After all the trials and tribulation, treachery and torment of the past week in Westminster, I fancy a peaceful weekend away from it all. And what better place for that than an island?
I’ve a few bees in my bonnet about islands at the moment.
Firstly, islands off the West Coast of Ireland. Our book circle have just read Roddy Doyle’s Smile, The protagonist, now in his 50s, looks back to his school days and among other things recalls having to read the autobiography of Peig Sawyers at school. This book, written in Gaelic, was compulsory reading for all Irish school kids in the years after independence. Not a cheerful read. Misery, pain and suffering on the Blasket Islands.
It was all so OTT that it inspired that wonderfully amusing writer, Third Policeman Hitmaker, Flann O’Brien, to write a parody of it; The Poor Mouth. It “ relates the story of one Bonaparte O’Coonassa, born in a cabin in a fictitious village called Corkadoragha in western Ireland equally renowned for its beauty and the abject poverty of its residents.” His satire got him into a lot of hot water.
No doubt about it. There is something very unique about those treeless, windswept islands off the West Coast of Ireland. I believe they have a special place in the heart of the Irish..
Next stop: the Shetland Islands.
Multi-instrumentalist, Inge Thomson, who hails from Fair Isle, has been mentioned several times on the AW. Recently. I became very keen to hear more of her music and explore her back catalogue. She often plays with Karine Polwart but previously was in Drop the Box and then Harem Scarem, How can I not love Scottish band who had an album called the Birnam Witch Project?
I am very keen to hear more about Inge’s back-catalogue and the modern music of the Scottish highlands and islands.
All this brings us to the author who really put the Shetland Isles on the modern popular culture map
In her early 20s, Anne Cleeves worked at a bird watching centre on the Shetlands. 30 years later she wrote her first novel about DCI Jimmy Perez.
Saturday TV in Sweden is saved. “Shetland” is back! Interesting stories, fine acting and magnificent scenery: it is a treat. Cleeves also created Tyneside DCI Vera Stanhope so wonderfully played by Brenda Blethyn. To my own surprise, I have never read one of her books.
Guensey, Corsica, Gozo,, Sark, Iceland, Malta, the Orkneys, Sardinia, Cap Verde, the Hebrides, Menorca, Crete, the Easter Islands, Ibiza, Corfu, the Isle of Man…..
Please share your thoughts about your favourite islands. And if there is a tune or two, some books or a film, we would like to hear about it.
Colin H says
Now we’re talking… I’ve been to some of these remote places you speak of – not Shetland, alas, but the Orkneys (two or three times), several of the Outer Hebrides, Aranmore (off NW Ireland – I was marooned there in the hostel for some days circa 1990, when the weather was too wild for the ferry), and Skellig – a really extraordinary place eight miles off Kerry (SW Ireland).
Irish polymath and legend Seamus Ennis (piper, broadcaster, storyteller, song collector, bilingual…) was involved in the translation into English of Peig Sayers’ book – he may actually have been instrumental in her writing it (in Gaelic), I can’t recall offhand. Here he is in 1972:
Springer Bell says
Alas Colin you are incorrect. Seamus had nothing to do with Peig Sayers autobiography.
She was a storyteller in her own right. A teacher from Dublin called, Máire Ní Chinnéide asked Peig to tell her life story to her son Mícheál Ó Guithín who wrote it all down. Máire Ní Chinnéide edited the manuscript and published it in 1936.
Bryan McMahon (who I knew) a teacher and poet from Listowel translated it from Irish to English.
Peig was the book that broke more hearts for generations students learning Irish in Ireland because it was so depressing. Also there was no escape because it was on the compulsory Irish course.
It was even more depressing when it was translated into English. And I did mention that to Bryan many times. It was probably the most despised Irish Book on the course and thankfully has been long consigned to history. Irish is still compulsory though.
If you’ve never travelled to the Islands of the west coast of Ireland I’d highly recommend it. Aran Islands, Clare Island and all the way down to the Blaskets. Even a trip to Dingle Co Kerry where Peig lived and onto Dunquin where she is buried. It’s a special part of the world.
Just skip the book.
Well done on your own work on the pipers. Your work keeps it alive.
Colin H says
My apologies, Springmeister – I was going from memory re: the Ennis connectioon, though I’ve just Googled and amazon is selling the book ‘translated by Seamus Ennis’. I don’t have the piping book to hand to look up what I may have said on the matter in (I forget vast swathes of knowledge once they’re committed to print).
Colin H says
While I was working on my book on this history of Irish pipers – with substantial chapters and new research on Seamus Ennis – I was inspired to create the homage to him, inspired by the story that, when he was seconded from an Irish folklore organisation to Lewis (Outer Hebrides) one winter in the early 1940s, to collect songs for a Scottish archive, he swam in the sea every day. Madness. I’ve been there – the sea is bitterly cold.
thecheshirecat says
Reporting in present and correct!
Karine Polwart was one of many luminaries who took the boat to Eigg for the Songs of Separation, doing one of those ‘house project’ things where you put a load of creatives together for a week, give them a theme, and see what comes out.
This was the contribution from Kate Young, currently playing with Kathyrn Tickell, but more than capable of standing in her own right – a true one-off. By all accounts, the 10 part syncopated clapping and breathy BVs took some arranging, but the memory has stuck with me, of it coming together on stage at Cambridge.
Kaisfatdad says
Thanks for that marvellous description of the Pains of Reading Peig, Springer.
