Thomson, George

1757-1851

 

Scotchman, who spent years in collecting and revising the music of Wales, Ireland and Scotland. Born at Limekilns, Edinburgh. He was secretary to the Board of Trustees for the Encouragement of Arts and Manufactures in Scotland, and during this time collected the music of Ireland, Scotland and Wales. With the greatest care he had accompaniments and arrangements written by some of the finest musicians, among them being Beethoven, Kozeluch, Haydn and Pleyel, with words written to many of them by Burns. He died at Leith. He completed a vast amount of work; six volumes of Scotch songs, of which volume one of the first edition was all by Pleyel, volume two by Kozeluch, volumes three and four by Haydn, volume five by Haydn and Beethoven, and volume six by Haydn, Kozeluch, Beethoven, Bishop and Hogarth. Of the Welsh melodies which he collected, volume one is by Haydn and Kozeluch, volume two by Haydn, Kozeluch and by the two in conjunction, and volume three by Haydn and Beethoven. There were also two volumes of Irish airs and twenty Scottish melodies.