An turas seo aig tachartas Alba Chruthachail, airson pròiseact sgoile:

CREATIVITY IN SCHOOLS AWARD

Fèis Rois: Fèis Rois worked with The Bridge in Inverness on a project to engage and inspire young people from difficult backgrounds through music. Traditional musicians worked with the group playing instruments, singing and songwriting. At the end of the project the young people recorded their material and designed their own CD cover.

Mealaibh ur naidheachd a-rithist!

http://www.creativescotland.com/news/winners-announced-across-twelve-categories-in-a-celebration-of-scottish-creativity-14122012

Community Project of the Year – Feis Rois Ceilidh Trail 2012

Services to Gaelic Music – Rory and Calum MacDonald of Runrig

Mealaibh ur naidheachd!

Coimhead a-rithist: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00g29zl

Liosta nam buannaichean:

Winners: MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards 2012

Album of the Year – Cillebhride (Kilbride) – Kathleen MacInnes

Club of the Year – Falkirk Folk Club

Composer of the Year – Mike Vass

Community Project of the Year – Feis Rois Ceilidh Trail 2012

Event of the Year – Scots Fiddle Festival

Gaelic Singer of the Year – Riona Whyte

Instrumentalist of the Year – Duncan Chisholm

Live Act of the Year – Session A9

Scots Singer of the Year – Paul McKenna

Scottish Dance Band of the Year – Deoch ‘’n” Dorus

Scottish Folk Band of the Year – Breabach

Pipe Band of the Year – George Watson’s College Pipes and Drums

Trad Music in the Media – Julie Fowlis for Brave

Music Tutor of the Year – Gillian Frame

Up and Coming Artist of the Year – Niteworks

Venue of the Year Award – Bogbain Farm, Inverness

Services to Gaelic Music – Rory and Calum MacDonald of Runrig

Hamish Henderson Services to Traditional Music Award – Isobel Mieras

Òrain Nollaige sa Charmina Gadelica

Rugadh is thogadh Alasdair Mac ‘Ille Mhìcheil (1832 – 1912) ann an Lios Mór. Fad cha mhòr leth-cheud bliadhna chruinnich e òrain, ùrnaighean, sean-fhaclan, cleachdaidhean is beul-aithris air feadh na Gàidhealtachd, “bho Arainn gu Gallaibh agus bho Pheairt gu Hiort”, agus dh’fhoillsich e iad anns a’ Charmina Gadelica ann an 1900. ‘S e seo an cruinneachadh as fharsainge a th’ againn de dh’ùrnaighean is bàrdachd às an dualchas beòil-aithris Gàidhlig, air an aiseag bho ghinealach gu ginealach gun a bhith air an sgrìobhadh sìos, agus gun Alasdair bhiodh a’ mhòr-chuid dhiubh air an call.

Mar a chunnaic sinn leis a’ mhìosachan Ghàidhlig, bhuin cuid mhòr de na cleachdaidhean agus na h-oibeagan traidiseanta do àm ro bhuaidh Crìosdaidheachd, ach rè nan linntean chaidh am filleadh a-steach còmhla rithe. Bha, agus ‘s dòcha gu bheil fhathast, na crìochan eadar creidheamh agus saobh-chràbhadh gu math lionn. Leis gun robh dòigh-beatha nan Gàidheal cho cruaidh, nan sgìrean is eileanan iomallach, bu bheag an t-iongnadh nan robh iad airson an dà chuid “crios agus galairsean” a chumail. Bha saobh-cràbhadh gu math laidir fiù ‘s aig na h-iasgairean diadhaidh ann am Machair Rois gus an fhicheadamh linn.

Chan eil dlighe-sgrìobhaidh aig an leabhar fhèin tuilleadh agus tha e ri leughadh air loidhne:

http://archive.org/details/carminagadelica01carmgoog

no
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/cg1/index.htm

Seo cuid den chruinneachadh a tha ceangailte ri àm na Nollaige.

