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FORBES, John (ed.)
Cantus, Songs and Fancies, To Three, Four, or Five Parts, Both apt for Voices and Viols
With a brief Introduction to Musick. As is taught in the Musick-School of Aberdeen. The Third Edition, much Enlarged and Corrected.
Publisher: Printed in Aberdeen: by John Forbes, and are to be sold at his printing-house, 1682
Stock code: 45026
Price: £5,000 Currency Conversion
Rare early edition of the first Scottish music book. The Hero as Printer comments that "this work was the first published edition containing Scottish songs and the only music book which presents the music as well as the teaching method employed in a Scottish music school of the period." Among the many songs here is the old Scots carol, "Remember, O thou man", which is frequently cited as the source of the tune used for the British national anthem, "God Save the Queen". Wing attributes the work to Thomas Davidson, as the first edition title has "T.D." [i.e. Thomas Davidson] as the instructor of the "musick-schole", but Forbes signs the introduction here twice, and claims to have compiled the whole work himself. (Ironically, his introduction is actually plagiarized from Thomas Morley, A plaine and easie introduction to practicall musicke, 1597.) There are two so-called third editions, both dated 1682, one with engraved title, the other with variant letterpress title. Wing puts this issue second of the two, following Aldis, but ESTC more recently reverses the order. Forbes added a second part to this third edition, with divisional title: "Severall of the Choisest Italian Songs composed by Giovanni Giacomo Castoldi da Carravaggio. Together also, with some of the Best new English-Ayres. Collected from their chiefest Authors, All in Three Parts, Viz. Two Trebles and a Bass." All early editions are rare, and are usually found defective.
Oblong small quarto (161 × 213 mm), in 2 parts. 19th-century stiff vellum, covers with two-line gilt ruled borders, lettered on front cover, spine with double gilt bands, marbled endpapers. Title printed within woodcut borders, woodcut arms on verso, full-page woodcut, smaller cuts in text, printed music, woodcut headpiece. Armorial bookplate of George Seton Veitch. Title extended at foot, a little marginal restoration to early and last leaves not affecting text, outer leaves slightly dusty, still a good copy.
