Book excerpt: This volume of the songs of Scottish poet Robert Burns contains 85 songs excerpted from the chapter "Country Life" in a larger collection of 324 Burns songs compiled and researched by Serge Hovey. It includes songs portraying farmers, shepherds, millers, weavers, tinkers, colliers, coopers, shoemakers, tailors, and other country folk reflecting Burns's intense love of the Scottish countryside and the oral tradition and music of its people. Robert Burns (1759- 1796) spent his life collecting Scottish songs, using fragments of existing lyrics asthe basis for his own poems, and wrote original lyrics for traditional melodies.Burns left for posterity about 270 poems and more than 300 songs which are usually printed without their tunes. Serge Hovey meticulously examined Burns' own sources, letters, and manuscripts to determine the origin of every tune and all the verses as well as Burns' intended match of words and music. He then arranged each song with highly imaginative and beautiful accompaniments geared for pianists with average skills.