I discovered her in this passage from Roddy Doyle’s Smile. Being a teenager is never easy. Having to read the most depressing book ever, just makes it worse.
“I went to the school, St Martin’s CBS, for five years and I had an erection for four of them, even during Irish. I sat through Peig and O Pheann an Phiarsaigh and thought of legs and nipples and the birds on Benny Hill and my friends’ mothers and sisters. And the women in the Sunday Workd. And the pictures of footballers wives that were sometimes in Football Weekly. And Lynseý de Paul, And the women in Abba. And Pan’s People.”
Thanks for kicking things off in such style, Colin. Your hommage to Seamus Ennis is a cracker.
As is Kate Young’s Sea King. Glad to see you here , Cheshire.
A short film about the Songs of Separation project. The album is on Spotify.
retropath2 says
I adore the hebrides, the outer over the inner, my mother hailing from Melbost, on the west coast of Lewis, home village of Murdo McFarlane, the bard of Melbost, who was 14 years older than she. I have an interesting tribute album to him , featuring many singers of the gaelic.
https://www.thedancinghaggis.com/dhachaigh-home-the-murdo-macfarlane-songbook-p-69709.html
I can’t find anything from it on the youtube, sadly, but here is fellow celt, the breton Dan Ar Braz doing one of his songs, singing courtesy Karen Matheson of Capercaillie.
Lewis is stupendously bleak, windswept and tree-less, often more water than land, needing a hefty constitution to survive it.
Kaisfatdad says
Beautiful song. And fascinating to discover that you have your roots in the Hebrides.
Just to broaden things out a little. There is something about islands. They often develop their own musical culture.
Corsica- polyphony
Cap Verde – morna
It is a long and interesting list
Are there not some islands in Canada which are are of great mportance for folk music?
thecheshirecat says
Ah, my dear, late sister-in-law would have been delighted to see Corsican polyphony getting an airing. This was her favourite Corsican band. There’s more than a hint of the Middle Eastern call to prayer in there, don’t you think?
Kaisfatdad says
Back to the Hebrides. It was holidays there that inspired Cressida Cowell’s Dragon Trainer books.
I enjoyed the films but the books are in a class of their own. and full of Hebridean atmosphere.
https://www.scotsman.com/arts-and-culture/books/cressida-cowell-on-bringing-dragon-series-to-an-end-1-3866634
Gosh!
I’ve just discovered that there was a remake of 1949 comedy classic Whisky Galore. Well I never!
retropath2 says
The canadian northern wilds and islands are indeed important, Novia Scotia being more than just fanciful nomenclature. Much as the welsh speaking natives of Tierra Del Fuego, at the opposite end of the earth, so there is a strong gaelic tradition in the peri-arctic of canada, exemplified most famously by the Rankin Family and various MacIsaacs. (My mother was very disparaging about their accents/pronunciation mind….)
Colin H says
You might enjoy this, Fatz – a load of Inner Hebrideans from an early 90s album that stuck in my memory:
Kaisfatdad says
Very nice. I will listen more later.
Ok, cinephiles.on which Swedish island did this encounter take place?
https://youtu.be/f4yXBIigZbg
Bergman was so taken by it that he spent the last years of his life on Fårö, a small
Island, linked to the main island.
Do any of you AWers like on an island or go to one for your hole every year?
Kaisfatdad says
I’ll try that again!
Do any of you live on an island or often return to the same island for your holidays!
Thinking about Peig and also about the Scottish islands, it strikes me that islands are very conducive to the survival of “smaller” languages.
Very true in the Balearics. Cue for a song from Maria Del Mar Bonet and Joan Manuel Serrat.
biggles says
Guernsey is lovely, but the I am biased – it is my home. Other islands in our Bailiwick are Aldnerney, Herm and Sark, the last of which is particularly splendid – no cars (transport: cycles, tractors or horses) and official Dark Sky status. Was there last weekend for the unveiling of a blue lacquer to Mervyn Peake and foraging walks with John Wright from River Cottage.
Music – Mura Masa, Nessi Gomes, The Recks, or even Enya’s latest.
Books – The Book Of Ebenezer Le Page, or one of the many about our occupation during WWII.
Colin H says
You should try explaining the arcane jurisdictional aspects of Sark to Fatz… 🙂
Kaisfatdad says
Thanks, Biggles. That LePage book sounds very interesting. A real chronicle of Guernsey history.
https://www.nyrb.com/products/the-book-of-ebenezer-le-page?variant=1094931609
Here is a wonderfully enthusiastic review.
While googling that I stumbled across the national anthem of Guernsey.
bigstevie says
Michael Marra was asked to write a song for the BBC series ‘Hard Cash’ in the late ’80s or early ’90s . The theme being money, obviously. I don’t know if the tv show was ever made, but the soundtrack cd was….it’s called Hard Cash……some Richard Thompson and a beauty from Ron Kavana on it too.
Anyway, Marra wrote a song called ‘The Guernsey Kitchen Porter’ for it. He seemed to use the theme to have someone in hiding, about as far away as he could get. Fascinating how his mind worked. This is the version from ‘Candy Philosophy’ album. The one on Hard Cash is slightly different.
Marra worked on South Uist in the Outer Hebrides, teaching songwriting in the ’80s. He knew that everything shut down for the Sabbath (Sunday) i.e. shops, hotels, pubs, ferries etc. etc. When he saw workmen padlocking the swings together, he aked them why. They said that the children weren’t allowed to play on them on a Sunday. Marra thought this was ridiculous, and wrote ‘Chain Up The Swings’.
