The twelve volumes which comprise The Complete Songs of Robert Burns remain the benchmark of all Burns songs recordings. Released to coincide with the worldwide Burns Night celebrations, this is the first volume in the ground breaking series which took seven years to complete and involved over 80 singers and instrumentalists.

This unsurpassed collection was collated by Burns specialist Dr Fred Freeman, who worked in the fluid tradition of folk music with the players and singers to bring the timeless poetry of the Bard vividly to life. The Telegraph described the series as "a marvellous tribute to the man who gave the anonymous feelings of Scots folk song a sharp, poignant individuality, and by doing so made them the whole world's possession."

Encompassing ballads and bawdy songs, patriotic and political anthems plus songs which bring Scottish places and people to life, this collection of songs touches on all aspects of human nature and is a true representation of a vigorous folk tradition past and present. The performance practice essential to the authentic performance of Burns is evident: singers, like Tony Cuffe and Billy Ross, and fiddlers, like John Martin and Johnnie Cunningham, perform with light, clear articulation, whilst singers, like Rod Paterson, display admirable 'restraint' and almost 'non-existent' vibrato. Each musician here shares Burns' commitment to communication and expression creating both a lasting tribute to the man and to the contemporary folk movement in Scotland.

Featured musicians include members of Malinky, The Tannahill Weavers, Black-Eyed Biddy, Jock Tamson's Bairns, Calasaig and many more.