Celtic music and the growth of the Feis movement in the Scottish highlands

Western Folklore, Fall 1998 by McKean, Thomas

Traditional music has been a part of Highland life for centuries, long before the current marketability of the term Celtic. In recent years, however, there has been a major revival of social and commercial interest in the genre of tradition that is demonstrably Celtic: the Gaelic song tradition. Through the influence of commercial groups like Capercaillie and Altan, and before them Runrig, Clannad and the 0 Domhnaill family, for instance, Gaelic song has made a striking comeback. Capercaillie is even developing the tradition by recording recent compositions, and setting modern Gaelic poems to music (e.g. "Breisleach" [Delirium], by Aonghas MacNeacail [Angus MacNicol]). This is not to say that Gaelic singing is making a comeback, because most current performers do not sing in traditional styles. Gaelic songs, however, are undoubtedly growing in popularity and their tradition springs from deep and ancient roots.

THE ROOTS OF HIGHLAND SONGMAKING

The Gaelic song tradition has its roots in the bardic tradition common to Ireland and Scotland: "The human experiences of the Gaels can be traced in the instinctive, inveterate and spontaneous compositions of the bards; ... they react to every major event affecting the lives of their community, and their songs mirror their folk-history" (Bloomfield and Dunn 1989:67). These bards enjoyed a high status, both in the community and the court, and wielded considerable political and social influence through their eulogies, elegies and other praise poems for the nobles of the clan.'

Their power was severely curtailed, however, in the fifteenth and eighteenth centuries by the dismantling of the clan system-starting with the forfeiture of the Lordship of the Isles in 1495 and culminating in the disastrous battle of Culloden in 1746.

By this time there were almost no professional clan poets and in the following centuries, the people's confidence in their own culture and language was systematically undermined, partly through educational propaganda until, by the late nineteenth century, Gaels themselves considered their own language a hindrance to upward mobility (Smout 1986:219).

The Statutes of Iona in 1609 decreed that parents must send their eldest children to school in the Lowlands that "thay may be found able sufficientlie to speik, reid, and wryte Inglishe" [sic] (Donaldson 1970:174). The more explicit 1616 Act went further, mandating that "the vulgar Inglishe toung be universallie plantit, and the Irishe [i.e. Gaelic] language, whilk is one of the cheif and principall causis of the continewance of barbaritie and incivilitie amongis the inhabitantis of the His and Heylandis, may be abolisheit and removit" [sic] (Donaldson 1970:178-179). By the early nineteenth century, therefore, the aristocracy were almost totally Anglicized.

THE VERNACULAR TRADITION

A vibrant vernacular tradition emerged in this period and began its transformation into what we call Gaelic song today. Before its late nineteenth century flowering however, there was one more important modif@ing influence: the evangelical revivals. The Protestant reformation of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries forced many Hebridean musical traditions underground and a few to the brink of oblivion. Later religious revivals, which swept the Highlands in the first half of the nineteenth century, concentrated many people's minds on holy and evangelical matters and reinforced the idea of subservience to authority. As the late Somhairle MacGill-eain [Sorley MacLean]-both literary poet and tradition bearerput it, "Gaelic song poetry degenerated to a feeble wail and to a feebler pietism" (1985:107-8).

Further strain was put on the continuity of tradition by the years of famine in the mid-nineteenth century, which resulted in massive emigration from all over Scotland. One, and perhaps the only, happy result of this is that many Scottish traditions have survived elsewhere when they have almost died out in Scotland (for example, the Newfoundland and Cape Breton Scottish step dance traditions).

THE BAIRD BHAILE

In the early nineteenth century the bard baile [township poet] tradition comes to light. These oral songmakers were heirs to the professional bards and are known in their communities for their skill at composing songs both serious and satirical about local issues and characters. In this way they both comment on and control their society. A small number of these songmakers exist today and sometimes still influence their communities; they are either looked to for comment and opinion, or are at least watched with an eagle eye for a potential satirical salvo.'

THE TAIGH CEILIDH

The key to the preservation of many Gaelic traditions, such as song, is the taigh celidh [ceilidh or visiting house], a particular place (or places) in a community where people gather for gossip, songs, stories and music. This role has been largely taken over by the pub in Ireland, but less so in Scotland. In a very few Hebridean homes these gatherings still take place, although the traditional music and song content of such evenings is minimal today.