His daughter Alice also recorded the song on her cd of the same name. On her version, she namechecks ‘Mackenzie’ who are also on this thread, as they worked with Michael, and still work with his children, who are the band The Hazey Janes.
Kaisfatdad says
Michael Marra is always welcome! Thanks for some great songs, Stevie.
Moose the Mooche says
Hard Cash was made but never shown, for political reasons, though the album was released- the BBC got cold feet. Dave and I think Jo Ann Kelly were also on it, it must have been one of JAK’s last recordings. Also I think an appearance by RT, one of the last before the balmoral descended like the helmet onto Anakin Skywalker
retropath2 says
It’s a great record: I have it. https://www.discogs.com/Various-Hard-Cash/release/3686033
bigstevie says
Well, you being a cover collector Doc., Rab Noakes does a cover of ‘Guernsey Kitchen Porter’. Can’t imagine how many covers of that Jute Mill song there are…..wonderful!
Vulpes Vulpes says
Me too, it’s a little cracker. Going to see June Tabor (Quercus) in a couple of weeks, too. How time flies.
Kaisfatdad says
Not to mention official Dark Sky status! That sounds like something out of StarvTrek.
biggles says
http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/uk/sark-the-world-s-first-dark-sky-island
Sark also home to Olympic gold medal winner Carl Hester.
Alderney home to Elizabeth Beresford, when she wrote The Wombles.
Victor Hugo wrote Toilers Of The Sea whilst in Guernsey. It is – of course – also where Matthew Le Tissier comes from.
hubert rawlinson says
The Isle of Avalon. Sleeping on the top of Glastonbury Tor and waking early in the morning to a low lying mist obscuring the town below, just like being on an island.
Visited Arran with school geological students many times, saw Golden Eagles, seals, adders and badgers oh and a great northern diver. Wonderful place.
My favourite Island however is I Want to See the Bright Lights Tonight.
Kaisfatdad says
Magical description of Avalon and Arran, Hubert.
I was once lucky enough to visit the Arran Isles and they are something very special.
Island Records got their name from this song about Jamaica:
It was the title song for a 1957 movie.
hubert rawlinson says
@Kaisfatdad do you mean the Aran Islands perchance?
Kaisfatdad says
You are absolutely right, Hubert. I got my sporran in a twist there and mixed up Arran in the Firth of Clyde and the seventh largest island in Scotland and the windswept Arran Isles off the coast of Galway. I had never heard of the former before and it sounds gorgeous.
Insulaphiles, you should visit them both!
Now, some island titbits for you.
In some Nordic languages, the word for island is just one letter long. In Danish it is ø, in Swedish it is ö . The Norwegian is øy and the Finnish is saari
These crop in several place names: Tromsø , Malmö etc
No doubt about it. There is something rather exciting about islands.
Treasure Island, Tracey Island (FAB!), Jurassic World, The island of Dr Moreau, Gilligan’s Island….
Not to mention people who live on mysterious islands.
Prospero and Miranda, Robinson Crusoe, members of the Wicker Man cult….
And let’s not forget Love island. How sexy and exciting would it be if it was called Love Peninsular?
Love Swamp, Love Mountain, Love Cave, Love Valley, Love Roxks….no none of them have got much going for them.
I have never seen an episode of Lurve Island but it seems to be taking over the world.
https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/love-island-global-international-versions_uk_5cff7cebe4b0b0218086c1fc?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAHJuquA4pqfoyF5BiAyLUPtDOfZK-RtJw3spo7PB_gWKItXKVvO6pBPWoA2t409KzDFamiYzLbAri9H6uV9X-qqnt49j8O8mpgs7T-a80RSq9A-806P9G2FrVGoOluoV5bRJ0-UVbtEUjPeeIIbjEFZv7YdKmOhocO7DdfwcMHEw
Vulpes Vulpes says
Top tip: if you want to go to the Aran islands, fly from Spiddal on the little local flight. Proper aviation in proper aircraft, and a real Indiana Jones experience. Flight time approx 8 mins. Done it a few times, always a blast.
Kaisfatdad says
I did enjoy Griogal Cridh, Colin. and it led me on to this tune by Eilidh Mackenzie
And this clip where she is singing with her sisters. Magic!
Oddly. it makes me think of Värtinnen or Tuuletaar from Finland
Kaisfatdad says
Here is a place we must mention.
The Fog on the Tyne Hitmakers tend to eclipse the beautiful, historical island which gave them their name. I have never been there, but this drone film reveals what a stupendously atmospheric place it is.
hubert rawlinson says
We have friends who play medieval music, years ago they played at Lindisfarne Priory, camping as I recall is not allowed on the island we were allowed to camp as long as the tents were down before any punters arrived.
Hearing the seals barking in the night was another magical moment.
Sardinia home to Luigi Lai plays the launeddas http://youtu.be/BzWITU3L-F0
duco01 says
I was interested to read that England full-back and European Footballer of the Year Lucy Bronze actually grew up on Lindisfarne.
Kaisfatdad says
DCI Jimmy Perez from the Shetland Islands is not the first detective to be based on an island.
Before that, Jersey had John Nettles as Bergerac
The Midsomer Murders Hitmaker actually moved to Jersey where he became interested in local history. He wrote a book, Jewels and Jackboots, about the German occupation and also wrote and presented a TV documentary The Channel Islands at War.
fentonsteve says
The Isle of Wight has incubated many musos including Level 42 and my faves, The Bees.