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Christmas songs from the Carmina Gadelica

Alexander Carmichael (1832 – 1912) was born and raised on Lismore. For almost 50 years he collected songs, prayers, proverbs, customs and oral traditions all over the Highlands, “from Aran to Caithness and Perth to St Kilda”, and published them in the Carmina Gadelica in 1900. This is most comprehensive collection that we have of prayers and poetry from the Gaelic oral heritage, passed on from generation to generation without being written down, and without Alexander, the majority of them would have been lost.

As we saw with the Gaelic calendar, many of the traditional customs and incantations belonged to a time before the influence of Christianity, but in the course of the centuries they were integrated into it. The borders between belief and superstition were, and perhaps still are, very fluid. It wouldn’t be surprising if the Gaels, in their remote regions and islands and with the tough lives they had, preferred to hang onto both “belt and braces”. Superstition was going strong even among the god-fearing fisherfolk of the Seaboard into the 20th century.

Carmina Gadelica is now out of copyright and can be read online, here
http://archive.org/details/carminagadelica01carmgoog

or here
http://www.sacred-texts.com/neu/celt/cg1/index.htm

Here are some Christmas-related items from the collection:

THESE carols were sung by a band of men who went about from house to house in the townland. The band selected a leader for their singing and for their actions throughout the night. This leader was called ‘fear-duan,’ song-man, and the others were called ‘fir-fuinn,’ chorus-men. When they had sung their carols at a house, two or three bannocks were handed out to them through a window.  The song-man got half of every bannock so received, and the other half went to the chorus-men.

Barrachd air Pròiseact MhicGilleMhìcheil MhicBhatair an seo: http://www.carmichaelwatson.lib.ed.ac.uk/cwatson/gd/

 More on the Alexander Camichael / Watson archive project here: http://www.carmichaelwatson.lib.ed.ac.uk/cwatson/

Fear a’ Bhàta – the Boatman

An-uiridh sgrìobh mi mu aon òran Gàidhlig ainmeil le ceanglaichean ris a’ mhuir – An Ataireachd Àrd, agus seo fear eile, Fear a’ Bhàta.  Tha e air a chlàradh, sa Ghàidhlig agus sa Bheurla, le iomadh seinneadair is còmhlan-ciùl air feadh an t-saoghail, agus tha mòran daoine a’ creidsinn gur e òran Èireannach a th’ ann, ach chan e idir.  Sgrìobh Sìne Fhionnlastan à Tunga ann an Leòdhas e aig deireadh an 18mh linn deug mu iasgair òg, Dòmhnall MacRath à Ùige.

A rèir choltais phòs an dithis greis as dèidh dhi an t-òran a sgrìobhadh, ach tha e follaiseach nach do ruith cùisean dìreach gu rèidh anns na mìosan roimhe. ‘S e òran gu math fada a th’ ann, agus cha bhi gach uile ràn ga sheinn – cha chluinn thu gu tric ràn 5 agus 9, far a bheil Sìne a’ bruidhinn mun dragh a tha oirre gum faodhadh boireannaich eile a bhith aig Dòmhnall (‘a girl in every port’) agus gum bi i ann an èiginn mur an till e a dh’ aithghearr.
Cha bhi thu a’ faireachdainn gur e  seo sgeul a chrìochnaicheas gu sona. Saoil an do thill e gu saor-thoileach mu dheireadh thall, no am b’ e gum b’ fheudar dha?

Bitheamaid an dòchas gun robh e na bu mhodhaile an uair a phòs iad……… chan eil cunntas ann co-dhiù gun do sgrìobh Sìne òrain brònach eile!

Gaelic
Séist:
Fhir a’ bhàta, na hóro eile
Fhir a’ bhàta, na hóro eile
Fhir a’ bhàta, na hóro eile
Mo shoraidh slàn leat ‘s gach àit’ an déid thu

1. ‘S tric mi sealltainn on chnoc as àirde
Dh’fheuch am faic mi fear a’ bhàta
An dig thu ‘n-diugh na ‘n dig thu màireach
‘S mar dig thu idir gur truagh a tha mi

2. Tha mo chridhe-sa briste brùite
‘S tric na deòir a ruith o m’ shùilean
An dig thu nochd na ‘m bi mo dhùil riut
Na ‘n dùin mi ‘n doras le osna thùrsaich?

