Scotland's Music

SCOTLAND’S MUSIC

Considering the comparatively small size of the country and its population, to say that Scotland’s outpouring of music is impressive would be to make an understatement of considerable proportions. Not only has there been a great many forms to Scottish music, a wide variety of instruments utilized, but the skills required for the purpose of proper execution are certainly a challenge to any musician. The Scot has done with music as he/she has always done with the elements of the culture: to take simple basic elements, establish a ground, then build from there complex variations on a wonderfully simple , melodic theme. It is unfortunate indeed that the truly great musical accomplishments of Scotland’s people are often kept out of the hearing of the outside world. Scots tend to be a bit reluctant to appear to "blow their own horns", or "show off"….unless when among themselves they enter into competitions. If you were to hear the massed pipes and drums of 5,000 pipers and 3,000 drummers, you would be hearing march music ; the efforts of all of those men and women to play as correctly as possible every note, grace-note, grip and doubling, and to "snap" out each one in perfect unison. You might be filled with awe, with pride if you are of Scots blood, and you might even have to wipe your eyes. Even so, you would have heard but a drop in the bucket of Scotland’s musical heritage. In fact, you would have heard a form of Scottish music which had been tailored to meet the requirements of the British Army. You would not have experienced the sound of the lonely piper on a hillside playing his heart out to the demands of technical and artistic expression which had been set down by his forebears. You would not have heard the pipe sobbing the sad notes at the graveside, nor inciting all to dance at a wedding.

Music begins with ourselves as we are in our every day lives. Among our folk, there were songs for rowing a boat , or the milking of a cow (some Highlanders will insist that you cannot milk a Highland cow unless you sing to her in the Gaelic!….and unless you have tried to milk a Highland cow, don’t laugh !) The women sang when they churned butter, ground meal, spun wool or flax, and especially when the were "waulking", or fulling’ a length of woven cloth. These "waulking songs" comprise one of the greatest contributions to Gaelic lore, for they are the result of a group of women singing while working at a somewhat tedious task. One woman would sing or compose a verse, which would be followed by the rest of the women singing a chorus, and then perhaps another woman would sing or compose on the spot, a verse, which would then be followed by the chorus. A young and unmarried man knew better than to enter a room where he could easily be satirized by the next lead singer, thus setting the tone of a merciless teasing set to music.

It might be worth the time to make mention of the role of women in the development of Scottish music. Of all the lands of the Western world, even the ‘Celtic’ lands, no country’s people have produced so much in music that has been the offering of women as have the folk of Scotland. Men and women were forced by the austerity of their land and climate to work very long, hard days ,side by side, as it were, to make their own islands of comparative contentment in the midst of much adversity, but it was so often the women who were left to bury and lament their dead husbands, sons and brothers; to choke back their own sorrows ,cover their fatigue and go on with life. Many songs in Gaelic curse the over-lords who carried off strong men and wasted them in wars, as of a wife who presses her mouth to the wound of her dead husband and in her song of lament she extols his gentle strength, his kindness and his sexuality. And if the Highland widow lamented her lost love and went on to raise the children, it was little different for the Fife fisher-wife who watched the horizon for a missing boat and the men aboard her, or the Border woman whose sons had been hanged by judges’ writ, the Lanarkshire farm wife who lived with the fear of eviction as she tried to nurse back to health the ruin of a once strong man. There is much pathos in Scottish song, and it seems often to be the old story of snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. Yet, there is an amazing levity in the music also. Some of the folksongs are pretty ‘earthy’ to say the least!…as if the lesson has been learned that one must know every moment of happiness whenever it makes itself known,….and there is much that is sweet in the love songs and parting songs. The melodies are quite beautiful and it is a constant source of surprise that such variety can be found ,not only in a small nation, but even within one glen of that nation.

        When the ancestors crossed the sea and brought their music with them ,it did not simply freeze in place. The first American 'Square Dance' was done to the accompaniment of the Highland bagpipe in North Carolina. We have been living with the soul of that music ever since. Here is what a man wrote in to the Siol nan Gaidheal Forum; a sentiment and a message which we feel to be absolutely priceless :

      "Growing up in Indiana, it is hard not to be exposed to Bluegrass Music.It seems that there is always a Bluegrass Festival going on somewhere. Doc Watson and Bill Monroe albums were staples in my music collection, even in High School. The music caught my imagination in a deep way that even now is hard to explain.Part of it is the way the music makes me feel like I'm home, no matter where I am when I hear it.Part of it is the way the music seems like an essential part of life; one of life's ingredients. It reaches out and wraps itself around you, not letting go until long after the last melody has faded.