Kaisfatdad says
Excellent! Keyboard man, Warren Hampshire from The Bees has also recorded with another very talented musician from the IOW, jazzman Greg Foat.
Here is Greg with his band
And now, The Waterboys’ version of The Lake Isee of Innisfree by Yeats. A beautiful poem which must be the definitive statement about the peaceful joys of island life.
Mike Scott gives in an unexpected bluesy twist.
Here is the poet himself reading.
Gary says
I frequently go to the island of Sardinia but much to my shame have never been to the island of Sicily. I really should. One of my favourite Italian albums (alongside Fabrizio De André’s ‘Crêuza de mä’) is by Sicilian group Agricantus. More of a musical collective than a group, they’ve involved lots of different artists and their songs are in a variety of languages and dialects. I’m sure I’ve waffled on about them before. Very Mediterranean they are.
Kaisfatdad says
Oddly enough, there was a mum in our local park last weekend speaking Italian to her son. Iasked her which part and she said Sicily.
Lovely song I am a big Agricantus fan too, thanks to a track on a fRoots sampler back in the day.
Let’s have a little more of them..
Mike_H says
Sharon Shannon, on her way to Rathlin Island.
Blossom Dearie has a soft spot for Rhode Island.
Gong are creating an island within your mind.
duco01 says
Re: Rhode Island,
Obviously, Rhode Island is a state, and I was wondering whether there is an island that’s actually called Rhode Island.
(Googles for a bit)
It turns out that one of the islands in the state (the one with Newport on it) used to be called “Rhode Island”, but is now known as Aquidneck Island. Interesting.
Kaisfatdad says
That a wonderful, very varied triptych, Mike . Islands in our minds sounds like a rich genre in its own right.
Colin H says
This has a voiceover by a simpleton, or an algorithm, but you get a great idea about the once-inhabited Skellig islands.
Kaisfatdad says
That is stunning, Colin. The team who find locations for Star Wars must have been over the moon to find the Skelligs.
Colin H says
The most amazing thing about the place is that it was sacked by Vikings a couple of times. I’ve been there – the sheer stone steps up to the top take ages and are narrow. ANYONE at the top should be able to hurl rocks down and obliterate any enemy coming up. Were they all sleeping at the time? One person could defend those stone huts at the top against an army.
Kaisfatdad says
Talking about Italian islands, how about this sensual, verdant gem, refuge of the last of the international playboys…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EXg63D7XRU8
thecheshirecat says
The higher, more remote half of the island is known as Anacapri and was the inspiration for my favourite of all Debussy’s preludes. While Claude Achille was a most urbane Parisien of La Belle Epoque, in true Vaughan Williams style, he nicked an Italian folk song as his melodic starting point, so the piece may still be considered rooted in the island’s soil.
Kaisfatdad says
Kris Drever, Songs of Separation, Debussy -….You are bringing some wonderfully varied dishes to our smörgåsbord @thecheshirecat. Thanks.
Drever’s a tlalented chap..
https://www.heraldscotland.com/arts_ents/14339399.the-island-life-and-political-perspective-of-kris-drever/
Mike_H says
The title music for “Inspector Montalbano” is a big favourite of mine.
Strangely reminiscent of Danny Elfman’s “Simpsons” theme.
Kaisfatdad says
Googling to find out more about this, I discovered that RAI had “done an Endeavour” and produced a prequel. Young Montalbano!
Mike_H says
Three islands in one song by Rogers and Hart, sung here by Ella Fitzgerald.
Kaisfatdad says
The Frisian islands feature prominently in Erskine Childers’ ever popular spy novel The Riddle of the Sands from 1903. Two chaps go on a yachting holiday and find that mischief is afoot. The German Imperial Army is up to no good.
This fascinating site deals with the maps mentioned in the book.
https://www.thecinetourist.net/maps-in-films/21-maps-in-books-in-may-the-riddle-of-the-sands-erskine-childers-1903
Kaisfatdad says
We had Holy Island. Now it’s time for the Normandy counterpart, the magnificent Mont St Much., which can also only be reached at low tide. Once again filmed by a drone.
The film won an award at a Drone Film Festival in Cabourg. I had no idea such things existed.
duco01 says
Well, there’s one island that I’m surprised no one’s mentioned yet, and that, of course, is the “Isle of Greece”. I refer you to Charlene’s memorable pop ditty and huge No.1 hit “I’ve Never Been to me”:
“Oh I’ve been to Nice and the isle of Greece
While I sipped champagne on a yacht
I moved like Harlow in Monte Carlo and showed ’em what I’ve got
I’ve been undressed by kings and I’ve seen some things
That a woman ain’t s’posed to see
I’ve been to paradise, but I’ve never been to me”
I’d like to book a charter trip to “The Isle of Greece”.
Kaisfatdad says
Charlene may have never been to me, but she had been to Ilford I quote Wiki>
“In 1982 Scott Shannon, a disc jockey at Tampa radio station WRBQ-FM, began playing the “I’ve Never Been to Me” track off the Charlene album (with the original recitative), and response from local listeners was such as to motivate Shannon, a former Motown employee, to alert Motown president Jay Lasker to the track’s hit potential. Lasker located Charlene who, discouraged by the poor performance of her 1977 Motown releases and by the label’s decision not to release a second album she had recorded, had left the music industry and met and married an Englishman, subsequently accompanying him to his native land and taking a job at a sweet shop in Ilford.”
