Mapping Changes to the Songs in The Gentle Shepherd, 1725-1788

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Examines the varying ways in which the songs in Allan Ramsay's ballad-opera The Gentle Shepherd were published between the 170s and the 1780s, noting variation in how particular songs were titled, in which songs were included and how they were placed within the dramatic text, in which tunes were used for which song-texts, and in how words were related to music in editions providing both. The discussion is supported by extensive tables and lists of 18th century Ramsay editions, and illustrated with transcriptions of the music in two editions. Concludes that the addition of the music in later editions served over time to stabilize the placement of the songs within the dramatic text. .
Original languageEnglish
Article number7
Pages (from-to)103
Number of pages126
JournalStudies in Scottish Literature
Volume46
Issue number2
Early online date18 Dec 2020
Publication statusPublished or Performed - 20 Jan 2021

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