Scots Wha Hae is the best choice for national anthem

I used to attend annual Burns suppers of the Edinburgh Burns Club, presided over by the late Reverend Alan Cameron. These would finish with the singing of Scotland’s national anthem, Scots Wha Hae and Scotland’s international anthem Auld Lang Syne. Both are (rightly) attributed to Robert Burns and in both cases he made use of older material.

On May 8, 1429, Joan of Arc made her triumphal entry to the City of Orleans, after the English siege of that city was ended by forces she led, to the tune we now know as Scots Wha Hae. Scots had helped her and the Bishop of Orleans, one of the defenders of the city, was a Scot.

READ MORE: Here’s why Auld Lang Syne should be our new national anthem

The French military still use that tune on ceremonial occasions as the March of the Soldiers of Robert Bruce (Marche des Soldats de Robert Bruce), as that had been a tune used by the Scottish army at Bannockburn in 1314.

In 1314 it was the tune of a drinking song which our soldiers used. Robert Burns used the tune and put to it words based on the reported address by King Robert Bruce to his troops before the battle. Burns used the title Bruce’s Address for the song but it is popularly known by its first words, Scots Wha Hae.

The Scottish Students Song Book of 1897 includes Scots Wha Hae to represent Scotland in its “Songs of the Nations” section. I believe that Scots Wha Hae is and should remain our national anthem but if the Scottish people were to choose Auld Lang Syne that would be OK by me.

David Stevenson
Edinburgh

NAW, naw! A dinna want a sadly battered, worn-out version o Auld Lang Syne – belangin the warld – as our national anthem.

Our anthem shouldna mynd us o the weys the wark o our national bard hes been ersed about by fella Scots “improvers”.

Jennifer Rodger, yer BBC source wes faur frae “comprehensive” an it didna tell ye the tune nou kent as “Auld Lang Syne” wes no the tune Burns set his immortal wirds til. (Verses o his makkin the lykes o Mary Morison, Ae Fond Kiss an My Luve is like a Red, Red Rose got thair original tunes usurped tae – bi sindrie hauns.)

Rabbie set “Should auld acquaintance be forgot” tae an auld air kent thon tyme as “Auld Lang Syne”. A nummer o Scots poets hed penned wirds til the tune afore his tyme.

Burns sent his set tae George Thomson, an Embro music publisher, that he wes helpin, athout remuneration, tae pit thegither a “select” collection o Scots Sangs. Eftir Burns dee’d, Thomson decided tae prent anither melody alangsyde a wee thing shouggled version o Burns’ text – the lyke o “my jo” wes nou “my dear” an “fitt” wes nou “foot” an he chynged the order o the verses.

The tune nou cairryin the verses wes a vogie Strathspey fund in maist contemporary collections o Scots Dance Music unner ump – teen nems (the earliest researched is The Miller’s Wedding frae 1759 ).

Tamson hed this tune merked “Cheerily” an it wes tae wun public preference an tae tak the auld tune (whit wes merked “moderate time”) ‘s nem.

Burns hed compared his sang tae a Bacchanalian an monie commentators sinsyme follaed – seein it as a drinkin sang.

Nou, some singers hae gaein back tae the original version and discovered a sang o deep felt nostalgia. Sae a braw sang, but no an anthem.

Reid Moffat
Fawkirk

I TOTALLY agree with Jennifer Rodger that Auld Lang Syne should be our national song. Can you imagine it being sung at a full house at Murrayfield followed up with the pipe band coming in?

This song is known right round the world and what a way to put Scotland on the map. Other countries would give their right arm to have this song as their own and I’m sure Rabbie himself would be very proud of it being used.

Our current national anthem is nothing but a dirge, a folk song written in the early seventies, and anyone with an ear for music knows that it sounds terrible played on the bagpipes. Auld Lang Syne for me, bring it on.

J McDonald
Isle of Skye

REFERENCE my “hysterical” letter (Letters, August 13). I referred to only one view David Roche held concerning a majority of English people living in Scotland who would “vote a Unionist ticket” and which would not be of any surprise to him. That was his view as stated. I made no reference to a referendum outcome. That was his summation. I have no prejudice whatsoever, inverse or otherwise, to anyone living in a country not of their birth, particularly in Scotland as is my choice as stated.

READ MORE: Letters, August 13

As for Scots living overseas against their will, I presume he was referring to those forced to leave Scotland during the Clearances more than 200 years ago, and of which I have read about substantially, thus allowing me some clear thinking about Scotland, in especial its history.

I will make one apology to him regarding assumptions however, as we all live in a democratic, free-speaking country.

Alan Magnus-Bennett
Fife