Collecting With Alan Lomax and Calum Maclean

Following on from a recently published blog, Maclean noted down in his diary entry for the 18th of July, 1951, the details of a fieldwork trip to the Isle of Skye along with Alan Lomax:

This morning, Alan Lomax and I left Speanbridge and made our way to the Kyle of Lochalsh. We were on our way to the Isle of Skye. Allan MacDonald’s name was suggested to Alan Lomax and we’re going over to Uig where he stays. I intended to go home for a day or two to see my mother. When we were near Cluny we gave a lift to a traveller. We thought that he might have a song or something but he only had a few ditties that he had made up himself or had heard from Harry Lauder. Alan Lomax was not best pleased with him at all. At any rate, when we reached Eilean Donan Castle Alan wanted to go up and see the castle itself. The traveller did not wish to do this at all and so we got rid of him. We went up to visit the castle. It was empty apart from someone who offered a tour throughout the castle. Nobody stays here now. We then went on to the Kyle of Lochalsh. We were there until about three o’clock in the afternoon. Then we travelled through the Isle of Skye until we reached Portree where we met Dr Allan MacDonald. We spent a while drinking the Royal Hotel. We then went over to Uig. It turned out to be a beautiful night by the time we got there. We were made welcome at the house. Allan’s wife and children were present. Allan has a nice, young daughter who is going to sing at the local Mod in Portree tomorrow. At any rate, we began recording the songs and we worked until about one o’clock in the morning. Allan sang two psalms before the night was over. Lomax gave his opinion of Allan that he was as good as any man he had so far met. We left Uig around two o’clock this morning. Without a shadow of a doubt it was a beautiful morning. We only have one intention now and that was to get some sleep.

Despite such a long night recording it proved to be a profitable visit for a number of songs were put down on reel-to-reel tape including a very good version of the still popular Òran an t-Saighdeir (‘The Soldier’s Song’, an early nineteenth-century composition):

(Sèisd):

’S hill ò, thug òroinn ò,
Hì rì hò rò, mo fhèildeadh,
Hì rì hill ò, thug òroinn ò.

Air madainn dhomh ’s mi sràidearachd

A-mach air bràigh Dhùn Èideann,
Cò thachair orm ach saighdear
Is gun d’fhoighneachd e mo sgeul dhìom.

’S cò thachair orm ach saighdear

Is gun d’fhoighneachd e mo sgeul dhìom,
’S thuirt e, “Gabh san t-saighdearachd,
’S bidh aoibhneas ort na dèidh seo.”

’S thuirt e, “Gabh san t-saighdearachd,

’S bidh aoibhneas ort na dèidh seo.
’S bidh airgead na do phòcaidean,
Is òr nach cuir thu feum air.”

“’S bidh airgead na do phòcaidean,

Is òr nach cuir thu feum air.”
’S gun tug e don taigh-òsda mi
’S gun do dh’òl sinn slàint’ a chèile.

’S gun tug e don taigh-òsda mi

’S gun do dh’òl sinn slàint’ a chèile.
’S gun tug e bho mo mhàthar mi
Leis an àrdan nach do rinn feum dhomh.

One morning as I strolled

Out over the braes of Edinburgh,
Who did I meet but a soldier
Who asked me about myself.

Who did I meet but a soldier

Who asked me about myself,
He said: “Take to soldiering
And you’ll be forever joyful.”

He said: “Take to soldiering

And you’ll be forever joyful.”
And you’ll have money in your pocket
And gold that you’ll not spend.

And you’ll have money in your pocket

And gold that you’ll not spend,
And he took me to the tavern
And we drank to one another.

And he took me to the tavern

And we drank to one another,
He took me away to my mother
With pride that was of no use to me.

References:

Calum I. Maclean, The Highlands (Inbhir Nis: Club Leabhar, 1975)

Recordings made on this trip are available on the Culture Equity website:

http://research.culturalequity.org/get-audio-ix.do?ix=recording&id=172&idType=sessionId&sortBy=abc; and Òran an t-Saighdeir: http://research.culturalequity.org/get-audio-detailed-recording.do?recordingId=2963

Image:
Uig, Isle of Skye