My first experience of Gaelic singing in Scotland was magical and unexpected.
It was nearly 11:00 pm. The sun was setting over the striking landscape and glistening waters at the Kyle of Lochalsh. Brimming with a day of gorgeous Highland glens and castles, my wife and I impulsively decided to drive onto the ferry to Skye (in 1987, before there was a bridge), and take our chances finding a place to stay.
Across the sea to Skye we rode, determined to stop at the first payphone we could find, with our list of B&B phone numbers in hand. Near the ferry was an inn. Alas, not a coin in our pockets!
I walked in to ask for change — and immediately heard the siren call of music drawing me down the hallway. A Gaelic singer and a local fiddler were giving a slide show of the Western Isles. The singer was Catherine-Anne MacPhee of Barra, one of Scotland's finest Gaelic singers.
That year, Catherine-Anne made the first of her three beautiful recordings of Gaelic singing; you can hear the title track, Cànan Nan Gaidheal (The Language of the Gael), at the end of last week’s post. Her singing was backed by some of Scotland's best musicians, members of the bands Ossian, Capercaillie, and Easy Club. In her third album, she sings the title role from the soundtrack of Màiri Mhòr, a TV production about a Gaelic woman ousted from her native Skye in the 19th century. Màiri Mhòr began writing her own songs at age 50, and her first song begins,
I am weary of the speakers of English I long for some warmth and music
The warmth and music of Gaelic singing is accessible to us all. It took hold of me that lucky night on Skye. Never mind that I don't speak a word of Gaelic. Gaelic singing is some of the most enjoyable listening you could hope for — sweet, lilting music punctuated by powerful rhythms and haunting melodies.
It is one of the wellsprings of Scottish music. Many songs of Robert Burns, and tunes played on fiddle, pipes and harp, derive from Gaelic songs. Even some tunes and gospel songs found in the U.S. can be traced through Scottish immigrants to old Gaelic melodies. It is said that Dvorak's theme in the New World Symphony was inspired by the Gaelic song, “McIntosh's Lament,” heard by Dvorak while traveling in U.S.
No matter how strong the beat, or how plaintive the song, there is an effortless flow in the music and words of the Gaelic song. The descriptive songs can be sparkling and light-hearted, and the love songs or laments may be dark and haunting, sometimes with breathtaking twists in the melody. The songs for working the cloth (waulking songs) have a powerful rhythm, while the "mouth music" (puirt-a-beul) pulses with a dance beat. Yet overall, listening to an album of Gaelic singing is somehow a quieting experience.
One of my favorite albums of Gaelic songs is Mairidh Gaol Is Ceol by the "supergroup" Mac-Talla. This group includes three of the finest contemporary singers of the Western Isles: Arthur Cormack of Skye (see the earlier article about him), and Christine Primrose and Eilidh MacKenzie, both of Lewis. Their soaring harmonies and heartfelt singing are captivating, with instrumental accompaniment on harp, cello and keyboards. Each of these singers also has at least one solo album, backed by musicians from the Battlefield Band.
While some seek to preserve traditions, others incorporate them into their own artistry. The result is often striking and creative. Runrig is a Gaelic band with a rock beat. Capercaillie, which appeared in the movie Rob Roy, offers beautiful Gaelic singing mixed with English-language songs and instrumentals. The Rankin Family of Cape Breton sings Gaelic songs with rich harmonies, and solo singers such as Mairi MacInnes make Gaelic a major part of their popular repertoire.
The older traditional recordings have an unmatched heart and soul despite the rough edges of untrained singers. The School of Scottish Studies offers a series of traditional albums available on Greentrax Recordings, including Music from the Western Isles, Waulking Songs from Barra, and Gaelic Psalms from Lewis.
Temple Records released several Gaelic albums, such the traditional but polished voice of Flora MacNeil of Barra, who helped revive Gaelic singing in Scotland after the war, and scholar, piper and singer Finlay MacNeill from Lewis.
The choices are growing. Listen also to Maeve MacKinnon of Skye, or the Glasgow Gaelic Music Association's choral music. There is no better way to appreciate Gaelic singing than by actually listening to it. It is one of Scotland's musical treasures.
By the way, we did find a B&B on Skye after 11pm, but do you think it was easy to tear myself away from the singing of Cathy-Anne MacPhee, just to make a few phone calls?
Update: This article was published in Scottish Life magazine in 1996, but it’s still a good introduction to Gaelic song. In 1993, Cathy-Ann MacPhee was featured in a film called Màiri Mhòr: Her Life and Songs, and in 1997 and 2004, she recorded a couple more solo albums, Òrain nan Gàidheal (Songs of the Gaels) and Sùil air Ais (Looking Back).