Cultural Matters: Scottish Music (Traditional, Folk, and Celtic)

While most people think only of the Scottish bagpipe (which after centuries is still a vibrant form of music) Scottish music is much more varied and expansive than that limited viewpoint. Today's post deals with Scottish musical genres over the centuries -- all of which are still played and enjoyed today.

Traditional Scottish Musical Genres

Clarsach (Scottish harp music)

One of 3 surviving medieval harps -- Museum of Scotland

One of the earliest forms of music in Scotland, the Scottish harp is first seen in the stone carvings of the Picts in the 600s and 700s.

Using horsehair for strings, the clarsach (it's Gaelic name) spread from Scotland to England and Ireland and on to Europe. Harpists were highly prized in the medieval periods, playing for kings, featured on royal regalia, and playing for coronations and other official functions. Today, Edinburgh hosts the International Harpists Festival.

Tin Whistle music

Dating back in Scotland to at least the medieval period (although similar whistles have been discovered going all the back to the Neanderthals), tin whistles are a mouth-blown, six-holed woodwind. Below, a performance of Loch Lomond played on a tin whistle.

Bagpipe music

Although most closely identified with Scottish culture, bagpipes are actually found in many parts of the world. Initially a Highlands instrument dating back to the 1400s and 1500s, it spread throughout the British Isles and colonies in the 1700s and 1800s with the British army, when large numebrs of Highlanders joined up post-1745. Most of what's played todya is on the Great Highland Bagpipe although many different bagpipes were found in Scotland

Scottish fiddle music

First mentioned in a Scottish publication in 1680, Scottish fiddling became very popular in the 1700s in both Scotland and the British colonies. While it formed the basis for much of American folk music, traditional Scottish fiddling is still quite popular today. Below is a performance by Katie Boyle from Glagsow:

Scottish Accordion music

Usually played for dances, Scottish accordions have long been popular. Below is a performance by Sandy Brechin of Edinburgh playing accordion dance tunes.

Cèilidh (country dance music)

The word, which originated in Ireland, means "companion" and originally referred to any social gathering. But later it came to mean specifically dances. As should be clear by now, much of Scottish music involves dancing and communal celebration. Below is someone playing the bagpipes at a 2002 ceilidh.

Bothy Band music

From 19th Century Scottish farming communities where married couples lived in cottages called touns and single men lived together in a bothy (shelter). Often these single men formed bands for dances and celebrations. They utilized fiddles, accordions, bagpipes, and tin whistles. Below is a folk revival band from 1977, The Bothy Band

Folk Revival

By the mid-1960s, many musicians were rediscovering the older Scottish instruments and songs and began to revive them, as well as experiement and mix the genres together. Below are several popular Scottish folk performers.

Corries

Hamish Imlach

Popular in US and Europe in the burgeoning 1960s folk music scene, he combined original songs with traditional Scottish folk tunes. His in-between rants were often more popular than the music itself.

Street Songs


Erin Go Bragh

Billy Connolly

Known primairly as a stand-up comic and actor (Boondock Saints, Head of the Class), he began as a folk singer. Here is a recent recording of his called "I Wish I Was in Glasgow."

Red Hot Chili Pipers

A Scottish ensemble that plays mdoern songs on traditional instruments. 

Clocks by Coldplay

We Will Rock You by Queen

Clann An Drumma

 From Glasgow, their name means "Children of the Drum." They focus on the more "tribal" aspects of early Scottish muisc, with lots of durms and pipes. Their music was featured in another Mel Gibson film, We Were Soldiers.

Battlefield Band

A popular Glasgow-based Scottish traditional music band. They have recorded more than 30 albums.

Slainte

This group's name comes from the traditional Scottish toast for "good health".

The Clutha

A Glasgow-based Scottish folk band that formed in the 1970s.

Silly Wizard

A Scottish folk band from Edinburgh that began in 1970.

Tannahill Weavers

Began in 1968 in Paisley, Scotland.

Celtic Music

Often a fusion of different "celtic" styles (Irish, Scottish, English, Spanish, Middle Eatsern), this genre is more a modern interpretation of what is thought to be Celtic. Often has a dreamlike, mystical quality. It is more New Age than historical.

Braveheart soundtrack

The Mel Gibson film soundtrack by James Horner helped popularize the Celtic music scene.Below is the film's main theme.

Celtic Women

This all-female ensemble evolved out of the popular Riverdance phenomenon. Like a lot of modern Celtic music, it is a blending of Scottish and Irish traditions.

