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Above: Burns in Edinburgh, READING HIS POEM "A WINTER NIGHT" AT THE DUCHESS OF GORDON'S, 1887 by Charles M Hardie, A.R.S.A. (1858-1916)
Poems
Many of Robert Burns poems and songs have been further immortalized into Scottish Country Dances. See if your favorite poem is among these. And while you're perusing the repertoire, why not hear some poetry from the man himself.
Selected Dances
(click for more holiday folklore and background information)
Ae Fond Kiss
Kissing Day
The final letter that Robert Burns wrote to Nancy McLehose, with whom he had a brief affair, contained the famous song, Ae Fond Kiss. The poet penned it on December 27 1791, when MeLehose was about to depart for Jamaica to attempt a reconciliation with her husband, James. he song expresses Burns’s despair at the end of their relationship. They had first met four years earlier in Edinburgh when Burns was unmarried. The couple exchanged a series of love letters using the pseudonyms Sylvander and Clarinda. Written by Burns in Dumfries, the letter, now held by the National Library of Scotland, informs Nancy that he is sending her some recently composed songs.
Robert Burns Poems & Songs Dances Index
(click for dance description or cribs)
Dance | Type | Couples | Devisor | Source | Link Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
A Man's a Man for a' That | Strathspey | 3C/4C | Drewry | Silver City | Coming Soon |
A Man's a Man for a' That | Strathspey | 3C/4C | Wilson | RSCDS XXX | |
A Rosebud by My Early Walk | Jig | 4C | Drewry | Coming Soon | |
Ae Fond Kiss | Reel | 6C | Stoddard | Pinewoods 3 | Coming Soon |
Auld Lang Syne | Strathspey | 3C/4C | Wilson | RSCDS XXVII | |
Auld Lang Syne | Jig | 2RR | Boehner | Cameo 20 | Coming Soon |
Awa', Whigs, Awa' | Reel | 3C/4C | Foss | Song Tunes | |
Ca' the Ewes tae the Knowes | Strathspey | 2C/4C | Wilson | RSCDS XVI | |
Clarinda | Strathspey | 4C | Lyon | White Rock 55 Anniversary | Coming Soon |
Cock up your Beaver | Jig | 3C/4C | Mitchell | Whetherly 12 | Coming Soon |
Craigieburn Wood | Jig | 3C/4C | Mitchell | Whetherly 16 | Coming Soon |
Dainty Davie | Strathspey | 3C/4C | Walsh | RSCDS XI | |
Deuks Dang Ower my Daddie | Jig | 2C/4C | Rutherford | RSCDS XIX | |
Duncan Davidson | Strathspey | 4C | Mitchell | Whetherly 16 | Coming Soon |
Duncan Gray | Reel | 3C/4C | Drewry | Rondel | Coming Soon |
Farewell the Bonnie Banks of Ayr | Reel | 3C/4C | Skelton | Pink Book | Coming Soon |
Fete Champetre | Jig | 3C/4C | Thompson | Whetherly 24 | |
Green Grow the Rashes | Strathspey | 3C/4C | Johnson | RSCDS XII | |
Gude Ale Keeps the Heart Aboon | Reel | 3C/4C | Fuell | Flying Ghillies 3 | |
Halloween | Jig | 3C/4C | Mitchell | Whetherly 17 | |
Here's a Health to Him That's Awa | Jig | 3C/4C | Murray | Here's Health | Coming Soon |
Here's to the Health | Reel | 4C | Mitchell | Whetherly 17 | Coming Soon |
Highland Mary | Jig | 3C/4C | Hamilton | Let's All Dance 2 | |
Jean Armour's Reel | Reel | 3C/4C | Johnstone | Three Scottish Country Dances | Coming Soon |
John Barleycorn | Jig | 3C/4C | Bond | Second Sheaf | Coming Soon |
Kenmure's on and awa' | Jig | 2C/4C | null | RSCDS IV | |
Lassi Wi' The Lint-White Locks | Strathspey | 2C/4C | Priddey | Sutton Coldfield | Coming Soon |
Linkumdoddie | Reel | 5C | Drewry | Rondel Bk | |
Logan Braes | Strathspey | 3C/4C | Bond | Second Sheaf | Coming Soon |
Mally's Meek, Mally's Sweet | Strathspey | 3C/4C | Fuell | Flying Ghillies 3 | |
Mary Morison | Strathspey | 3C/4C | Drewry | Brodie | |
My Heart's in the Highlands | Strathspey | 2C/4C | Fuell | Flying Ghillies 3 | Coming Soon |
My Jo | Strathspey | 2C/4C | Goldring | 15 soc | |
My Love she's but a Lassie yet | Reel | 2C | RSCDS 101 | Coming Soon | |
My Love she's but a Lassie yet | Hornpipe | Goodloe | Step Dance Book 2 | Coming Soon | |
My Love she's but a Lassie yet | Reel | 2C/4C | RSCDS IX | Coming Soon | |
My Tocher's The Jewel | Jig | 3C/4C | Ross | Song Tunes | |
My Wife's A Winsome Wee Thing | Jig | 3C/4C | Moretti | Pinewoods 2 | Coming Soon |
No Churchman Am I | Jig | 3C/4C | Mitchell | Whetherly 19 | Coming Soon |
O for Ane & Twenty | Jig | 3C | Coming Soon | ||
Oh, Whistle and I'll Come Tae Ye, My Lad | Jig | 3C/4C | RSCDS XXIV | Coming Soon | |
Polly Stewart | Reel | 3C/4C | Mitchell | Whetherly 12 | Coming Soon |
Pretty Peggy | Reel | 3C/4C | Mitchell | Whetherly 12 | Coming Soon |
Pretty Peggy | Reel | 2C/4C | Bell | Ness House 1 | |
Rantin' Rovin' Robin | Strathspey | 3C/4C | Drewry | Spring 88 | |
She's Fair And Fause | Jig | 2C/4C | Foss | Rose Collection | Coming Soon |
Soldier's Return | Reel | 3C/4C | Skelton | Celeb | Coming Soon |
Tam Samson's Elegy | Strathspey | 4C | Karwelis | Pleasure Company | Coming Soon |
Tam o' Shanter | Reel | 3C/4C | Barnes | Let's All Dance 2 | Coming Soon |
Tam o' Shanter | Jig | 2RR | Keppie | Burns' Night | |
Tam o' Shanter | Jig | 4C | Coming Soon | ||
Tam o' Shanter | Reel | 3C/4C | Priddey | Tam O'Shanter | |
The Banks O'Doon | Strathspey | 4C | Currie | ||
The Banks of the devon | Jig | 3C/4C | Foss | Coming Soon | |
The Birks of Abergeldie | Reel | 3C/4C | RSCDS IX | ||
The Braw Wooer | Jig | 3C/4C | Drewry | Rondel | |
The De'il's Awa' Wi' The Exciseman | Jig | 4C | Mitchell | Whetherly 1 | |
The Fete Champetre | Jig | 4C | Priddey | Golden Oriole | Coming Soon |
The Mauchline Lady | Reel | 3C/4C | Wolf | Rowan Tree | |
The Red Red Rose | Strathspey | 3C/4C | Drewry | Silver City | |
The White Cockade | Reel | 3C/4C | Preston | RSCDS 5 | |
To A Mouse | Reel | 3C/4C | Boehmer | Cameo 14 | Coming Soon |
Up in the Morning Early | Jig | 3C/4C | Young | 18 Century | Coming Soon |
Wandering Willie | Jig | 2C/4C | Attwood | Alexander 7 | Coming Soon |
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