In recognition of the Queen Mother's Scottish ancestry Britten chose seven poems by Burns, sung in the Scots language, and performed without a break. 'Hansel' is a Scots word meaning welcome gift or present. At Britten's request Colin Matthews arranged four of the songs for voice and piano, these were published separately as Four Burns Songs in 1978.
| Date of composition | 1975 (March 1975) |
| Premiered | 1976, January 11th (Schloss Elmau, Upper Bavaria) in Krün, Germany |
| Dedicated to | 'These songs were written at the special wish of Her Majesty The Queen for her mother's seventy-fifth birthday, August 4th 1975' |
| Type | Song(s) |
| Catalogue | BTC 1166 |
| Approx. duration | 17 minutes |
| Instruments |
Voice
Harp |
| Autotranslations beta |
Benjamin Britten: A Birthday Hansel, BTC 1166 Benjamin Britten: A Birthday Hansel, BTC 1166 Benjamin Britten: A Birthday Hansel, BTC 1166 |