William Thomson (musicologist) facts for kids

William Thomson (who lived from about 1695 to 1753) was a Scottish musician. He was famous for collecting and singing folk songs. He helped share Scottish music with many people.

Who Was William Thomson?

William Thomson was an important figure in Scottish music history. He was known for his singing talent and for creating a special book of Scottish songs. This book was the first of its kind to include both the words and the music for these songs.

Early Life and Musical Start

William Thomson was likely the son of Daniel Thomson, who was a trumpeter for the King in Scotland. From a young age, William showed musical talent. When he was just a boy, he sang at a concert called The Feast of St. Cecillia in 1695. This shows he started his music career very early!

Becoming a Popular Singer

Before 1722, William Thomson moved to London, which was a big city for music and entertainment. He became a well-known singer there. In 1722, he even had his own special concert, called a benefit concert. This type of concert helped the performer earn money.

William became quite a popular singer. He dedicated his book of songs to Caroline of Ansbach, who was the Princess of Wales. Many important and famous people subscribed to his book, meaning they paid for it in advance. This shows how well-regarded he was at the time.

Collecting Scottish Songs: Orpheus Caledonius

William Thomson became the first person to gather and publish a collection of Scottish folk songs along with their melodies. This was a big deal because it helped preserve these songs for future generations.

What Was Orpheus Caledonius?

His famous book was called Orpheus Caledonius, a collection of the best Scotch songs set to Musick. It was first officially recorded on January 5, 1725. The first book was quite large and contained 50 songs with their tunes. It also included simple musical parts to go with them. Later, a second, two-volume edition was released, adding another 50 songs.

Why Was It Important?

These two editions of Orpheus Caledonius are very interesting and valuable today. They give us a look into the popular Scottish songs of that time. Even though some people, like Sir John Hawkins, had criticisms about the collection, it was still a groundbreaking effort. It helped show the beauty of Scottish folk music to a wider audience.

A Look at the Songs

The words for many of the songs in Thomson's collection came from another popular book. This book was called Tea-Table Miscellany, published in 1724 by Allan Ramsay. So, Thomson took the words from Ramsay's book and added the music to them, creating a complete songbook.