3. ‘S tric mi faighneachd de luchd nam bàta
Am fac’ iad thu no ‘m bheil thu sàbhailt
Ach ‘s ann a tha gach aon dhiubh ‘g ràitinn
Gur gòrach mise ma thug mi gràdh dhut

4. Gheall mo leannan dhomh gùn dhen t-sìoda
Gheall e siud agus breacan rìomhach
Fàinn’ òir anns am faicinn ìomhaigh
Ach ‘s eagal leam gun dèan e dìochuimhn’

5. Chan eil baile beag sam bi thu
nach tàmh thu greis ann a chur do sgìos dhìot
bheir thu làmh air do leabhar rìomhach
a ghabhail dhuanag ‘s bhuireadh nìghneag.

6. Ged a thuirt iad gun robh thu aotrom
Cha do lughdaich siud mo ghaol ort
Bidh tu m’ aisling anns an oidhche
Is anns a’ mhadainn bidh mi ‘gad fhaighneachd

7. Thug mi gaol dhut ‘s chan fhaod mi àicheadh
Cha ghaol bliadhna ‘s cha ghaol ràithe
Ach gaol a thòisich nuair bha mi ‘m phàiste
‘S nach searg a chaoidh gus an claoidh am bàs mi

8. Tha mo chàirdean gu tric ag innseadh
Gum feum mi d’ aogas a leig’ air dìochuimhn’
Ach tha ‘n comhairle dhomh cho dìomhain
‘S bi tilleadh mara ‘s i toirt lìonaidh

9. Tha mo chriosan air dol an àirde
chan ann bho fhìdhleir no bho chlàrsair
ach bho stiùireadair a’ bhàta –
‘s mur dig thu dhachaigh gur truagh mar thà mi.

10. Bidh mi tuille tùrsach deurach
Mar eala bhàn ‘s i an dèidh a reubadh
Guileag bàis aic’ air lochan feurach
Is càch gu lèir an dèidh a trèigeadh

 

Last year I wrote about one famous Gaelic song connected to the sea – An Ataireachd Àrd, the High Surging Sea, and here’s  another, Fear a’ Bhàta – the Boatman.  It’s been recorded, in Gaelic and English, by countless singers and bands all over the world, and many people think it’s an Irish song, but it’s not. Jane Finlayson of Tong in Lewis wrote it at the end of the 18th century about Donald Macrae, a young fisherman from Uig.

By all accounts the two got married not long after she wrote the song, but it’s obvious that things didn’t run smoothly in the months before. It’s a long song, but not every verse is sung – you don’t often hear verses 5 and 9, where Jane talks about her worries that Donald has a girl in every port, and her very real difficulties if he doesn’t come home soon.

You don’t feel that this is a story that will end happily. I wonder if he came back voluntarily in the end, or was he ‘encouraged?

 Let’s hope that he behaved a bit better once they were married……..at least there no records of any more sad songs written by Jane!

English translation
Chorus:
Oh my boatman, na hóro eile
Oh my boatman, na hóro eile
Oh my boatman, na hóro eile
My farewell and health to you wherever you go

1. It’s often that I look from the highest hill
to see if I can spot the boatman
Will you come tonight, or will you come tomorrow
Oh wretched will I be if you do not come at all

2. My heart is broken, bruised
Often tears are running down from my eyes
Will you come tonight, if I wait up for you,
Or close the door with a sorrowful sigh?

3. I often ask of the boatmen
If they have seen you, if you are safe
But every one of them tells me
That I was daft if I gave you love.

4. My beloved promised me a gown of silk
He promised me that and a fine plaid
A golden ring in which I’d see his likeness
But I’m afraid that he may forget.

5. There’s not a village where you
don’t stop for a while and take your ease,
and you get out your fancy notebook
and sing songs to entice the girls.

6. Although they said you were flighty
That did not lessen my love for you
You were my dream at night
And in the morning I was asking for you.

7. I gave you love and cannot deny it
It’s not love that lasts a year or a season
But a love that began when I was a child
And that will not wither until death wears me out.

8. My friends are often telling me
That I must put your face out of my mind
But their advice is as vain to me
As trying to turn the incoming tide.

9. My belt has risen now
Not because of a fiddler or a harpist
but because of the steersman of a boat –
and if you don’t come home, it’s wretched that I am.

