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Julie Fowlis – Ceòl aig Baile

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Here’s a great for the folkies among us, a series of performances filmed in lockdown curated by Julie Fowlis, who also presents (in Gaelic with English subtitles). There are individual and collaborative performances from across the world, the collaborations often being filmed in separate locations. It is only broadcast in Scotland but the first two episodes are on iPlayer.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episodes/m000j48p/julie-fowlis-ceol-aig-baile

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  2. Topically – there’s been a six part series on whisky on BBC Alba fairly recently – looked at the regions individually and had a tasting session, as well as the usual history and distillery tours…Gaelic with English subtitles, which is the usual format.

  3. Started learning the Gaelic on Duolingo in March, but it fell off my attention as other things demanded my time and attention. Must start again. Fascinating language: lots of words that have slipped into English, and, like french, quite a lot of, shall we say, anglaelic. (As opposed to franglais)

    • I noticed that in the programme, occasional words which I recognise among the Gaelic. It’s strange how Gaelic is so easy on the ear when Welsh sounds like a cat throwing up.

    • It’s good how widespread a language it is becoming now. Over the last few years there has been a definite campaign to rescue it from being stigmatised as a “dead language”. My son and my wife both speak it – but languages are not my thing and I’m too stuck in my ways to try to learn it!

      • That is wonderful news, Arthur. I bet Julie’s success has helped a fair deal.

        She is a singer who I enjoy enormously without understanding a single word.

        Thanks for the Salsa Celtica clip, Fitter. It’s a cracker And there’s even a translation of the lyrics in the notes.

        My “mother tongue” is Welsh as my late mother grew up speaking it on the Prescelly Hills. I know two or three words.

        So as for Gatz’s comment about vomiting moggies, I am shocked and offended, and will be having a huff all afternoon!!

        • I spent my teens in North Wales, and it’s difficult to forgive a place that. I say North Wales, but my school was walking distance from the border and we would sometimes sneak out and go to England for lunch.

          That still meant that when I moved there from Glasgow I had two years of compulsory Welsh lessons. I can still count from one to ten in Welsh, and I used to know the Welsh for ‘Mr Jones had bacon and eggs for breakfast’ but I lost that somewhere along the way, which I can’t say I particularly regret.

          And I do find it a particularly unpleasant spoken language, but then the North Wales accent is pretty grim and could have a lot to do with it.

  4. When one is a teen, compulsory Welsh is probably the last thing one wants, so I can easily forgive you Gatz.

    We had compulsory French and I was struggling with the letters.

    Today I discovered that Ms Fowlis appeared on the soundtrack of the animated film, Brave. Hope it made her a few bob.

    I also heard from Hubert that Sandy Denny had sung in Gaelic.

    The next big thing could be Gaelic hip hop.!

    https://celticlifeintl.com/gaelic-in-modern-music/

    Hmmmmmm…

    Here is Griogair in more rootsy mood.

  6. A million years ago, the Beat Poets provided the theme music for the BBC Scotland show named after the gaelic word for “going out for a pint and staying out past suppertime” – Ran Dan.

    With vocals –

    instromentally –

  7. I attempted to find which Scottish Gaelic artists were best known,

    I failed but did discover this blog by Emily McEwan.

    https://gaelic.co/gaelic-voices/

    In her teens she heard this stupendous song by Catherine-Ann MacPhee and was hooked on Gaelic music for life.

    And she has lots of excellent suggestions.

    Anyone heard of Runrig? They sound like a great band…Just the sort of combo that would be very popular here.

    Ooops !¨ll get my kilt

  9. Well I never!

    I was quite surprised to discover that there were a large number of Gaelic speaking slaves (mostly Irish) on Iceland.

    https://icelandmag.is/article/celtic-influence-icelandic-language-and-culture-likely-greater-previously-believed

    And that the Viking probably invented haggis!

    https://icelandmag.is/article/haggis-originally-brought-scotland-vikings-award-winning-scottish-butcher-argues

    Have there ever been any hit singles n Scottish Gaelic? I found this one by Canadian Mary Jane Lamond. Rather catchy.

    • That combination of the two languages works a treat, Malo.

      Here’s something I was not expecting to find: C & W in Gaelic! Rather jolly too. From the Glasgow Grand Ole Opry

      Here’s Jenna Cumming again, singing a more traditional song. What a voice!

      As we can see from her new TV show, Julie Fowlis enjoys playing together with musicians from other backgrounds. Here she is with her husband, Eamon Dooley, together with two Irish musicians, husband and wife duo, Zoe Conway and John McIntyre.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqELnKDHiWY&t=720s

      They’ve recorded a whole album together, Allt, with Gaelic songs from Scotland and Ireland.

      https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/music/julie-fowlis-%C3%A9amon-doorley-zo%C3%AB-conway-and-john-mcintyre-allt-review-awesome-foursome-make-musical-magic-1.3704343

      On Spotify. I intend to give it a serious Tigger Testing.

      A little more of Zoe and John.

      What a find! That girl can play the fiddle!

      • This fine clip of Martyn Bennett playing live at CC is probably from that doc that Peanuts Molley mentioned above.

        It emphasises the importance of Celtic Connections as regards changing attitudes towards traditional music in Scotland. No coincidence that the musical director of the festival is a member of Capercaille whom have done so much to increase the popularity of Scottish traditional music by pushing the envelope.

        Here’s a fine Gaelic documentary about them (with subtitles for us English speakers).

  13. Out of the blue, I just got a message from a Scottish lass who I met at a Ceilidh here a while back.

    She must have noticed my enthusiastic comments on Facebook about Scottish folk music.

    Anyway, she really like Daimh and suggested I gave them a listen.

    Excellent!

    Anyway, I sent her my playlist based this thread

    and she wrote back and told that our singing, dancing weather lady, Joy Dunlop had been her Gaelic teacher!

    Small world indeed

  15. Thanks introducing us to Niteworks, Retro.

    I was just taking a quick look at their 2019 CC gig.

    I don’t think Jimmy Shand did too many shows like this.

    A heady mixture of political comment, ancient and modern music styles and a dramatic, exciting stage show. Wow!

  17. Thanks a lot @Gatz.

    Due to you starting this thread, my knowledge of Scottish Gaelic music has increased enormously.

    As has my respect and enthusiasm about Julie Fowlis. I’ve been entranced by her music ever since I heard a track on a Songlines sampler, more than a few years back. Listening to few more tracks during the last few days has really bolstered my enthusiasm.

    And i really respect the way that she is using her own popularity to boost the popularity of others.

    Julie, James Yorkston, Karine Polwart, Niamh are all doing their bit for Scottish culture.

    And so many exciting new names for many of us….

    Jenna Cummings, Griogair Labhruidh, Joy Dunlop, Catherine-Anne McPhee, Alasdair Codona, Kathleen MacInnes ……

    And to my delight, over on Facebook, people are mentioning bands I might like-.

    It gives me great pleasure to present Rhuvaal, a young, talented band from from Argyll.

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