      But, where does this music come from, this stuff of fiddles and mandolins ? This music seems to come from the earth itself,... one of the elements. Listen to Scottish or Irish music and you'll know where Bluegrass comes from. Listen to the Bluegrass band "Red Clay Ramblers". Then listen to one of the greatest Scottish folk bands ever, "Silly Wizard". There are times when you can close your eyes and listen, and the music of the two bands is indistinguishable. Or, listen to the "Chieftains", some of Ireland's best. You'll know where Bluegrass came from.

    Bluegrass music was born in the mountains and back-country where Scots and Irish settled in America.Many times, music was all that these people had to remind them of the homes they left behind. This music is the legacy they have handed down to us. It's a part of our heritage, as it was a part of their's. It's a blending of a former life left back in Scotland ,and a new life in America. Indeed, many of the songs are about coming here and to Canada. Some of the songs are left intact , just as they were when they were brought across the ocean. Others have been adapted, replacing Gaelic lyrics with English, or substituting the mandolin for a harp.

    Scotland has many treasures to offer, and music is perhaps one of the greatest. Her music has reached over the oceans. Her music tells her people's stories and recalls her heritage. The Scottish tradition of music has contributed to our culture here in America. Bluegrass is a legacy of that Celtic culture, and a reminder of not only what our forebears left behind, but also what they brought with them. " .........."Guinness MacDubh", 2002

Some songs( CD’s) in the Gaelic which you may wish to check out:

"Causeway"….Mairi MacInnes

"Orain ‘is Puirt-a Beul"….Glasgow Music Assn.

" Bho Thir nan Craobh"……Mary Jane Lamond

"O Mo Dhuthaich"……….Anne Lorne Gillies

" Play Gaelic"…….." RunRig

CD’s…(.mixed) Gaelic, Scots and English :

"Lantern Burn "........Rita & Mary Rankin    (Nova Scotia)

"Heart of the Celts".....various artists

Any of the "Capercaillie" CD’s

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                                                 Sean Nos (old style)

       Sean Nos is the name given to perhaps the most ancient form of Gaelic singing to be found still in existence. It is a form which has a certain magic about it, governed by rules perhaps a thousand years old. The form is known to singers in Ireland, Wales and Brittany as well as Scotland. Sean nos is done without instrumental accompaniment, sung with emphasis on the clear vowel sounds and the holding on to the endings of each line or verse. Here is the embodiment of the Celtic spirit. Improvisation is allowed for the performer, but within a very strict, traditional framework. There is usually a tape or disc made each year from Scotland's National Gaelic Mod. A very unusual CD has come out however : where we can hear singers from the four Celtic countries. In fact, the Scottish Gaelic singer and the Donnegal Irish singer, a lady from Lewis and her Irish counterpart, team up to sing together on three of the songs. The name of the Disc is "Celtic Tales and Tongues". It is put out by IAGO Music, inc. , which firm may be contacted at : PO Box 781211 San Antonio, Texas 78278. They offer a free catalogue.

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Scottish Groups and Individual Singers on Cd or tape:

"Flower of Scotland", "Battle Songs and Ballads" , "Scots Wha Hae",

"Scottish Love Songs"….all by the CORRIES and Ronnie Brown

"Anthem For The Common Man", "Home Ground"…by Battlefield Band

"All The Best" and MacIain of Glencoe"…..by Moira Kerr

"Schiehallion", "Caledonian Conection",…by North Sea Gas

"Epona", "Leaving St. Kilda", "DancingFeet"…..by Tannahill Weavers

Look into recordings by such names as DOUGIE MacLEAN, EWAN McCOLL, "OLD BLIND DOGS", "SILLY WIZARD"," MAC TALLA" or perhaps "COLCANNON"

AND…..for "CELTIC ROCK" music….try out the group called WOLFSTONE…and the North American Group SEVEN NATIONS ( these guys are GOOD !!)

