Waulk this way at Auchindrain Homespun harmonies are calling the tune at Scotland’s last township
Once a month, during most of the summer season, visitors to Scotland’s last remaining “living museum” township at Auchindrain are in for a real treat when the ladies of Sgioba Luaidh Inbhirchluaidh (Inverclyde Waulking Group) make a tuneful appearance.
Together since 2000, this 10-strong band of sisters has performed their traditional Gaelic waulking music at Auchindrain for 15 years and have travelled the length and breadth of Scotland, as well as further afield, demonstrating their impressive harmonies.
Waulking, the final stage in the long and laborious process of producing homespun tweed woollen cloth, is the perfect rhythmical process for a song, according to Frances Dunlop who heads up the group.
She said: “The genesis of Sgioba Luaidh Inbhirchluaidh was way back in 1981, when I first went to a summer school in Stirling University with Anne Lorne Gillies.
Visitors to Auchindrain are in for a real treat during the summer when the ladies of Sgioba Luaidh Inbhirchluaidh (Inverclyde Waulking Group) will make a tuneful appearance once a month.
“I had sung in Gaelic choirs for many years, but over several years under Anne’s guidance I came to appreciate traditional Gaelic song - and my life was transformed.
“Gradually I became more familiar with waulking songs, but it was a long time before I plucked up courage to suggest to Greenock Gaelic Choir that some of us might sing them together and so the group came into being.
“Our very first performance was in December 2000 when we had a 10-minute spot at the choir’s annual concert.
“There are currently 10 of us in the group, two of whom, besides myself, are founder members.”
Waulking or fulling the cloth, was practised widely but it is believed that only in Scottish Gaelic culture was it accompanied by singing.
It is an ancient tradition with some of the songs being centuries old, passed on orally and transformed into many differing versions.
Frances added: “Most of the songs are loosely structured: in order to make a song last long enough for the work, lines might be imported from another song or perhaps a few lines of improvisation could be thrown in.
“One woman sings the verse of one or two lines. It seems effortless but takes a lot of skill and practice to get the timing exactly right.
“The rest join in the chorus, which in the oldest songs are composed of meaningless vocals. Later songs may have some words in the chorus as well.
“The waulking would begin with a slow song, increasing in speed as the cloth dried, and the women got warmed up.”
“Waulking died out a few decades ago but these songs are worth preserving. They need to be ‘worked’ in order to bring them to life.”
Auchindrain Historic Township, between Inveraray and Lochgilphead, is in winter mode until the end of March.
For more information visit www.waulk.org and www. auchindrain.org.uk.