Colin H says
Svalbard is a fascinating place – location of the seed vault, where emergency replacements for key things that grow are kept underground in the event of catastrophe. It’s almost the last land before the North Pole (Franz Josef Land beats it, and maybe the tip of Greenland). For both reasons I called this piece of music ‘The Last Place on Earth’.
Gary says
How very peculiar. I’d never heard of Svalbard until today and then I read it mentioned twice, here and on Twitter. On Twitter it was mentioned by the QI telly programme people, who wrote: “Cats are banned on Svalbard, so the one cat on the island is registered as a fox”.
What a Svalbard day I’m having.
Lovely piece of music, Colin.
Colin H says
Thank you, Gazmeister. That thing about cats… who knew? Mind you, I can’t imagine cats would have a great time on Svalbard. Far too cold.
Gary says
This morning I was watching Sky News and their report on climate change was from Svalbard. Then this evening I watched Paul Greengrass’ latest film, 22 July (about the 2011 Norway attacks) and some of it is set in Svalbard, its mayor being the mother of one of the survivors. After a lifetime of never having heard of it, I feel haunted by Svalbard this week. I think it’s trying to tell me something.
Svalbard.
Kaisfatdad says
This short film about the Arctic Philharmonic Orchestra’s visit to Svalbard should ensure some snowy dreams @Gary.
It is a rather remarkable place by the looks of things. Polar bears are a very real threat.
Gary says
Thank you, KFD.
Svalbard.
Mike_H says
Maybe we should adopt that as a general AW greeting.
Svalbard, my friends!
Vulpes Vulpes says
One of my favourite Island songs:
https://youtu.be/GEnkcqW47Ic
Shame the numpty who posted it didn’t bother to spell the island’s name correctly, but nevertheless…
Colin H says
At risk of boring with my island music (that’s what comes of being fascinated with islands…), I might be the only person to have depicted Novaya Zemlya in musical form. It’s a vast double island / island pair in the Russian Arctic and for centuries was the edge of the known world above Russia. Willem Barentsz famously overwintered on the north cape one year in the 16th century while trying to find a way past it to the fabled ‘North East passage’ to China. He didn’t find it. In the Cold War era, the Soviet Union used the place to test atom bombs. I tried to bring some of that industrial warfare and ancient otherworldliness to this recording.
Tiggerlion says
Celtic Folk Music from The Isle Of Man: Three Little Boats by Arany Zoltán
Kaisfatdad says
Not often that Messrs Bragg and Sinatra bump into each other on the AW! But here they are , both singing about a small, volcanic Italian island: Stromboli.
Billy
Frank
thecheshirecat says
Dearly departed fRoots would often focus on the folk style specific to Crete, Mr Psarandonis being their favourite protagonist.
Kaisfatdad says
I know nothing about the folk music of Crete. But I do know that Irishman, Ross Daly has lived there many years and become a master of the Cretan lyre
I once was lucky enough to see him play live: a transcendental experience.
davebigpicture says
Paul Simmonds wrote this about the Isle of Wight.
Ardnort says
I live in Shetland. Note that is in, not on, and Shetland, not Shetlands. We can get a little irritated when folk get that wrong. There is no vocal tradition here, all fiddles and accordians. We have our own language/ dialect which is derived from our scandinavian heritage, but has much scotch mixed in with it. People will be familiar with the detective series with Douglas Henshall playing Jimmy Perez. Only one leading actor is a Shetlander, so the accents can be a bit harsh on our ears.
Kaisfatdad says
Well I never! That was a pleasant surprise @artnort. I had no idea that there was an AW contributor that lived in Shetland.
The Shetland TV series is a Saturday evening treat here at the moment, not least because of the scenery. But I can well understand your frustration at actors who don’t get the accent right. It’s odd too that the original books were not even written by a Scot
Anne Cleeves has a done a lot for tourism but Shetland has domne a lot for her career too.
https://www.radiotimes.com/news/tv/2019-03-19/shetland-ending-ann-cleeves/
To my shame I have not read a single one of her novels.
So, anyway, who are the local musical heroes?
Inge Thomson is the first name that comes to mind. She certainly has a few fans here.
This interview about her album Da Fishing Hands was very illuminating.
https://www.folkradio.co.uk/2014/02/inge-thomson-da-fishing-hands-interview/
Here she is on her home turf at the Fair Isle Community Hall.
I just stumbled across this rather useful discography. listing all the bands she has worked with
https://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/records/ingethomson.html
The guy who uploaded the village hall clip has several other YT posts on local life on Fair Isle. Some very disgruntled sheep in this one
Colin H says
Strictly speaking, Fatz, Fair Isle isn’t part of Shetland – it’s in between Shetland and the Orkneys. Here are the Wrigley sisters from Orkney. The Orkney accent always reminds me of the Welsh accent.
Kaisfatdad says
Brilliant! You OWN this thread, Colin!
Their accent is so pleasant on the ear.
Contraryarticle says
Another Orkney musician, Kevin Cormack of Half Cousin, with a few Earlies helping out in the background.
Contraryarticle says
And here they are doing a song using lyrics from another islander from the other side of the planet, the writer Janet Frame, from New Zealand.
thecheshirecat says
Kris Drever now lives on Shetland, but is Orcadian by birth. He tells us that the Orkneys abound with Drevers. I bet they haven’t all got his voice.
retropath2 says
How about this one, then? Ivan Drever
(OK, I know, it is his dad, erstwhile singer of the estimable Wolfstone)
Kaisfatdad says
Off to the east coast of the USA, for a sensual seaside celebration from Patti Page.