There are a great many Scots and other Celtic Artists out there. The Borders Book Stores have music sections dedicated to "Celtic" music that are beyond belief!

ALSO… Check these sites on-line:

www.scotvision.com

www.greenlinnet.com

www.ceolas.org

Siol-nan-Gaidheal recommended listening

THE HARP….or "CLARSACH"

Looking at instrumental music,we are probably required to look first to the "Clarsach", the Celtic harp, for this was the early instrument of the bard. Of the various levels of standing in ancient or tribal society, the bard’s position in that social order was always close to the top. No chief or high chief, no king or overlord, was ever inaugurated without a bard present to recite his pedigree and sing his praise. No great feast was ever complete without the music of the harp, and many tunes of ‘welcome’ were composed to honor visiting chiefs or kings. The harp was the chief tool of the bard and often it was lavishly decorated with precious metal and stones, often gifts of grateful patrons. In 1929, in a volume of the "Transactions of the Gaelic Society of Inverness", it was reported that harp music had all but died out in Scotland. One would never know it today, for there are a great many really good harpists. This ancient instrument has made a fantastic ‘come-back’. There are a great many truly accomplished harpists in the world today ,many of whose works can be found on CD’s or Cassettes. Look for names such as SILEAS Rhonda MacKay Anne Lorne Gillies Mairi MacInnes .

The Great Highland Bagpipe ..or "Piob Mhor

Marchin' to Dargai, Marchin' to Dargai,

Marchin' to Dargai Heights! '

'Tis there the piper Findlater fell,

It's there that he played his pipes!

Of course, where would Scotland be without the Piob Mhor (peep vohr), the Bagpipe ? So important is the bagpipe to the Scot that the British government saw it to be a sufficient enough threat to the peace of their governance that it was out-lawed as an instrument of war. The same government was soon afterward to appreciate the effect of the pipe music on the Scottish fighting man to the end that it was incorporated into Scottish regiments and a whole tradition of Scots regiments centered on the "’Pipes". It is interesting to note, that even when the bagpipes , kilts, any weaponry whatever ,were still banned in Scotland itself, the Scot was allowed to make use of these elements of his heritage as long as such were to be employed in the service of King George, and outside of Scotland! Led by their pipers, Scottish regiments have fought the battles for Britain’s empire in every part of the world, from India to Canada, from Crimea to El Alamein in North Africa. The first white man’s music to be heard in the land of the Seneca in the forested Allegheny mountains, was the skirl of the bagpipes. Scots are proud of their reputation for bravery, their having fought on against overwhelming odds. A colonel from the Viet Nam war was heard to say, "what I wouldn’t have given for a battalion of Scottish Americans led by a piper!" Well, maybe. Still and all, the fact remains that Scottish regimental casualties were often around 30%, compared with about 8% in English regiments. ( Is there any wonder that Scots today often refer to the British "Union" flag as "the Butcher’s Apron"?) We cannot blame the pipes, but rather British commanders in the field, yet there was certainly something about the music of the pipers which contributed greatly to the courage of the Scottish soldier. Today we are more apt to hear the pipes in bands only on parade days or at the Scottish Games. The massed pipes and drums are still the great attraction. Yet, how many times on the ’Evening News ‘we see the funeral of a fireman or police officer...and just after " Taps" we hear the skirl of bagpipes. Here in America, the pipes have become the great tribute to the fallen hero, whether that hero is Scottish, Irish, Polish, or of any other background. This salute tendered by a kilted piper has become a part of our National Heritage.

You may hear reference made to "Pibroch" or Pibroch competitions at Scottish Games or gatherings. This refers to individual piping competitions and particularly to what is properly the "classical" music of the bagpipe; a very ancient tradition in piping with extremely demanding criteria. This music cannot be played by bands, nor was it ever meant to be, for not only is a tremendous technical skill required, but the individual presentation and feeling which is expected must balance the requirements of the music which has been passed down It goes without saying that this varies from piper to piper and cannot be a part of any group effort. Actually the word Pibroch (Gaelic "Piobaireachd"}, although used to denote this piping tradition is not the right word to use , for piobaireachd really means "pipe music"…all pipe music, and the proper term for this more demanding art form is Ceol Mor (kyawl mohr) which means "great" or "large" music…as opposed to Ceol Beag (small or little music). In any case, the word "Pibroch" has come to be so much used that it is pointless to raise the issue , especially since so many really good pipers refer to their music as "pibroch".

