Such a Parcel of Rogues in a Nation (Robert Burns) – Andrew Calhoun

Such a parcel of rogues in a nation Fareweel to a’ our Scotish fame, Fareweel our ancient glory; Fareweel even to the Scotish name, Sae fam’d in martial story! Now Sark rins o’er the Solway sands, And Tweed rins to the ocean, To mark whare England’s province stands, Such a parcel of rogues in a nation! What force or guile could not subdue, Thro’ many warlike ages, Is wrought now by a coward few, For hireling traitors’ wages. The English steel we could disdain, Secure in valor’s station; But English gold has been our bane, Such a parcel of rogues in a nation! O would, or I had seen the day (or - ere, before) That treason thus could sell us, My auld grey head had lien in clay, Wi’ Bruce & loyal Wallace! But pith & power, till my last hour, (but - sans, without) I’ll mak this declaration; We’re bought & sold for English gold, Such a parcel of rogues in a nation! The Thirty-one Rogues—Scottish Parliamentary Commissioners—were involved in the Act of Union of 1707. First published anonymously in The Scots Musical Museum (#378) in 1792. Text from Hastie MS. Burns noted, “I inclose what I think the best set of the tune.” But we don’t have it. The Scots Musical Museum's set is closest to William McGibbon’s variant of the tune: "A parcel of Rogues in a nation" from A Collection of Scots Tunes, book 2 (1746)., while adapting James Oswald’s more singable phrasing on measures 4, 8 and 16 from "A parcel of Rogues in the Nation," The Caledonian Pocket Companion, book 4, p. 26. I have taken the set from McGibbon and Oswald on this model, adapting the arrangement from McGibbon’s bass. Here is Sheena Wellington singing "A Man's a Man for A' That" at the reopening of the Scottish Parliament in 1999:    • A Man's A Man For A' That (Opening of Scot...   www.andrewcalhoun.com