Originally published in 1810, The Forest Minstrel represents the first full collection of songs by Hogg. The items contained include some of his first compositions as a shepherd in Ettrick, while others originate from early contact with the literary culture of Edinburgh. This edition for the first time supplies musical settings for the majority of items, whereas in 1810 Hogg only nominated tunes by title. These settings are based on extensive research in relevant pre-1810 Scottish music books. As a result, the modern reader is given access to the tunes which originally formed an integral part of the songs. An Introduction describes Hogg's development as a song-writer and the musical context in 1810; while full annotation is provided on both the texts of the songs and the related tunes. Includes a CD The volume also includes a CD containing audio recordings of the seventy-two tunes which are provided by means of the notations.

Contributions by: Peter Horsfall