Peatbog Faeries

A Celtic fusion band from the Isle of Skye. Mixes traditional music with modern club dance music.

Loreena McKinnett

A Scottish-Canadian, McKinnett mixes Scottish, Irish, Middle Eastern and other traditons together to form a unique sound.Below is a song called "Beltane Fire."

Cultural Matters: Beltane Fire Ceremony (30 April 2011)

Beltane is a ancient Gaelic ceremony that oriignated in Ireland. Beltaine is Gaelic for the month of May and was held on 1 May. Much like May Day, it marked the start of summer. Usually involving the lighting of bonfires to purify the community and to signal the change in seasons, cattle and humans both were walked between the fires to purify them. In Scotland, junipers were thrown upon the bonfires to for further purification. It was also when livetsock were sent into the field to graze. The result of the ceremony was hopefully a good harvest come fall.

It was revived in 1988 in Edinburgh and is now held each 30 April (Beltane Eve) on Calton Hill by the Beltane Fire Society. It attracts more than 15,000 people a year. Although some neopagans and Wiccans celebrate it too, the modern Edinburgh ceremony is more performance art than religious. It also has little resemblance to the original ceremonies. Here is a link to a TV news article on the ceremony:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-mXBZxKR2k


Beltane is closely related to the Gaelic ceremony of Samhain (pronounced Sow-wan), the Fall festival to mark the start of winter. Along with Christianity's All Hallow's Day/All Souls Day, Samhain (which was the Gaelic name for November) is the origin of today's Halloween. Here is the Beltane Fire Society celebrating their interpretation of Samhain in Edinburgh in 2007.

Cultural Matters: Scottish Music (Rock and Pop)

Annie Lennox

One of my all-time favorites, Annie Lennox of Aberdeen, Scotland first gained fame as part of the 80s duo Eurythmics, with hits such as "Sweet Dreams", "Here Comes the Rain" and "Who's That Girl".  She then emerged as a successful solo artist in 1990s and 2000s with hits such as "Why," "Little Bird," and "Walking on Broken Glass" (see below).

Lulu

A star in the 1960s and early 1970s, Lulu (real name Marie McDonald McLaughlin, from Glasgow) was  most famous for the theme song to the James Bond hit Man With the Golden Gun and for starring in and singing the title song to To Sir, With Love.

KT Tunstall

A popular singer-songwriter from Edinburgh. Below are her two most well-known songs. The first, "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" is from her first TV performance, which was her breakout performance.

Simple Minds

From Glasgow, Simple Minds were a major Eighties band, selling 40 million records since 1979. Their hits included "Alive and Kicking," "Belfast Child," "Sanctify Yourself," and their biggest hit  -- from the 1985 film Breakfast Club -- "Don't You Forget About Me." (see below)

Susan Boyle

Perhaps the most unlikeliest pop star of all time, Susan Boyle became a hero to us "regular" folk the world over when she wowed judges and audiences on Britain's Got Talent back in 2009. The Glasgow-native has since sold millions. To see her first appearance, go to the link below (unfortunately, I cannot embed it). It's well worth it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wnmbJzH93NU

Bay City Rollers

There was a brief period in 1974 and 1975 when the Bay City Rollers were so popular that the success of the "tartan teens from Edinburgh" was being compared to Beatlemania (and was called appropriately enough Rollermania.) Their two biggest hits were "Saturday Night" and "Bye Bye Baby". (By the way, the person in the center in the above photo is not a Bay City Roller but rather Witchiepoo from HR Puffnstuf)

The Proclaimers

Comprised of idential twins Charlie and Craig Reid from Leith (near Edinburgh), The Proclaimers had a huge hit in 1993 in the US with "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)"  -- which had been a huge hit in the UK earlier in 1988.

Sheena Easton

From Bellshill, Scotland, Easton had several hits in the 1980s including "Strut", "For Your Eyes Only" (from the 1981 James Bond film), "The Lover in Me," and "Sugar Walls."  Below is her first hit, "Morning Train" (called "9 to 5" in the UK)

Gerry Rafferty

Singer-songwriter Rafferty, a Glasgow-native, had several hits in the 1970s, first with his band Stealers Wheel ("Stuck in the Middle With You")then several solo hits, such as "Right Down the Line," "Days Gone Down," and his biggest hit (#2 in the US), "Baker Street".