When I visited the beach resort of Nantucket, one of the main attractions was the Whaling Museum.
Diddley Farquar says
We visited Amorgos in the Cyclades this summer. A stunningly beautiful place. They get a lot of French tourists because of the film The Big Blue which was partly filmed there. There’s a famous monastery built into the cliff and painted white, a dramatic sight. We chatted with a monk who plied us with raki and he remembered the film crew who stayed in the monastery and had to follow the monks’ routines such as early morning rising and helping with chores. When we got home we watched the film again. Visually impressive but kind of tedious. Amorgos is great though.
Kaisfatdad says
Another stunning monastery! A recurrent theme for this thread.
It does look like a very beautiful place. I confess I had to check the atlas for the location of the Cyclades.
Crikey! There are so many islands in Greece. Easy to see where Homer got his inspiration for the Odyssey.
Kaisfatdad says
Time for North Uist in the Outer Hebrides.
Julie Fowlis was born there . Discovered her on a Songlines sampler a while back and have been a big fan ever since. She sings mostly n Gaelic.
Colin H says
I think you’ll enjoy this, Fatz – definitely worth 9 minutes of your time. It’s pure Fatz – Wikipedia come to life! 😀
Jan Mayen is in between Iceland and the North Pole, and had a curious role in WWII.
Kaisfatdad says
That was fascinating, Thanks!
And now a musical moment; Come all you toungers!
No, it is not a song about snogging, It is a NZ whaling song. Whalers are becoming another recurrent theme of this thread.
hubert rawlinson says
My son visited here two years ago: Naoshima
Art Island
https://www.japan-guide.com/e/e5475.html
Kaisfatdad says
This thread will soon have visited more islands than this chap…
Our journey has been a somewhat icier one. We’d have frozen in a toga!
Ulysses! What a heart-breaker!
Colin H says
Did you know, Fatz, that Jack Bruce once owned a small Scottish island?
Kaisfatdad says
Jack’s Scottish island rings vague bells and reminds me of Wings’ greatest hit in 1977.
Pretty tune but those bagpipes are OTT.
Have anyone heard of this?
“The Mull of Kintyre rule is, according to an urban legend, an unofficial guideline that was used by the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) in the United Kingdom to decide whether an image of a penis could be shown.[1] According to the myth, the BBFC would not permit the general release of a film or video if it depicted a phallus erect to the point that the angle it made from the vertical was higher than that of the Kintyre peninsula, Argyll and Bute, on maps of Scotland. “
Moose the Mooche says
I thought that was Jack the Bruce.
Kaisfatdad says
Rodgers and Hammerstein knew how to make an island sound exotic and exciting.
The Wondermints don’t do it too badly either.
thecheshirecat says
Bali, now there’s a good thought. Gamelan is played more widely in Indonesia, and there are differences in styles between islands, but I think it is most associated with Bali. It’s not just a specific set of instruments, yea verily a whole orchestra, nor just yet another world music meander; it’s a specifically different tonality – a different scale – and quite specific to that part of the world.
Kaisfatdad says
The gamelan can be a bit marmitey but the sound made by a good gamelan orchestra is really other-worldly. I saw this lot at Roskilde and they were stupendous.
I would be fascinated to hear more about how the music varies from island to island.
A quick hop over to Java and Mr Callier.
And now a jive.
Tropical islands make me think of this fine song by Steve Goodman about ex-pats on the skids.
Colin H says
I don’t believe you’ve yet featured any music *from* the Blaskets yet, Fatz. I used to love hearing Martin Hayes and Denis Cahill play this tune from there in gigs around Ireland – it’s the lead track on their late 90s live album. Here’s someone else’s version with Blasket images.
Kaisfatdad says
Thanks, Colin. That was quite ethereal. Music from another realm.
I Muvrini, Michael Marra, Ella Fitzgerald, Agricantus, the Men they couldn’t Hang, Debussy, The Wrigley Sisters, Luigi Lai……. The Good Ship Afterword is docking at some interestimng ports on this journey!
Time for some more Martin Hayes and Dennis Cahill.
retropath2 says
Another irish island, Clare Island…
Saw Doctors.
Kaisfatdad says
Thanks, Retro! I do like the Saw Doctors and this is a real feelgood song. I had to get my atlas out again! It’s off the coast of County Mayo.
I was looking for a song about Elba and discovered this mega-list of songs about Boney.
https://shannonselin.com/2018/01/songs-about-napoleon-bonaparte/
More songs have been written about him than any other military leader!
Here is one about his jailer: Sir Hudson Lowe.
bigstevie says
The Isle of May, is an island in the River Forth, inhabited mostly by puffins. There are boat trips to the island every day from Anstruther in Fife.
The great folkie Matt Armour wrote songs about the depletion of the fishing industry in the area. This is one called ‘Off The Isle Of May’. I couldn’t find his version on youtube, but this one is very good.
The folks in the video went on to form a very, very popular mucical combo called ‘The Singing Kettle’.
Colin H says
Terrific.
Kaisfatdad says
That was a lovely clip, @bigstevie. Along with the music I was impressed by Jody Yearous, the girl who was signing.
Not very easy to find out more about Matt Armour. My Googling did not lead to much, except this.
https://rateyourmusic.com/artist/matt_armour
Let’s have a bit more Cilla! This time with Michael Marra
Kaisfatdad says
The things you discover here!
That folk duo became Children’s TV favourites in Scotland with te Singing Kettle.
