Day 279: 12 Scottish Songs, 12 Verschiedene Volkslieder

BeethovenCD84I know what Scottish songs are. But I have no idea what Verschiedene Volkslieder are. I’m guessing it’s German, and something to do with songs of the people (“volks”).

So I Googled it. The word Volkslieder means “folks songs.”

The phrase Verschiedene Volkslieder means something like Songs from Different Nations.

Therefore, the second 12 songs on today’s CD are an assortment of folk songs from various countries.

The first half (“12 Scottish Songs”) is okay. But they seem like church hymns. Or what a group of upper-class people would sing. Not folk songs in the traditional sense. Here. Listen to a few examples:

This one is the opening track, a song called “The Banner of Buccleuch”:

This one is Track Five (“Cease Your Funning”):

The songs are okay. But nothing I’d listen to again.

The second half of the CD starts with “God Save the King,” a song well known to most of Western culture.

Unfortunately, that vocal range – especially the female singer – is like nails on a chalkboard to me.

Again, that is not to suggest any lack of talent on the part of the singer. No way. She is enormously talented. But that style of singing reminds me of Margaret Dumont, Groucho Marx’s sidekick in all of Marx Brothers movies.