Collecting Scotland- song until the 18th century

what evidence do we draw on to piece together oral culture frmo the Middle Ages

archaeological evidence and literary evidence give context to oral traditions and how they spread/ change

frmo carvings we can identify what instruments were popular and in what position they would be played

what was the Reformation’s impact on music in the 16th century

• in 1560 Scotland broke with the Papacy after growing support of the protestant cause

• the reformed church called itslef the Kirk and adopted a Calvinist doctrine

• they banned instrumental music in worship and discouraged unaccompanied songs

why do historians refer to ‘the long 18th century’

because it was a period of huge political, cultural, social and economic change

what two collection movements were evident in the 18th century

• antiquarianism

• romanticism

what drove antiquarianism

the urge to collect driven by fear of decay and deterioration due to decline of a more pastoral age

what was a flaw with antiquarianism

there was a large gap between the pbservers and the collectors

what did Jospeh Ritson say about oral tradition

• he saw it as corrupting to tradition

• he said it ‘cinverted gold into lead’

what characterised the romanticism movement

• it was an intellectual, literary and artisitc movement with links to ideas of cultural nationalism

what sources do we have for oral tradition and songs

• community

• chapbooks/ broadsides which were cheaply produced song books

• printed collections