The Tiree Songbook – Double Album

Description

The blue book of Na Bàird Thirisdeach has been part of our lives since we were born. If we didn’t receive it as a Gaelic prize at school, it was certainly on the bookshelves in our homes and from an early age, and still today, it is a point of reference for us leafing through its pages to sing many of the clever and insightful lyrics composed by our forebear poets. It has been uplifting and the greatest privilege for us to take those lyrics and tunes and to create this CD. And to highlight that the bardic craft is still practiced, we have included two songs from three of our 20th & 21st century poets – Flora and Angus MacPhail, and the late Niall Brownlie. There is no way that we can repay the bards of yesterday and today for the wonderful words they have shared with us.

Beyond our bardic tradition, Tiree has been synonymous with the playing of the bagpipes and it was our great pleasure to bring together our pipers who are connected by two locations and families – the Cachaileith (Sinclairs) and Corrairigh (Campbells) – our Cachaileith to Corrairigh Pipers.

We cannot express how much pride and pleasure it has given us to bring together this CD, something that started with A’ Bhuain (The Homecoming) some 10 years ago. The concert that we had in the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow in January 2017 was beyond special and will remain with each of us, for many reasons, for ever.

Making this CD has been a special creative journey. We hope you enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed producing it.

Tha an leabhar liath, ‘Na Bàird Thirisdeach’, air a bhith nar beatha bhon a rugadh sinn. Mura d’ fhuair sinn an leabhar mar dhuais anns an sgoil, bha e air an sgeilp anns na dachannan againn agus tha sinn uile fhathast ga chleachdadh agus a’ seinn cuid de na h-òrain bhrèagha, smaoineachail, ealanta a sgrìobh na bàird ghleusta sin. Tha e na thogail cridhe dhuinne gu bheil sinn air chothrom cuid de na faclan sin a thogail far na duilleige agus na fuinn bhrèagha co-cheangailte riutha a thoirt beò air a’ chlàr a tha seo. Am measg na chuir sinn air a’ chlàr, tha dà òran bho thriùir bhàrd bhon linn seo – Flòraidh agus Aonghas MacPhàil, agus Niall Brownlie nach maireann. Cha phàigh taing na mnathan agus na fir a chur an saothair agus an cridheachan dhan bhàrdachd.

A bharrachd air sgrìobhadh, tha Tiriodh ainmeil airson pìobaireachd agus cha b’ urrainn dhuinn a bhith na bu thoilichte an còmhlan pìobaireachd Cachaileith gu Corrairigh a thoirt còmhla.

Chan urrainn dhuinn innse dhuibh an toileachas a tha sinn air fhaighinn bhon thòisich sinn air an turas seo, ann an co-bhonn le A’ Bhuain, deich bliadhna air ais. Fanaidh a’ chuirm-chiùil a bh’ againn ann an Talla Rìoghail Ghlaschu san Fhaoilleach 2017 nar cridheachan gu bràth – oidhche shònraichte airson iomadach reusan.

Tha saothair na h-obrach seo air a bhith gu sònraichte tlachdmhor. Tha sinn an dòchas gun còrd an clàr ribh cho math ‘s a chord e rinne a dhèanamh.

Donald-Iain Brown; John Campbell; Mary Ann Kennedy; Ian Smith

This CD is dedicated to the memory of Bernie Smith: a great singer and one of the many Tiree heroes who have been taken away from us, all too early.

Tha an clàr seo mar chuimhneachan air Bernie Mac a’ Ghobhainn: sàr sheinneadair agus aon de na sàr ghaisgich Thirisdeach a chaidh a spìonadh bhuainn ro thràth.

The Tiree Songbook was originally commissioned by The Tiree Association for A’ Bhuain 2016, Tiree’s Homecoming Week for island descendants worldwide. It was reprised at Celtic Connections 2017. The Songbook team would like to thank The Tiree Association for its generous and unstinting support of the project throughout, and also the Tiree Windfall Fund for its invaluable financial support.

Recorded at An Talla, Tiree, May 2016 (A’ Bhuain); Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, January 2017 (Celtic Connections); Watercolour Music, Ardgour, May/September 2017; Crois Geur Studio, Kilmoluaig, Tiree, July 2017; National Piping Centre, Glasgow, September 2017.

House Band:

Euan Burton – upright bass, Donald-Iain Brown – vocals, Marie Fielding – fiddle, James Graham – vocals, Mary Ann Kennedy – piano, clàrsach, vocals, Calum MacCrimmon – pipes, whistles, Anna Massie – guitar, mandolin, Linda MacLeod – vocals, Ian Smith – accordion, vocals

Island Singers:

Iain Brown, Ishbel Campbell, Murdina MacLean, Bernard Smith

The Cachaileith to Corrairigh Pipers:

John C. Campbell, Alastair Campbell, Anne Johnston, Finlay Johnston, Gordon Rowan, Kyle Rowan

Guest Accordionists:

Campbell Brown, Daniel Gillespie, Angus MacPhail