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FAMOUS SONGS
this subjeet, and I am firmly convinced that the opinion of both Dr. Bruce and Mr. Chappell is fully borne out by historical facts, that the air of ' Auld Lang Syne' was first published in the opera composed by Shield. The opera (in question) of ' Rosina' was first brought out on December 31st, 1782. It met with great success; the overture—in which occurs the melody of 'Auld Lang Syne'—was pub-lished separately in 1783, and the air became popular as a pianoforte piece, and, being thor-oughly vocal, afforded others the opportunity of setting words to it, which Shield did not do himself." This is the first date of the air, and this, there is every reason to believe, was the air which Thomson used in his collection. No doubt other words, as indicated above, had already been adapted to the melody, but this would not deter Thomson the publisher from using it, for he was not above annexing any lyric or melody that suited his purpose. The " mediocre" air referred to by Burns would be the one the old man sang to Allan Ramsay. But Burns's version of " Auld Lang Syne" first appeared in 1793; it was set to a different air from the one we know it by, and different also from Allan Ramsay's song of 1740. The pre-sent air and Burns's words first made their
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