'Caledonian Pocket Companion, The'

James Oswald (1711 — 69) began life as a dancing master at Dunfermline, but having won attention by a Collection of Minuets published two years before, moved to Edinburgh in 1736. He found it difficult to earn a living there, however, and in 1741 emigrated to London. His departure drew a poetic lament from Allan Ramsay, alleging that Edinburgh's loss was London's gain. In London, Oswald wrote music for a number of plays, and published, among other works, Twelve Songs (c.1742), Six Pastoral Solos for a Violin and Violoncello (c.1745), airs for Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter (c.1747) and Twelve Seranatas [sic] for two Violins and a Violoncello (c.1765)

Burns took seven airs from the Caledonian Pocket Companion and from Oswald's Curious Collection of Scots Songs (1740): for 'It is na, Jean, thy bonny face'; 'Anna, thy charms my bosom fire'; 'You wild, mossy mountains'; 'If thou should ask my love'; 'O were I on Parnassus' Hill'; 'the Lovely Lass of Inverness'; and 'Go fetch to me a pint o' wine'. He thus fulfilled his prophecy made in a letter to James Johnson from Ellisland, probably written in the early summer of 1791: '... I was so lucky lately to pick up an entire copy of Oswald's Scots music and I think I shall make glorious work out of it'.

He added: 'I want much Anderson's Collection of strathspeys, and then I think I will have all the music of the country.'