According to Wiki:
“When Liz Scott the director of the series showed Anna Home BBC Head of Children’s programmes she did not believe it would travel south of the border. She thought it was “too couthie and very Scottish”.”
It looks pretty enjoyable to me.
I googled. Couthie is a compliment. It means warm and friendly.
I may be uncouth at times but I hope I am always couthie!
bigstevie says
I told you about the singing kettle in the earlier post. I saw them twice…yuk….but my boys loved them!
Kaisfatdad says
Ooops! Sorry, I must pay closer attention.
I suspect you were not the target audience. From a quick glance, it does look as though they were very goof children’s entertainers.
bigstevie says
I don’t really know much about Matt Armour either to be honest. A couple of my older folkie pals knew him back in the day. I cover one of his songs called ‘Shores of the Forth’, sung in my best east neuk of Fife accent, and one of my pals does ‘Off the Isle Of May’. The other song that he’s known for, and is well covered is ‘Generations of Change’. The link you posted says English Folk Music. Well, he was definitely a Scot, but I know that he lived in England for a long time…..ran a folk club somewhere down there. My memory tells me he was an English teacher, but maybe I just imagined that.
Shores of the Forth
Generations of Change
….and whilst I am here, up above there was talk of musicians from Shetland. My favourite is Peerie Willie Johnson.
retropath2 says
So, in full circle, back to Michael Marra
Kaisfatdad says
Marra was such a wonderful raconteur. I could listen to that voice for hors.
Here is Peerie Willie together with Aly McBain.
Willie was a completely new name to me. Talking of his home island of Shetland, I must repost this It could be a Scandinavian spelelmanslag, if it wasn’t for the piano.
I really am enjoying this thread.
A selection of classics from the Great Scottish Songbook combined with a stunning array of icy, desolate, mysterious islands, each more exotic than the next. Can a Thursday evening get any better?
Kaisfatdad says
Listening to Margaret’s Waltz led to the obituary of this remarkable woman who moved from Pennsylvania to South Uist
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/margaret-fay-shaw-688211.html
bigstevie says
And here we go full circle again!! Back to Michael Marra again!! Amazing!!
If you come from Pennsylvania, your name will be Margaret Shaw, and pronounced like that. If you have that name, and come from Dundee, your name will be pronounced Muggy Sha’.
Obviously a different woman, but what a coincidence!
Kaisfatdad says
Marra is always a joy!
One more piece about Margaret. What a woman!
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2004/dec/17/guardianobituaries.usa
Colin H says
This came to mind – a somewhat inaccurate eulogy to Baffin Island:
Colin H says
Furthest North – Franz Josef Land:
retropath2 says
Furthest south?
retropath2 says
Unless…..
Colin H says
You might enjoy this, Fatz:
Colin H says
I’ve always found it amazing that mammoths survived into the historical era – when civilisations were on the go in Egypt and the Middle East – albeit in one place: Wrangel Island, near the point where Asia reaches America.
Kaisfatdad says
Not as many polar bears as Wrangel, but just as interesting, is the Viking island of Bikra in Lake Mälaren. It is a 90 minute boat-ride from Stockholm. My daughter and her class are there on an excursion today and I am a little envious.
Colin H says
Sweden has thousands of islands, does it not?
Kaisfatdad says
It certainly does. No shortage of archipelagos here or in Finland.
Come out to Stockholm and I am sure I can persuade @Locust to take us out for a spin in her luxury yacht!
Colin H says
Come to Belfast and I’ll buy you fried breakfasts with unusual regional bread varieties and show you governmental institutions that don’t work! 😀
Locust says
You must have me confused with my boss, who keeps upgrading to a bigger boat every couple of years!
My brother and his family spend their summers in the Finnish archipelago, where they own a house, and a sail boat. Not of the luxury yacht kind, however…
They are all too familiar with the Finlandsfärja as it’s the cheapest way to get to Finland from here. But as long as you avoid the drunken viking hordes, it’s all right.
Colin H says
Yes, yes – avoiding the viking hordes, we all know that, but WHAT ABOUT THE BEARS AND THE TROLLS?!?
Kaisfatdad says
From my experience, Colin, the bears and the trolls who travel on the Finland ferries are a right snooty bunch. No coming down to the bar for a bit of a Nordic knees up for them.
They always take the swanky cabins with a seaview and eat in the poshest restaurant.
The badgers and squirrels on the other hand…. life and soul of the party.
I once had to share a cabin on the Finland boat with a guy who was a dead ringer for Nusrat Ai Khan. Friendly bloke, but when he snored the whole boat seems to vibrate
Colin H says
😀
Colin H says
Northern Ireland has only one significant island, Rathlin – purportedly the place where Bonnie Prince Charlie did something or other. Otherwise known for its puffins.
Colin H says
Here’s a ghastly ‘country’n’Irish’ song about the place.
Kaisfatdad says
La Isla de Rathlin is known in Spain! Asturian band Llan de Cubel with their tribute tom that puffin paradise.
Kaisfatdad says
I am extremely curious to find out more abut Margaret Fay Shaw, the American photographer, and folklorist who lived to the grand old age of 101 on Canna in the Outer Hebrides.
Looking for that, I stumbled across this vintage gem. Her Maj on Skye.
Here is a little more on Margaret.
mikethep says
Islands, you say? Hmmm…Canvey Island anybody? When I was on the buses in Sarfend I used to be terrified of the trip to Canvey. When the Canvey Teds came into town on Saturday night you were well advised to keep out of their way.
