Multiple Versions of Auld Lang Syne

To get you in the mood for tonight's Hogmanay festivities, wherever you are, here are twenty versions of Auld Lang Syne.

It's amazing to think how ubiquitous this song has become, considering it was penned in 1788 by Scotland's national poet Robert Burns to a traditional folk song.

This list of tracks from Soundcloud covers a spectrum of arrangements: from full-blown pipes and drums (AudioGremlin) to the lone vocalist, from versions sung by a capella groups to a mandolin version.

Naturally, plentiful pop versions crop up, and there's also a metal version in the list by Jeff Loomis and Aaron Smith.

Swedish group El Perro del Mar's wispy, childlike take, and Pink Martini's genre-crossing, French version provide a more off-beat play on the classic midnight hour song.

The United States Marine Band also provide another mellifluous orchestral rendition of the New Year's favourite, which you can freely download for your own use.

For a traditional rendition of Auld Lang Syne to an older, less well kent melody listen to Ronnie Brown of Scottish folk band 'The Corries'.

Meanwhile, BBC Radio 4 devotes a whole programme to the origins of Auld Lang Syne with musicians sharing insights into their interpretations of the traditional song.

Words and origin of Auld Lang Syne.