Volume 23 in this classic series of recordings from the archives of The School of Scottish Studies draws together a selection of songs, tunes and customs from across Scotland, connected with marriage. Items from both the Scots and Gaelic are included, as are items from different occupational groups including fishers, farmers and factory workers. There are excellent sleevenotes for this fascinating CD.

The Archives are particularly rich in wedding material from the Shetland Isles, and in this case it has been possible to give a feel of the sequence of events connected to the wedding, before, during and after it. The material on the CD dates from the early 1950’s up to the 1980’s. The collectors on this CD include current and recent students of Scottish Ethnology undertaking the School’s degree programme at the University of Edinburgh who, along with staff, continue the important work of collecting and researching our cultural heritage. The tune “Wooed and Married and Aa” was played immediately after the wedding ceremony on fiddle in Shetland.

 In John Grant’s book ‘The Penny Wedding’ (1836), which provided a number of lively illustrations for the CD booklet, the piper leads the procession after the ceremony (see page 2 of the booklet), and Pluscarden Abbey in Moray is shown in the background. The whole of the company sang the words.