In an unlikely twist orthodox Jews from Stamford Hill are now making it their home. Fascinating short film about it here.
https://youtu.be/tBzOF7dISlA
Kaisfatdad says
Canvey is a very worthy addition to our list of islands.
Two extraordinary stories. Loved the description of Feelgood: they looked like a gang of bankrobbers who played music in their spare time.
Kaisfatdad says
I had not heard the name of the uninhabited island of Staffa until this morning, But even at primary school I had heard of its most famous attraction. Other than Andy Stewart and his lack of troosers, this was probably my first moment of awareness of Scotland.
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-12008512
Talk about a piece of music putting a place on the map!
Easy to see why Felix was so thrilled about the cave.
Mike_H says
Songs of Separation was an album project from 2016 where 10 British female folk musicians got together on the isle of Eigg off the western coast of Scotland and recorded some songs over the course of a week.
This one “Unst Boat Song” is a trad. arr. sea-prayer sung in old Norn, of which some fragments survive in Shetlandic speech. Unst is the northernmost of the Shetland isles.
Sung and arranged by Hazel Askew, Jenn Butterworth, Eliza Carthy, Hannah James, Jenny Hill, Mary MacMaster, Karine Polwart, Hannah Read, Rowan Rheingans and Kate Young.
Kaisfatdad says
That is a beautifully haunting version of a song that was new to me. A quick look at Spotify reveals it is definitely there in the Great Scottish Songbook.
Here’s another version, this time with a translation in the notes
Kaisfatdad says
This provides some excellent background into.
https://mainlynorfolk.info/folk/songs/unstboatsong.html
Kaisfatdad says
Hector Zazou’s marvellous 1994 album, Songs from the Cold Seas, really deserves a mention. Right up your street @CokinH. The great Belgian producer gathered together some wonderfully varied artists. Jane Siberry, Lena Willemark, Siouxie Sioux ……A frosty smörgåsbord!
https://www.allmusic.com/album/songs-from-the-cold-seas-mw0000126205
It is all on YTube.
Kaisfatdad says
As one of my main aims with this thread was to broaden my knowledge of Scottish folk music, I have no hesitation to post Tiny Desk session by Karine Polwart ( backed by her brother Steven and Inge Thomson) that I just stumbled across. Very good it is too.
bigstevie says
David Francey lived in Kilmaurs, Scotland, until he was about 12, when his family emigrated to Canada. He worked construction most of his life, then gave it up to become a folk singer. He’s probably my favourite that I have seen in folk clubs over the last few years.
hubert rawlinson says
Where would a ferry be without a boatman?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fear_a%27_Bh%C3%A0ta
thecheshirecat says
Oh where is the boatman to ferry me over the Tyne to me hinny?
A song of deep significance to me, taught to my by my mother, whose parents fortunately lived on the same (south) side of the Tyne, sung by the only man whose singing of it I will hear in preference to my own.
thecheshirecat says
Hang on. Isn’t this the (Bryan) Ferry thread?
Kaisfatdad says
Thanks Cheshire! Bob Fox really has a splendid voice. First Bigstevie introduces us to David Francey and then we get Bob.
Not to mention Sandy, Canvey, Raithlin and Half Cousin. The denizens of the AW are getting spoilt rotten!
Kaisfatdad says
I promised a slow boat and we certainly got a vessel that is taking its time. And all the better for that. Two new passengers!
I’d never heard of David Francey. He has a splendid voice and I look forward to hearing more when we have a session in the galley later on,
Sandy, that lass standing up on deck watching the seagulls, has sailed with us before, but I’ve not heard that song.
During this thread I have become an enormous fan of the Mainly Norfolk site. It is the work of Reinhard Zierke who is magnificently knowledgeable.
Look what he has to say about Fhir a bata which was written by Sìne NicFhionnlaigh (Jean Finlayson) of Tong.
https://mainlynorfolk.info/sandy.denny/songs/fhirabhata.html
bigstevie says
I don’t know how you listen to this stuff…..spotify, maybe? Even so, I don’t use Spotify anymore so I don’t even know if he’s on it……David Francey that is.
A great introduction cd would be ‘The First Set(live from Folk Alley)’. All the songs come from previous albums, but they’re done live, in concert, and each song has an introduction, letting the listeners know where the songs come from. As with all great storytellers, the intros are as good as the songs. Great voice too. Very deep and although he’s been away from Scotland for almost 50 years, he still carries a bit of the accent.
Kaisfatdad says
I am definitely a Spotify and YouTube abuser, Than ks for that tip. That album is there:
I am going to be pottering about and adding more stuff, however here is the playlist I have made from this thread. A preposterously enjoyable selection of very varied music.
From Canvey Island to Franz Josef Island. From Roslagen to Rathlin Island. From Novia Scotia to Cap Verde.
Michael Marra, Colin Harper, Julie Fowlis, The Saw Docotrs, Karine Polwart, “Peerie” Willy Johnson, Inge Thomson, Gong, Ella Fitzgerald, Eilidh Mackenzie,..
Kaisfatdad says
Just been listening to Marra talking about Peerie Willie and Rommel’s piano.
As a raconteur he reminds me a lot of Jackie Leven. I have no higher praise.
More on PWJ What a tale!
https://www.theguardian.com/news/2007/jun/29/guardianobituaries.obituaries1
The Scotsman
https://www.scotsman.com/news/obituaries/willie-johnson-1-749445