Not everyone who likes pipe music is certain to like Ceol Mor. It really annoys some folk, in fact. It is slow and seemingly ponderous unless you allow yourself to be lulled into its spell. Starting with a melody or theme, the piper moves into variations on that theme with increasing degrees of complexity. It can be a very spell-binding experience, and if one really allows the music to wash over and around the consciousness, it can result in something akin to the’ mystical ‘. Probably the worst place to listen to "pibroch" or Ceol Mor is the busy, crowded field of the Highland Games at a competition, but often there is no other choice, although if one could get off to the outskirts where a piper may be warming up and quietly sit to one side, he or she might get a greater sense of what is happening musically.

There are a tremendous number of good Bagpipe bands as well as solo pipers to be found on tapes and discs. Here again, you might wish to check out the offerings of ScotVision www.scotvision.com or www.ceolas.org

If you are interested in becoming a piper, Do not run out and buy a set of bagpipes ! First get in touch with a local piper or pipeband (there’s bound to be one in your area) and if you cannot find one send, a message to the Siol nan Gaidheal USA Moderator….whose address can be accessed on our home page. In a very short time he will give you the name of a Bagpipe group near you. It is very important that you are started out properly. Your instructor will tell you that you need plenty of work on the practice chanter before you are ready for a set of ‘pipes. He/she will also be able to head you in the right direction as to where you might get a good set of pipes and a good supplier of reeds, hemp, brushes…and all of the gear you will need for the maintenance of your set of ‘pipes. It is not enough to play at the pipes. The great Highland Bagpipe is not for the dilettante. It has a long tradition behind it and there are more people than you may realize who expect the traditions of technical skill to be executed properly. If it is something towards which you are willing to give of your time, your patience and fortitude, welcome aboard! There’s always room for a thousand or so more pipers!

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    Here is an article regarding the pipes written by a Canadian Siol nan Gaidheal member out in Vancouver :

         " The War-Pipes "



                                                               Warriors and the Bagpipes

Ever since September 11th, 2002 I've closely watched the news. After that tragic event I, like most people in the world, watched funeral after funeral. I put in ten years as a firefighter, so the hundreds of funerals in New York for the fallen firefighters had special meaning to me.

For a couple of reasons.

Much was said about the bravery of the firefighters who died at the World Trade Centre. And I agree; they were incredibly brave. But the thing that always strikes me about talk of bravery is, that it's usually someone "on the outside" of a given event who "looks in" and then uses the bravery word. Whether it's the military; the police; firefighters, or anyone else that "puts it on the line", the chance that you might find yourself in a situation that someone will call brave, is just something that goes with the job. As an ex-firefighter I never heard the word bravery used that much in any of the firehalls that I've been in.

I, like a lot of firefighters, read a magazine called "Firehouse". Monthly issues are filled with acts of valour, and Firehouse magazine rewards firefighters in an annual issue for their amazing acts of selfless courage. I appreciate this; these awards are given by firefighters to other firefighters. And so we should: we, unlike so many of the newsmen who use words like bravery and sacrifice, understand.

I've found myself reading this annual Heroism award issue with tears in my eyes. But I'm not sure I was moved solely by the valorous acts described in the magazine. I think, more correctly, it was also knowing the sacrifice they were willing to make when they initially joined a fire department. And their unflinching reaction, when the event they were being honoured for, took place.

There is another reason why these funerals had special meaning for me.

When I watched these funerals I saw, and heard, the Scottish bagpipes being played. In fact I honestly don't remember seeing a televised funeral recently, where the pipes weren't playing. To see the bagpipes played at all these funerals has special meaning for me because I'm Scottish, and our war-pipes have internationally become synonymous with acts of bravery and sacrifice.

The bagpipes have special meaning to all Scots. It's not just "music” to us. The pipes literally speak to our souls. I know; I feel it every time I hear the war-pipes, and I've seen in my son's eyes that he feels it too. He's never set foot in Scotland, but without doubt, the blood of the Gael burns hotly in his veins.

