One of the most fascinating aspects of Scottish music in the eighteenth century is the extent to which traditional and classical music interacted. And by the early nineteenth century, Scottish songs had become popular in Europe too, and were being arranged by composers such as Haydn and Beethoven.

The performances on this CD honour that lively and sensitive interaction which, perhaps uniquely, gives expression to an ideal of social and artistic cohesion. This new recording is a fine addition to Alpha's Chants de la Terre series, devoted to pieces stemming from oral tradition that have had a considerable impact on the written repertoire and continue to enchant the ear.

Lively dances, played with joyful energy, exquisite Scottish airs, beautifully sung by the tenor Robert Getchell… Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien, led by Français Lazarevitch, take us once again into fascinating regions inhabited by grace and pure delight.