Amy MacDonald

While not as well-known in the US, MacDonald from Bishopbriggs, Scotland is huge throughout Europe (especially in Germany, Denmark and Sweden). Her album, This is the Life has sold 3 million copies.

Donovan

Briefly considered the UK's answer to Bob Dylan, Donovan (full name: Donovan Philips Leitch) of Glasgow had several hits in the 1960s, including "Sunshine Superman," "Wear Your Love Like Heaven," "Atlantis" and the "Hurdy Gurdy Man" (below), which was used quite effectively in the film Zodiac.

Maeve O'Boyle

One of Scotland's newest singer-songwriters, O'Boyle is from Glasgow, where she often performs at local clubs.

Mark Knopler (of Dire Straits)

Knopler was born in Glasgow, Scotland and is best known for the 1985 Dire Straits song, "Money for Nothing."

Jesus and Mary Chain

A Glasgow-based alternative band from the late 1980s and 1990s. Below is one of the bigger hits, "Head On."

Emma's Imagination

The stage name of Edinburgh-native Emma Gillepsie. While not well-known in the US yet, she has had two hit songs in the UK, "Focus" and "This Day" (see below). She got her break when she won the Sky-TV talent program Must Be the Music.

Cultural Matters: Royal Wedding, 29 April 2011

As most of you are probably aware, Friday, 29 April 2011 is the date for the Royal wedding between Prince William (son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana of the House of Windsor) and Kate Middleton. The pair met in 2001 at University of St. Andrews in Scotland. St. Andrews is well known as being the traditional religious center of Scotland as well as the site most often credited with the invention of golf. After his father Charles, William is next in line to be King of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth Realms (16 independent nations).

The ceremony, held at Westminster Abbey in London, will start at 8am GMT (3am our time) with the arrival of guests. The wedding ceremony itself will be at 11am.

Sport in Scotland, Part 2

Rugby

Although more popular in England than Scotland, rugby is still quite the rage in the southern half, especially in the Borders region. Like Football (soccer), rugby emerged from the many traditional "football" games played throughout the British Isles. These included Jeddart Ball and Ba Game, the latter of which is a mob or village game where the resident of a village (such as Kirkwall, where it is still played during the holidays) play throughout the village.

Ba Game in Kirkwall. The initial ball toss up

The Ba Game in action

 The first Scottish rugby team was formed in Edinburgh in 1857. The first international match was also in Edinburgh against England in 1871. The Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) was formed in 1873 in Glasgow, which today oversees all organized rugby in Scotland. Traditionally an amateur sport, it has become professionalized in the last 15 years.

The main league is the Scottish Hydro Electric League Championship, which consists of a Premiere League (36 teams), National League, and Regional league. And as with football (see previous post), the teams are promoted and relegated between the leagues each year. Included are the Edinburgh Academicals (Scotland's first team) and the Glasgow Hawks.

While England has a better track record, Scotland plays in every Rugby World Cup.

Scotland's national rugby team

Golf

Perhaps Scotland's most famous indigenous sport. The earliest mention of the sport is in 1457 (the Leith Links). The oldest golf course is the world-famous St. Andrew's Old Course.

While places such as China and Holland claim it as their creation, most of the terms and rules associated with golf (also a Scottish word) originated with the Scottish. These include:
Links (1453)
Golf club (1503)
Gold ball (1545)
Drive (1583)
Tee (1721)
Putt (1743)
Caddy (1773)
Even the golf cap, plaid pants and other clothing associated with golf are Scottish in origins. The world golf authority (aside from the US) is housed in Scotland.

Tiger Woods at St. Andrew's Old Course

Shinty

Similar to field hockey, but with tackling. A traditional Scottish Highland game, it evolved in North America into ice hockey when Highlanders immigrated to Nova Scotia in Canada (where informal games are still called shinny). It is still played today. For more, see here.

American Football

Yes, you read that right. American rule football has been growing in popularity in Scotland in recent years. Scotland even had a professional team in the NFL Europe (which ran from the 1980s to 2007) -- the Scottish Claymores (the name refers to a traditional Scottish sword). Started in 1995, the Claymores played in both Edinburgh and Glasgow, and competed in two World Bowls, winning one. Local football teams are still active in Scotland.

The Scottish Claymores

Cricket

Huge in England, which is one of ten major cricket-playing nations, but Scotland is not one of them. However, it is very popular in the Borders region. The 1999 Cricket World Cup was hosted in Scotland.

