FOR EVER FORTUNE - Johnnie Cope - Laughlan's Lilt - Musiciens de St Julien

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For Ever Fortune
Scottish Music in the 18th Century
Les Musiciens de Saint-Julien, François Lazarevitch, Robert Getchell

Johnnie Cope is a famous satirical song referring to the battle of Prestonpans in 1745. Sir John Cope's forces were surprised and routed by the Jacobites, "Johnnie Cope" being among the first to flee. Both tune and song are still very popular in Scotland. The original words may well date from the time of the battle and are attributed to Adam Skirving, a local farmer across whose fields the troops were marched. The tune was first published by James Oswald in the late 1750s, but the Menzies manuscript of dance instructions shows that there was a dance, presumably of satirical character, already in existence by 1749. The version here comes from the beautiful Gillespie manuscript of 1768.

Lauchlan's Lilt ( also known as The Bonny Broom ) follows on seamlessly. It is a shapely melody making its first appearance in this version from James Oswald's Caledonian Pocket Companion, Book X. Oswald's single variation brings out the latent double tonic. Lauchlan is a common Highland Gaelic name, but we do not know to whom this tune refers. The term "Lilt" as applied to a tune has never been clearly explained. It probably refers to a way of singing a tune without words, and it implies sweetness and lightness of delivery. It is associated with the "lilt-pipe" ( but we do not know precisely what instrument is meant by that ), and there may also be a dance implication, as it can refer to lively motion.

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