10. I will forever be sad and tearful
Like a white swan that has been wounded
Weeping in death on a small grassy loch
After everyone else has deserted her.

Singable English version :

How often haunting the highest hilltops
I scan the ocean, I sail the sea
wilt come tonight love, wilt come tomorrow
wilt ever come love to comfort me?

Fhear a bhàta no horo eile  (3)
oh fare thee well love, where e’er you be

They call thee fickle, they call thee false one
and seek tae change me but all in vain
for thou art my dream all through the dark night
and every morning I scan the sea

Fear a bhàta no horo eile…

There’s not a hamlet, too well I know it,
where you go wandering or set a while
but all the old folks you win wi’ talking
and charm its maidens wi’ song and smile

Fhear a bhàta no horo eile…

Do you remember the promise made me
the tartan plaidie, the silken gown
the ring of gold with thy hair and portrait?
that gown and ring I will never know

Fhear a bhàta no horo eile…

Some recordings on YouTube:

Capercaillie (Gaelic): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A5muVg_ZWek

Niamh Parsons (Irish): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTo6DL6qGw8

Silly Wizard (Scots): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-j-dKK-4a18

Sandy Denny (English): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmSoyoJRzWw

Dealbhan-ola le  / paintings by Johan Sutherland

Mòd  Nàiseanta Rìoghail na Cloinne ann an Dùn Omhain:

Chaidh duais òr (aois 5 -6) do Cheit Nic Amhlaigh agus duais  òr (aois 9 – 10) do  Lùcas MacAulay, an dithis à Bun-sgoil Cnoc na Creige, Baile Dhubhthaich, airson innse sgeulachd.

Mealaibh ur naidheachd, a Cheit is a Lùcais! 

Gold badges for Kate and Luke MacAuley of Craighill Primary, Tain, for story telling at the Mòd in Dunoon – well done, the pair of them!

 Dealbh / photo: http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Tain/366391446774110 Tàing mhòr! Nach ‘like’ sibh Tain air Facebook?

Aig toiseach an Lùnasdail bha mi latha no dhà ann an Siorrachd York còmhla ri caraidean agus ‘s e sgìre uabhasach brèagha a th’ innte. Aon ‘treat’ sònraichte – rinn sinn turas air an rathad-iarainn North Yorks Moors eadar Grosmont is Goathland agus air ais, ann an trèana-smùid nan 1950an.

An-diùgh fhèin lorg mi am blog fiosrachail seo, dìreach mu dheidhinn sin – agus sa Ghàidhlig! Abair co-thuiteamas!

At the beginning of August I was in Yorkshire for a couple of days with friends, and one special treat was a trip on the North Yorks Moors Railway between Grosmont and Goathland and back, in a 1950s steam-train. And just today, I found this informative blog, precisely on that topic – and in Gaelic! What a coincidence!

http://treanaichean.wordpress.com/2012/08/05/spors-ann-an-siorrachd-york-2-am-fear-mor-rathad-iarainn-north-yorkshire-moors-gaidhlig-nymr/

 Spòrs ann an Siorrachd York (2) – Am fear mòr – Rathad-iarainn North Yorkshire Moors #gaidhlig #NYMR

Air a phostadh 05/08/2012 by alasdairmaccaluim     http://treanaichean.wordpress.com/

“Tha rathaidean-iarainn glèidhte ann agus tha rathaidean-iarainn glèidhte ann.”

Gu tric le rathaidean-iarainn mar seo, tha an loidhne a’ tòiseachadh ann am meadhan achaidh 10 mìle air falbh bho àite sam bith agus a’ crìochnachadh 11.5 mìle air falbh bho àite sam bith ann an meadhan achaidh eile.

