The Bards o' Allan Water
Leaving Dunblane
Below is Duncan's Song, (2008): From the original lyrics, tune and voice of
Alison MacNeil, composed in memory of Duncan Williamson our mentor in storytelling and match-maker or 'Faither' as we afffectinally term him, and all the travelling folk that we have had the privilege of knowing, Big Wille & Bella MacPhee here extolled:
Alison MacNeil, composed in memory of Duncan Williamson our mentor in storytelling and match-maker or 'Faither' as we afffectinally term him, and all the travelling folk that we have had the privilege of knowing, Big Wille & Bella MacPhee here extolled:
Below, we have Meg Drummond by the late Andrew Douglas, 1927 - 2003, the makar of Scone. This historical piece tells the late of King James IV of the Scots who fell in love with Margaret Drummond, daughter of John, the 1st Lord Drummond of Cromlix, Dunblane. Meg and her two sisters were poisoned either by English spies or, as here depicted, by ambitious Scots Lairds who wanted to get there hands on English gold.
The tomb of the Drummond Sisters is in Dunblane Cathedral.
The tomb of the Drummond Sisters is in Dunblane Cathedral.
Next is the ode The Bairnie's Nightin'gale that Paraig MacNeil composed in memory of his mother when she passed away peacefully on the day of the winter solstice, 2013 just 2 days after what would have been her 60th wedding anniversary and the day after her 87th birthday. A self-less life, a devoted maternity nurse highly esteemed by any who knew her and always had a word of encouragement for everyone she met.
Fank
Filmed on Location at Sheriffmuir, Dumyat, and Airthrey, the final part of Donald Smith's poem 'Airthra' is here coupled with his 'Lament for Arthur Mac Aedan. The first being filmed at the foot of Dumyat near an ancient well, facing westwards looking at , Pendrich, Sheriffmuir and Dunblane in the distance, reminiscent of his student days, working with the shepherds and farmers of the area.
Lament for Arthur Mac Aedan
The son of ancient king of Dalriada and saint who died of his would in battle here, and is elegised by the bard over the Stone of Airthra behind Airthrey Castle that inspired him in his youth and on hind-sight to compose this invocation.
This was filmed on location in August, 2015 by scotsbard, Paraig MacNeil who also sings 3 ancient Gaelic invocations on this video; the first as a song for settling the spring, lulling the well to be peaceful, the second a traditional weather invocation beseeching the smooth hailstones to go into yonder well and to remember the poor herdsman with only the knolls for shelter with his stick under his arm and the deer-bone pin for his plaid, beseeching God for dryness and sunshine to come, and the third a lament for Seathan the son of the King of Ireland, where the last line declares, " I took a drink from the well of wondering with you".
Donald's piece here will act as a PR showcase for chapter & phase III, 'Leaving Dunblane'.
Filmed on Location at Sheriffmuir, Dumyat, and Airthrey, the final part of Donald Smith's poem 'Airthra' is here coupled with his 'Lament for Arthur Mac Aedan. The first being filmed at the foot of Dumyat near an ancient well, facing westwards looking at , Pendrich, Sheriffmuir and Dunblane in the distance, reminiscent of his student days, working with the shepherds and farmers of the area.
Lament for Arthur Mac Aedan
The son of ancient king of Dalriada and saint who died of his would in battle here, and is elegised by the bard over the Stone of Airthra behind Airthrey Castle that inspired him in his youth and on hind-sight to compose this invocation.
This was filmed on location in August, 2015 by scotsbard, Paraig MacNeil who also sings 3 ancient Gaelic invocations on this video; the first as a song for settling the spring, lulling the well to be peaceful, the second a traditional weather invocation beseeching the smooth hailstones to go into yonder well and to remember the poor herdsman with only the knolls for shelter with his stick under his arm and the deer-bone pin for his plaid, beseeching God for dryness and sunshine to come, and the third a lament for Seathan the son of the King of Ireland, where the last line declares, " I took a drink from the well of wondering with you".
Donald's piece here will act as a PR showcase for chapter & phase III, 'Leaving Dunblane'.
Stalwart and anchor of the Dunblane Folk Club, Singer/songwriter Rob Griffith here
sings one of his celebrated songs: Mountain Boy exemplifying a moving relationship with his wee boy and a love for the Scottish Mountains.
sings one of his celebrated songs: Mountain Boy exemplifying a moving relationship with his wee boy and a love for the Scottish Mountains.
Next: Tsunami Blues by Davy Miller of the Dunblane Folk Club.
Davy says of this song: “ Tsunami Blues is about the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004. I had a guitar rif that I come up with in the double dropped D tuning. I needed a song to put with it and first thought of using some else’s song with it. In the end I rejected this notion and began to write about the tragedy, the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004.
Davy says of this song: “ Tsunami Blues is about the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004. I had a guitar rif that I come up with in the double dropped D tuning. I needed a song to put with it and first thought of using some else’s song with it. In the end I rejected this notion and began to write about the tragedy, the Boxing Day Tsunami of 2004.
Dunblane, by: Jim MacLeod 1931 - 2004
The man who up until the advent of Andy Murray was for his generation Dunblane’s best-known international ambassador, was muscian and singer/songwriter Jim MacLeod. I think it would be impossible to estimate just how many people world-wide, especially ex-pats, who were not heart-warmed with his old country nostalgia, not to mention his excellent dance music. Here, live with his band, he performs his own song, Dunblane.
The man who up until the advent of Andy Murray was for his generation Dunblane’s best-known international ambassador, was muscian and singer/songwriter Jim MacLeod. I think it would be impossible to estimate just how many people world-wide, especially ex-pats, who were not heart-warmed with his old country nostalgia, not to mention his excellent dance music. Here, live with his band, he performs his own song, Dunblane.
Next below is one of Roger Lyall's contributions (and his own production) to Chapter III of the anthology called Garvock's Ghaist that tells a gruesome tale indeed!
Next is Never Again composed by Dunblane's Lucia Wyatt and Nicola Black in 2002.. A very original, singable and catchy song.
Next is excerpts from the final showcase marking the end of chapter & phase III 'Leaving Dunblane'. This was held at The Centre, Kinbuck (the old school) just north of Dunblane by the Allan Water, on Friday evening 23rd October, 2015. Bards featured here are; Crhis Powici, Helen Lamb, Donald Farquhar, Sally Evans, James King, Alison MacNeil and David Whitton. I've added part and adapted version of the song Spinner o' Yarns , Weaver o' Words that I wrote in 2007 - tune Lisa Rigy.
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The title poem for this chapter & phase, is Donald Smith's Leaving Dunblane which seems and appropriate ending to both the chapter and the project as a whole, for the the time being!
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