Hey Tutti Taiti – SMM – Editing Robert Burns for the 21st Century

Performers: Jonathan Kennedy, Brianna Robertson-Kirkland, Claire McBride, Beth Taylor, Alina Horvath, Jennifer Falconer Hall

Song 170, volume 2

This song is made up of traditional fragments. The tune, ‘Hey Tutti Taiti’, is associated with a Jacobite drinking song, and it can be found in various collections of Scottish songs.

As it is a raucous drinking song, we spent a bit of time in workshops making it bawdy and rough enough! We involved all the singers, but this meant they all had to adjust their voices to the right octave for them. You’ll hear that Beth, our mezzo soprano, really moves into a tenor range here, so it sounds very low for her. We decided to keep the accompaniment quite simple with just harpsichord and cello.