THE world of Robert Burns will be profoundly saddened by the news that Robert Donald Thornton died at his hometown of Cheraw, South Carolina, on October 26.
He made an immense contribution to the subject of the poet, not least of all as the consultant and later editor of the musical material supplied by Serge Hovey.
This was duly acknowledged by the composer himself. "ProfessorThornton contributed to my book in a major way not only with that intangible but vital factor, encouragement, but with numerous concrete actions. He has examined every page with minute attention, making immensely helpful comments and criticisms."
Later, the unique voice of Jean Redpath brought Serge Hovey's Songbook into the field of audio, with seven delightful albums of Burns songs.
Robert Thornton's own first book was The Tuneful Flame, published in 1957, and presented 25 songs of Burns which he described as "uninhibited and natural, full of ardour, courage, universality, pride and life-giving joy".
Taken together, "true to the traditional values of poetry", Professor Thornton declared these songs had "no equal - not in Shakespeare, Campion, Herrick, Moore or Tennyson".
Song VIII seemed a particular favourite of his, Elibanks and Elibraes, and to the very end he would maintain that Burns was the author, though many other editors, including James Kinsley, have rejected it from the Burns canon.
One of his most controversial works was the brilliant biography of James Currie, published in 1963 and dedicated to his wife, Grace Ellen.
In this, Robert Thornton attempted the rehabilitation of the doctor (Burns's first major editor/biographer) who had long languished under a cloud - a hated figure to numerous Burnsians, for daring to suggest that the great man had been besotted by drink, and had also darkly hinted, was perhaps even afflicted by venereal disease. "Preposterous impertinence, " was one typical, fiery comment on Currie's handling of the subject.
The Curry biography brought me into contact with Robert Thornton when I read it (belatedly) in the 1980s and, much impressed with the researches and writing that had gone into it, I told him that the book had completely changed my opinion of Currie. This sparked off an extremely enjoyable correspondence that lasted until recent times.
There is no doubt that Robert Thornton was one of the most outstanding Burns scholars of our times, and he cannot be denied his place in the elite band of James Kinsley, John De Lancey Ferguson, Franklyn Bliss Snyder and very few others.
As an authority on the songs of Burns, music and lyrics, he was surely unsurpassed; quite simply in a class of his own.
He will be missed by all who were fortunate enough to list him as a friend.
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