Scotland Sings 2026 Songbook

Amazing Grace by Alison Burns

In 4 parts: soprano, alto, tenor & bass

John Newton’s text for Amazing Grace, one of the most famous of all folk hymns and which crosses effortlessly into secular music, was first published in 1779. Here, Alison has made a new up-beat setting.

Grow the Roots Deep Down by Penny Stone has been renamed Tree of Liberty and can be found below

Love Has Come by Stephen Deazley

In 4 parts: soprano, alto, tenor & bass

Stephen wanted to arrange a Bach chorale for Love Music Community Choir. He was drilled in Bach chorales at school by his music teacher, which is unthinkable these days. He found this chorale that concludes the church Cantata BWV85, but couldn’t find a translation that he liked, so wrote an entirely new lyric. He has tweaked a few notes here and there to fit the key that works best for his choir, retaining as much of the original as possible.

Mauchline Belle by Alex Hodgson, arr. Stephen Deazley

In 3 parts: soprano, alto & tenor

A commission from Hand Up For Trad’s Renewing the Tradition project where Scottish songwriters took inspiration from Robert Burns’ life and work. Alex Hodgson was inspired by the story of Jean Armour, who became the wife of Robert Burns and was known in her youth as the Belle of Mauchline. Pregnant but unmarried, Jean had to sign an apology for her sins in the Mauchline Kirk register and to name the father of the baby. You can still see her tear stains on that page of the book.

Mother Earth Sings by Stacie Whitney

For mixed voices, in 3 parts

This song came to Stacie when sitting in the woods near her home in Northern Scotland, just listening. She had the sense that all the answers to pretty much everything can be heard if we listen deep enough. It felt a beautiful reminder of what we can hear when we leave some space to listen into the “silence”, and her hope is that singing it can reconnect us with this practice and power.

On My Mind by Dr Kathleen Cronie

A round

This became a bit of an earworm for Kathleen – always on her mind – so she had to write it down! The riff repeats and stays with you, like thoughts of a special person that live with you. The song is totally flexible, written in 4 bar phrases that can be paired in any combination. She has given some suggested performance formats but feel free to put it together in whatever way suits the singers in the room.

One More Song by Dr Kathleen Cronie

In 4 parts: soprano, alto, tenor & bass

This piece was written for Loud & Proud’s 2025 residential weekend. Kathleen always feels that she peels herself away from these gatherings with such reluctance, hoping they can stay for just one more song together. The song is really flexible and can be sung with all 4 parts, or by mixing and matching just a couple of parts across however many singers you have in the room.

Poca Sìl an t-Sealgair

A melody

From Frances Tolmieʼs collection which first appeared in the Journal of the Folk-Song Society in 1911, and is available today in a new edition by Kenna Campbell and Ainsley Hamill: Gun Sireadh, Gun Iarraidh (Without Seeking, Without Asking), Acair 2023. Frances hailed from Duirinish in Skye, a woman who loved the community from whom she collected songs. She never sought recognition for herself, only that the songs would be preserved and shared.

Raise the Cup o Kindness by Alison Burns

In 4 parts: soprano, alto, tenor & bass

Alison has borrowed the famous Robert Burns line from ‘Auld Lang Syne’: ‘We’ll tak a cup of kindness yet for auld lang syne’ for this song. Sing it in Scots or English.

Riversong by Chris Hutchings, words by Robert MacFarlane

Riversong has words by Rob MacFarlane which were released under Creative Commons license in 2024 (see original at https://www.righttoroam.org.uk/riversong). It consists of 8 sections and choirs can choose to perform any or all of them. They work together as rounds and canons, and it’s possible to perform with up to 70 simultaneous parts. For inclusive settings, Chris recommends using sections 1-4. Sections 5-8 can be added for more advanced groups. It’s also possible for less experienced groups singing sections 1-4 and more experienced groups singing sections 5-8 to combine and present the song together.

Roots Deep Beneath by Katy Lavinia Cooper

A round in up to 7 parts

This round was written for an event in the Necropolis in Glasgow, where Aproxima Arts created a living flower memorial to commemorate the 21,000 or so common or unmarked graves, where people were buried when their families or friends could not afford the price of a headstone or lair.

Solas Nar Cridhe, Leig A-Mach by Baz Chapman

Solas Nar Cridhe is an uplifting and accessible choral piece designed specifically for community singing groups, featuring English text combined with easy-to-learn Gaelic phrases. Thematically, it explores finding strength in adversity, our connection to the physical landscape and the resilience required to let our inner light shine.

The song came to Baz after attending a Norrie MacIver gig – he was taken by his songs which invited enthusiastic audience participation with accessible singing of Gaelic lyrics. Baz wanted to incorporate Gaelic text in the refrain, and consulted with experts Mary Ann Kennedy and Effie Rowan, to ensure the text, phrasing and transliterations all made sense.

The song is available in melody only, SA, SSA, SAB and SATB voicing, and it has its own Soundcloud playlist including a pronunciation guide kindly recorded by Mary Ann Kennedy.

Strong As An Oak by Adelaide Carlow

A song in A B A format, with section A sung as a 3 part round

Adelaide teaches cello and she is always telling her young students: “let the cello lean in, but you have to be strong as an oak tree, don’t buckle under the weight!” At the same time, with racism and fascism on the rise, the song points out the need for strength when people weigh in with difficult opinions. It is hard to hold your own when people you respect feel strongly opposed to your way of thinking. And finally, about the incredible resilience of old trees: in all weathers, the way the wind evokes the rush and blast of a fast fiddle tune, and how all of us with patience are rewarded by sunshine – in Scotland it is usually when you least expect it.

Commissioned by Scotland Sings for Comfort of Voices 2026, with funding from Creative Scotland.

The Geese Fly by Penny Stone, arr. Stephen Deazley

In 4 parts: soprano, alto, tenor & bass

Every year Penny looks forward to the Pink Footed Geese coming into Aberlady bay from Iceland. It lifts her heart to see them all flying together and reminds her that extraordinary things can be accomplished one small step (or wing flap) at a time. This wee song celebrates these amazing geese and all they might teach us.

There’s Some Wad Say by Mairi Campbell (music) & David Francis (lyrics)

In 3 parts: soprano, alto & tenor

A commission from Hand Up For Trad’s Renewing the Tradition project where Scottish songwriters took inspiration from Robert Burns’ life and work. David Francis and Mairi Campbell took their inspiration from the line ‘Pibroch, sang, strathspeys and reels’ from the Burns poem Amang the Trees; and from A Man’s a Man for A’ That: ‘For a’ that an a’ that / Our toils obscure an a’ that / The rank is but the guinea stamp /The man’s the good for a’ that’.

Tree of Liberty by Penny Stone

A round in 4 parts

This song can be sung as a set of 4 partner songs, or as a longer round. It is an extract from a longer song called Sing a New Song, O, which was part of Hand Up For Trad’s Renewing the Tradition project supporting songwriters to engage with writings by Burns and writing new songs for choirs to sing. Penny’s song was inspired by Burns’ poem The Tree of Liberty.

Penny has recorded a learning video for this song: https://youtu.be/Oj_hxYFruOU

This song was originally titled Grow the Roots Deep Down in this songbook.