ABSTRACT
David Allan’s famous painting of James Erskine, Lord Alva and his Family (1780) hangs in the National Gallery of Scotland (See Figure 3.1). This is the Scottish patriarchal family: the husband stands, his wife sits eyes cast up towards him, while their three children focus on their musical performance. This painting of domestic music making was intended to be a focal point in their family home. The children perform the Scots song ‘Where Helen Lies’: one daughter plays the harpsichord, while the other daughter sings, and the son accompanies on cello. Open on the harpsichord rests Allan Ramsay’s The Tea-Table Miscellany (published between c.1723 and c.1737). The musicians play from manuscript copies of printed musical parts. The social and cultural aspirations and achievements of this family are represented. But only family members are shown here. Yet the musical skills demonstrated involve tuition from additional members of the household such as music tutors that are not depicted. Employing a social and cultural history approach, my examination of the evidence of music making in Scotland between c.1500 and c.1800 can shed invaluable light on the more intimate relationships between family members and servants within the household over the break of the Scottish Reformation. Evidence survives in a number of diverse forms: family manuscripts, printed didactic and performance based musical materials; musical instruments; and material culture (wall paintings and a musical game).