Chan ann mar sin idir a tha Rathad-iarainn North Yorkshire Moors (NYMR). Tha an loidhne fada – mu 20 mìle uile gu lèir, tha e ann an àite far a bheil daoine ag iarraidh a dhol (Pàirce Nàiseanta nan North Yorkshire Moors) agus tha ceangail ann ris an lìonra nàiseanta.Tha an loidhne seo a’ ceangail Pickering ri Grosmont (‘gro-mont’) agus tha ceangal ann ri seirbheisean nàiseanta air an loidhne eadar Middlesborough agus Whitby (Loidhne Esk Valley) ann an Grosmont. Nas fhèarr nas sin, bidh an NYMR fhèin a’ ruith seirbheisean air an lìonra nàiseanta eadar ceann loidhne an NYMR ann an Grosmont gu Whitby. Mar sin, faodaidh daoine a’ dol bho Pickering gu Whitby gun a bhith ag atharrachadh trèana. Is e deagh ghoireas do luchd-turais a tha seo.

Is e an NYMR fear de na loidhnichean glèidhte as sine, as fhaide agus as soirbheachaile ann an Sasainn. Bidh barrachd dhaoine a’ cleachdadh na loidhne seo agus bidh e a’ togail tòrr a bharrachd airgid na iomadh loidhne dhùthchail a tha fhathast mar phàirt den lìonra nàiseanta.Tha an loidhne a’ ruith tron phàirce nàiseanta agus tha seallaidhean brèagha rim faicinn – fèidh is fraoch is monaidhean.Tha an loidhne seo proifeiseanta, mòr agus brèagha agus bu chòir gach duine aig a bheil ùidh ann an rathaidean-iarainn a dhol air co-dhiù aon turas nam beatha.

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“There are preserved railways and there are preserved railways…..”.   It’s often the case with railways like these that they start in a field 10 miles from anywhere, and finish in another field 11.5 miles away from anywhere. The North Yorkshire Moors Railway is not like that at all. The line is long – about 20 miles altogether, and it’s in a place where lots of people want to go (the North Yorks Moors National Park), and it’s connected to the national train network.This line links Pickering with Grosmont and has a connection to the national line between Middlesborough and Whitby (Esk Valley line) at Grosmont. Better than that, the NYMR runs its own service beween its terminus in Grosmont and Whitby on the national line, so that passengers can travel from Pickering to Whitby without changing trains – a great facility for tourists. The NYMR is one of the oldest, longest and most successful preserved lines in England. It has more users and brings in more money than many of the country lines that are still part of the national network. It runs through the national park, and there are beautiful views to be had – deer, heather, moors.This is a professional, large-scale and attractive line, and anyone with an intererst in railways should go on it at least once in his lifetime.

(Written by Alasdair MacCaluim and reprinted with his permission – mòran taing!)

 Aon rud a bh’ ann a bha fìor dhrùidhteach agus a chuir seòrsa cianalais orm; bha na stèiseanan cho grinn ‘s cho bòidheach, le pailteas fhlùraichean brèagha anns gach oisean agus na togalaichean agus drochaidean uile air an ùr-pheantadh ; chì thu sa bhad gum bi daoine a’ coimhead orra agus gu bheil iad mòiteil asta. Bha caraid còmhla rinn aig an robh an t-athair ag obair na oifigear-rèilichean sna 50an  ‘s sna 60an, agus thuirt esan gum b’ e sin pàirt den obair àbhaisteach aig gach cosnaiche; nuair nach robh dìreach trèanaichean ann no luchd-siùbhail, b’ fheudar dhaibh coimhead air na flùraichean agus an stèisean gu lèir, feuch gum biodh a h-uile càil glan is tlachdmhor. Tha chuimhn’ agam fhèin air sin a-nis. Sna làithean seo, ‘s e luchd-saor-thoilleach a bhios a’ dèanamh na mòrchuid den obair sin anns na stèiseanan NYMR .

One thing which really made an impression on me, and made me quite nostalgic: the stations are so neat and pretty, with a wealth of lovely flowers in every nook and cranny, and the buildings and footbridges all freshly painted. You can see at once that people are looking after them, and are proud of them.  There was a friend with us whose father worked for the railways in the 50s and 60s, and he said that that was part of the normal work of every employee – when there wasn’t actually a train or passengers there, they had to look after the flowers and the whole station,  and make sure that everything was clean and attractive. I can remember that myself now. Nowadays it’s volunteers who do most of that work in the NYMR stations.

Seo cuid de na dealbhan agam / Here are some of my pictures.

  Barrachd fiosrachaidh an seo / More information here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Yorkshire_Moors_Railway