Baseball

The descendent of Cricket, American Baseball (which was not invented by Abner Doubleday, but rather had its origins in 18th Century Britain) has been growing in popularity in Scotland since it was introduced in the 1930s by US service men.

Base-ball in Britain in 1744

The Scottish Baseball League began in 1988, and includes the Edinburgh Diamond Devils.

Sport in Scotland, Part 1: Football (Soccer)

Association Football (what we Yanks call soccer) is the national sport of Scotland. A greater % of the population watch football in Scotland than anywhere else in the world.

 The sport goes back to the early days of Scotland, when several field ball games were referred to as "foot ball" (it was even banned by the Scottish Parliament in 1457, along with golf). Until the 1800s, these various football games would have been very similar to modern rugby. But in the 1800s, Scottish (and English) football began to take shape. The oldest Scottish football team (called football clubs or F.C. in Britain.) is Queen's Park F.C. housed at Hampden Stadium in Glasgow (which was the largest staidum in the world until 1950.) It is still an amateur club.

Hampden Stadium in Glasgow

Scottish National Cup

The Scottish National Cup was established in 1873, a year after the very first professional football match. it is the oldest national cup in the world. The Scottish National Team, nicknamed the Tartan Army, also plays at Hampden Stadium.

But mainstream football in Scotland - while also played in schoolyards, playgrounds, and in numerous amateur leagues -- consist of two professional leagues: The Scottish Premiere League (SPL), formed in 1998 and the older Scottish Football League (SFL) with three tiered divisions (First, Second, Third), formed in 1890. The SPL is the equivalent of Major League Baseball, while the SFL is akin to baseball's minor leagues. Each year, the top team in the SFL's First Division move up to the Premiere League (called promotion), while the bottom 12th-place  team of the SPL moves down to the SFL (which is is called relegation.)

Twelve teams make up the Scottish Premiere League (SPL).

Here are the current 2010-2011 SPL teams:

Aberdeen FC
Dundee United FC -- finished 3rd in 2010
Celtic FC (Glasgow) -- finished 2nd in 2010
Hamltion Academical FC
Hearts of Midlothian FC (Edinburgh) -- finished 6th in 2010
Hibernian FC (Edinburgh) -- finished 4th in 2010
Inverness Caledonian Thistle FC (promoted in 2010 from SFL)
Kilmarnock FC
Motherwell FC
Rangers FC (Glasgow) - finished 1st in 2010
St Johnston FC
St. Mirren FC


In Edinburgh, there are two SPL teams: Hearts of Midlothian and Hibernian

Named for a Walter Scott novel (which was originally the nickname used for the infamous prison in Edinburgh, the Tolbooth), the Hearts of Midlothian FC (or simply the Hearts) were formed in 1874 and play at the 1886-built Tynecastle Stadium. They play Dundee FC the day we arrive, 15 May 2011. But their main rival is the Hibernian FC.

Formed in 1875 by Irish immigrants in the Cowgate area of Edinburgh, the Hibs first played the Hearts on Christmas Day in the nearby Meadows Park (final score: 0-0). Today, they play at Easter Road Stadium. For fans of Trainspotting, this is the team many of the characters in the novel (and film) support.

Hearts vs. Hibs at Easter Park Stadium in Edinburgh

 

The Meadows Park -- site of the first match between the Hibs and the Hearts in Edinburgh

The Old Firm

Celtic and Rangers fans physically divided at an Old Firm Derby

But the two teams that most outside of Scotland know about are the Celtics and the Rangers, both located in Glasgow. Known together (for unknown reasons) as the Old Firm, the intense (and even at times violent) rivalry has unfortunately given both Glasgow and British football a bad reputation over the years. Although much less so today, this rivalry -- which goes back to 1888 with their first match (a Rangers victory) has taken on sectarian and religious division, with Protestant, native Glaswegains supporting the Rangers while Catholic, Irish Glaswegians would support the Celtics. Unfortunately, while matches between the two (called Old Firm Derbies) have seen violence in the past (e.g., 1980, 1999) and crime even today rises on those game days as much as nine-fold. The last match was 2 April 2011.

FYI - DO NOT WEAR RANGERS OR CELTIC SHIRTS WHILE WE ARE IN GLASGOW.

For the last 13 years, either the Celtics or the Rangers have been the National Champs. This year, they are in fierce competition for the national title yet again.

Celtic Park in Glasgow, the largest stadium in Scotland -- seats over 60,000