Òrain Ìleach

A new book collecting the Gaelic songs of Islay, called Òrain Ghàidhlig à Ìle, launches at a concert this Saturday November 25 in Islay House, Bridgend.

Islay Gaelic Choir are performing the songs written by Islay bards or about Islay, including The Old Men of the Oa, Coll Kitto’s Galley, Fair Sheena, Handsome MacIntosh, The Green Hills of Islay, and Spare My Mother’s Brother about the Battle of Gruinart Sands.

Lynn MacDonald, of Portnahaven, a lecturer at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, explained in the book’s introduction. She said: ‘These songs of Islay represent the life and heritage of a vibrant and unique island community. The themes range from love, through history, war and the beauty of the landscape.

‘Islay has a rich song tradition and included in this book are previously published and well-known Islay songs, others where the song is known locally but for the first time published, and new songs using existing poems that have developed out of community music projects.

‘It represents a meticulous process of putting into print a precious local oral tradition, with all the songs written by Islay bàrds or about Islay. Translations have been included with a view to conveying the meaning of the songs for those who do not have Gaelic rather than as poems in their own right.’

One such Islay bard was Duncan Johnston who lived between 1881-1947. A native of Lagavulin, Duncan Johnston attended Ardbeg school, working on the roads with his father before leaving to serve in France with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders during the First World War.

Following his return to Islay in 1916 as an invalid, he left the island for Glasgow in 1918. His book of songs and poems Crònan nan Tonn was published in 1938 and his songs became well-known and loved, covering themes ranging through war, love and history. He won the coveted Bardic crown at the Mòd in 1929.

National Mòd gold medal winner and Còisir Ghàidhlig Ìle and conductor Kenneth Thomson said some Islay songs were ‘easy to find, such as the published songs of Duncan Johnston, and others have been found by local people to whom we are grateful.

‘There are a number of songs which are unpublished and some which involved asking people to sing them as no musical notation was available. The book also includes three recent musical settings commissioned for the Blàr project and set by Clare Jordan.’

Clare, a native of Connel, was educated at Oban High School before graduating from Sabhal Mòr Ostaig with a BA in Gàidhlig and Traditional Music.

Thereafter she lived and worked in Islay, joining Còisir Ghàidhlig Ìle, and studied to become a primary school teacher.

She is currently teaching at Rockfield Primary School, tutors music and is part of the Argyll-based band Ceòl an Àire.

Kenneth added: ‘Islay has produced many excellent Gaelic singers over the years, including seventeen Mòd gold medallists – a tremendous feat for the island.’

Other island bards

include Hugh MacLachlan (1897-1973) of Bruichladdich, a runner-up in the Bardic crown at the Mòd who left a trove of unpublished poems and songs, and Duncan MacNiven (1880-1955) who, with his brother Charles, was a prolific poet living at Kilchoman.

The book, published by Acair, explains: ‘The boys’ wide education is evidenced in the wit and perspective of their poems, painting an invaluable picture of rural life at the time. ‘Bàird Chill-Chomain

was published in 1943. Featured in this book is a previously unpublished song, Tràigh a’ Mhachair.’

Another featured in the book is Port Charlotte-born Donald MacFadyen (1894-1964), a blacksmith whose songs were preserved by his son, the late Donald MacFadyen, farmer at Carn, who died in 2016.

Eamonn (Edmund) Black (1884-1951), the son of the lighthouse keeper of the Rhinns lighthouse on Orsay island, also made the selection.

He remained in Portnahaven with his mother Catherine and sister following his father’s death, working for the Post Office, before moving to Unst in Shetland as lighthouse keeper himself where he married.

His songs are much loved and well-known in Portnahaven and Port Wemyss.