Simon Chadwick - Lament for the Union

Track 1: Why should I be so sad on my wedding day?

There is a tradition that the Act of Union in 1707 was marked in Edinburgh by the playing of this tune on the carillon of St Giles’ Cathedral.
It is a simple tune, with interesting arpeggios that sound well on the bells, and I am playing it to bring out the bell- like sound of the Queen Mary harp.
In 1707, the decisions about the running of the country were entirely in the hands of the aristocracy, and the ordinary people had only songs and music to express their feelings.