I'm always amused by people that tell me what an awful noise the bagpipes make. My guess is, somewhere in their family's history, they're descended from a people that has faced my ancestors on a battlefield. And so they have an almost genetic, inbuilt dislike for sound of the pipes. I don't blame them.

The English have learned this lesson well. After the last battle on Scottish soil, Culloden Moor, the English took away our weapons. But they also took away the bagpipes, because they, more than any other race, know the effect the war-pipes have on the Gael.

For a Scot, the warpipes are far more than a musical instrument. They drive us to a killing rage and put fear in the hearts of our enemies. They are used by us to remember our fallen comrades and express our grief at their loss; and after a battle, the joy of our living. They tell us of our history, and remind us of the brave deeds of the warriors that came before us. The sound of the pipes is the music of our strongest emotions.

So I watched those funerals, very sad for the families of the fallen. But my heart, as usual, stirred to the sound of the pipes; and I was so very proud that an instrument that speaks directly to who I am was chosen to pipe those brave warriors home.

Slainte, Mac Coinneach                                                                                                 January, 2003

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The Fiddle

"…….O Willie com sell yer fiddle an’sell yer fiddle sae fine.

O Willie com sell yer fiddle, an’ buy a pint o’ wine!

An’ I s’ud sell ma fiddle, the warld wad think I wes mad,

For it’s mony a rantin’ day ma fiddle and I hae had!"

Rabbie Burn’s "Rattlin’ Roarin’ Willie" probably never did end up selling his fiddle, and if he did, his life would have been over anyway. Where would Scotland, North or South , from Oban in the West to Aberdeen in the East, Highlands, Lowlands, Borders or the Lothians, be or ever hope to be…without the fiddle? No, it’s not a "violin". It’s the FIDDLE! Why, Scotland is probably the only nation on this planet that even has an orchestra made up almost entirely of fiddlers. Called the "Scottish Fiddle Orchestra", they have been making quite a "splash" wherever they appear. Whether they are playing some time-honored "foot-tappers" such as "High Road to Linton" or "Deil Amang the Tailors" or the more sentimental tunes such as "Mary of Argyll" or My Love is Like a Red, Red Rose", they manage to captivate their audience, even the members of the "Rap" generation who have come along with parents or grandparents. The fiddle and the fiddler have such an important role in the culture of Scotland that it is difficult to define it or even really put it into words,, Anyone who thinks that he/she has heard it all, should pick up a recording of Bonnie Rideout. This particular artist can play even the most difficult of the works designed for the classical music of the Bagpipe, called the"Ceol Mor"…and hit every one of those complex movements. Her ‘light ‘ music (reels, jigs,etc.) are beyond belief, but when she plays MacCrimmon’s Lament, it is absolutely dumbfounding! Aly Ban, the Shetland Fiddler is, often said to be the great Scottish fiddler of the age.

It has been claimed, ‘though somewhat tongue in cheek, that there is a streak of madness in fiddlers and in popular folklore they have even been said to have made pacts with the Devil, who is , of course the greatest of all musicians with this particular instrument. The American song of not long ago, " The Devil Went Down To Georgia", makes a playful allusion to this. We must not forget that the fiddle formed the very backbone of our North American music: in Nova Scotia where Scots settlers brought their tradition from home and then went on to pick up a trick or two from their Arcadian( French) neighbors, certainly in Newfoundland, in the Allegheny Mountain chain (Allegheny Fiddlers were the virtuosos of the young Republic), and just about everywhere else where Scots and Irish folk settled. The quality of the tradition seems to have been kept alive and right up to where it has always been meant to be. So, if there is a streak of madness in the fiddler, we can thank the Good Lord for it, for there are much worse forms of madness, none of which can add to the quality and dimension of life as what the fiddler’s bow and strings have brought to us over the centuries.

Look for such artists as: Aly Ban, Alasdair Fraser, Bonnie Rideout, Natalie MacMaster, Ashley MacIsaac…and CD’s such as " TheBridges of Cape Breton", "Lantern Burn", "Return to Kintail" and "Portrait of a Scottish Fiddler", all of which are listed on www.scotvision.com

(Picture from: "The Highland Wedding at Blair Atholl", by David Allan)

We will be adding to this section about music, for there is much more to add: Ceilidh bands, whistles, flutes and such, and even the accordion and different types of bagpipes.

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