Robert Burns' 1791 poem "Ae Fond Kiss" is considered by many to be among the greatest love songs ever penned and is performed by singers worldwide, usually with a poignant traditional Scots melody that mirrors the emotional landscape of the text. This much-loved tune is the exquisite thread woven through the 21st-century musical fabric of Alan A. Craig's The Beloved . The Scottish composer has infused his evocative work with echoes of an unmistakably Celtic hue and invites the string ensemble to use their instruments as lyrical voices joined in a vivid expression of tenderness and tragedy.