Getting on with my life and thinking about things.
There's a fine programme on BBC2 called "Scotland's Music with Phil Cunningham", with Phil Cunningham presenting a programme about music from Scotland. He delves into Scotland's past, meets people, and discusses the tunes and who wrote them.
In this week's episode he covered work. Which meant that he looked into waulking songs, with Anne Lorne Gillies and Capercaillie; shepherds (with a trip to Tibbie Shiel's Inn in Ettrick); fishing in Stonehaven and whaling in Peterhead; jute in Dundee, and travellers and Doric balladeers, "fit fit fits fit fit?"
So you get a better idea of aspects of Scottish people, history, the environment, oh, and some music too.
Being a modern media company, the BBC have a website where you can watch (and listen to) clips from the shows so far. Heuch.
4 comments:
Thanks for that Dunc. Great stuff
Off with lurgy today, and watched episode 2 whilst curled up on sofa. He cuts in Rab C Nesbit and Robert Burns in the same programme, that also covered romantic music inspired by the landscape, to baudy ballads from the farm workers. A veritable tour d'force, a great series.
I caught the episode about work and I'm now really sorry I missed the earlier episodes. What was the name of the union organiser who wrote those songs about the Dundee jute mills? I can't remember and would like to find out more about her.
Hi KB. It was Mary Brooksbank who wrote the songs. She is talked about in the clip on the BBC player.
A quick search on the name reveals a few facts:
Mary Brooksbank was born in Aberdeen in 1897, but moved to Dundee at an early age and spent most of her life there. It was in Dundee that Mary gained her reputation as a socialist orator, poet, and folk singer. (thesis link)
"Oh dear me" Lyrics and photo.
I don't know if there is a direct connection, but there is a Mary Brooksbank School in NSW, Australia. Link
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