, direction, and Review of a number of Gentlemen of undiſputed taſte, who have been pleaſed to encourage, enrich, and adorn the whole literary part of the Performance. The Publiſher begs leave only to ſay, that he has ſtrenuouſly endeavoured, and will perſevere to exert his utmoſt ſkill and aſſiduity in executing the mechanical part of the work. And he flatters himſelf, that his laudable unremitted emulation to gain the public eſteem, will meet with the favourable regard of his obliging friends and generous Subſcribers. The Subſcription will be kept open, at leaſt, to the publication of the Second Volume: which was all originally intended; and which will be publiſhed as ſoon as the work can be executed, which is already in great forwardneſs. Each Volume contains ONE HUNDRED Songs, with the original Muſic, embelliſhed with Thorough Baſses by one of the ableſt Maſters. And beſides theſe hundred Songs, under the Muſic and Song inſerted in the reſpective titles at the tops of the page, the performer will frequently find two or three additional Sets of appoſite words to the ſame tune; adapted to the VOICE, HARPSICHORD, and PIANO-FORTE, &c.
It was intended, and mentioned in the Propoſals, to have adopted a Conſiderable Variety of the moſt Muſical and Sentimental of the Engliſh and Iriſh Songs; But this Scheme, not happening to meet with the general approbation, after ſeveral plates had been engraved for the purpoſe, it was determined, in compliance with what ſeemed to be the almoſt univerſal inclination of the Subſcribers, to poſtpone it for the preſent, with a full intention to reſume it afterwards, if it ſhall yet appear to be deſired and encouraged, in a third, or a fourth Volume.
In the meantime, it is humbly requeſted, if any Lady or Gentleman have any meritorious Song with the Muſic (never hitherto Publiſhed) of the true Ancient Caledonian ſtrain, that they would be pleaſed to tranſmit the ſame to the Publiſher, that it may be ſubmitted to the proper Judges, and ſo be preſerved in this Repoſitory of our National Muſic and Song, by their moſt
Obliged and Humble Servant,
Edinr. Bell's Wynd, May 22. 1787.
