~ SCOTTISH TRADITION 6 mg GACLIC PSALMS me. FROM Lewis _b) 4b school of scottish studies: UNIVERSITY OF EOINBURGDron oF ctuncat ruasr Fated on this C ise isa survival of something that existe all over Britain following the Reformation, ‘Uni then people had bad co rely om seamons, ‘paintings and ‘igies for their knowledge of Christin doctrine. After the Reformation the Bible ‘was megirded a6 the source of knowledge: many Englieh translations ofthe Rbleappeare, and people ‘were urged to Iran to read. Iwas permissible for hem all to take part in. congregational pase ‘whereas previously the imuseal praise had been Confined to the clr, Along wih a reaction against ‘ver-omamenttion of religious buildings went 2 ‘este for simplicity in the church service and in For their worship, the English Pusan chose the alms of David, sing in unison, unaccompanied “The mete into which the Puls wee tranlated wat ballad mete, and the music was sllabie— thats, sing one melody note per spllable in 1643, the ‘Westminser Asembly of Divins enaced "that for the present, where may’ of the congregation cannot read, tis convenient ha the minister o some ober fi person appointed by him, and the other rling ‘offics do rad the psalm, lie by line, before the singing thereof” Lowland Scots rook well o ballad ‘mate, which vas familiar to them in folksong and ‘reading the line’ beame so much « pare of the dures praise that t came to be regarded a8 4 senerble:Scoitsh custom. later chureh music ‘efortes campaigned to abolish it andi gradually ‘became etn, except in Gaelie-speaking ares ‘When the palms were translated into Gali the metre wd was agus ballad mae, so thatthe same Lowland tunes could be wed, This metre was and is cxtiely sien to Gaelic Ineatue and any other Gaelic poetry composed in itis parody. The way in whlch teaing the line’ broke up the quatain into ight lines of difing lenglh may have been a ‘welome alleviation of ballad mete fr the Gaelic singe. PERSON who read the line became known 35 the precentor, Nowadays it i the preceators uty not only tole the congregation bear clely the text i i sng net, but als to giv a hine of the mody line by pinpointing is mor important ‘oes. The repertoire varies from seventeen to SCOTTISH TRADITION Recorded and documented by the School of eouish Suis, ‘University of inburgh GAclLic pSALMS FROM Lewis se + sas 1 Martyrdom Dlm g 1 832 awn 2 Coleshill Pl 118. or a5-25 SIDE 2 ano 1 Sroudwater Pango wt a2 ano 2 Dundee Pan 105 1 kz band 5 London New Pala toy a ban 4 Marys Pal 79 m5 4 ‘asp onan See or rn cone seve dag cat soa ont coe psig Te Orden of He aa Stony toma, 8 [Neth ea fre we of re dea hee Church Seroway ‘ace taas records 2 Shahosbury Avenue tendon WIV TOE = MONO TNGM 120 twenty tunes, which aze basically the same as those that appear tnder the same name in the Church ymnary othe Scottish Psalter. Melodie modifi tions do oocur in some ofthe tanes inthe proces of adaptation to Gaelic modal patterns, but these are not to be taken as the only cause of the unaccustomed Tistener’s confusion as he trie t0 link the printed tune with the Gaelic version. There is no clar break between the preceator’s chant and the beginning or end ofthe orginal musical text; the singing is very slow, possibly to convey the solemnity of the occasion even ifthe psalm is 2 Joy one; and passing notes and grace notes are Introduced to decorate the baste melody —but not to the extent of obscuring it, and the precentor's oice should keep the congregation together on the Basle note, which coincide withthe bepinnings of syllables. There is ample opportunity for any would-be precentor to leam hi art Merial prams, sang slowly, omamentally, and with preceating are used most exclusively in Gaelle sevice in Protestant ‘hurches throughout Scotland. In the sland and country districts where Gaelic is spoken they are sung at miy worship as well, once and sometimes twice a day. The style in Lewis and Haare is more formamental than claewhere. For this dise we have confined ourselves 10 precentors and congregations fiom Lewis. and all the items except one were recorded there SIDE 2 BAND 5 was recorded in the Glagow home of « Lewis couple when several young friends all natives of Lewis, were on an ‘evenings vist. HEARING Gaelic psalm-singing for the fit thie, some who are entirely outside dhe culture find it an intensely moving experience. For the Drivleged few who have been nurtured in seach food performance has the attaction of familia, secure, unchanging things, ap well as thit of the powerful beauty ofthe sound, speaking ofthe tunes ‘Dundee’ ‘Marti’, nd “gin in The Cat’ Saray Nig Robere Burns may well have been thinking his ‘may 10 when he si ‘Compared with ths, Ilia tunes age tse; ‘The tik ears no hearelt rapture alse; ‘Nac unison hae they. with our Creator's praise. ‘Monae: Maciz0>SCOTTISH TRADITION 6 GAECLic PSALMS FROM Lewisthe pase serie f the ol Sot church ve sven place to the He sasat inl of the revel chorus, or the shor and ulated skeleton of he ancient pal tne The Man fom Glenury (4 ate of Westrn Cana), 19) Happily, the days for sch sapng a6 dserbed by Mr; Connor have not yet sone fom the Gute apeahing parts of Scotland. Not tat there have not Ben peopl who would have een gd tose ts departure; there probly sil ae, John Notes, a Gatiospeakne ‘Tha clench sie cuant 's Chaiheaach,leusadh a mach uch cestramh d's ann ar shennese, ach eam Wodh gich each san Gudeachd coms alt leughadt cht ‘hiodh aobhar sam ih ars ceachdadh 9 a leantln, "Sanna dhGihe ar 8 0 sins av t-ungh air eghadh na Sgrobiuiibh ‘ola hsm atbleanchodh 2 sh air fend Cleats na A ‘Asotherestom i commen in the Higlnds, reading out each ine ofthe quntain 2 i issue, bat i everyone i the adiece wee able to sea there woul be no ned for this racic to conus It rosin he int intance fom the gneraneof peopl sedi the ‘Seaptures when te Reformation he a. he Higands of Sota. “The Synod of Agl ube a Gas metal tation ofthe Fst fy sn 1689 nd stpltd tat “beeme of the people's anaogsintnce with the sal Pas that hrefore Svmuch a i fo be sng at tine etre and riety explained, hat the pope on Singing thm with the beter andetandig” oer Kiker of Buide in Fert, proce a wanton of he 180 Ps inte number of cops wu ded thowhon he guns sd wary of eta ang wo nee sin stead foe, ln Eurgh en inthe wil fla cena nest and wot dace the work.” Sorat ld ha he rat of ang the ie Comet eon sonpeptionshougow Seathad “Te tunes ofthe Gone Pisa well a “weadingsbesne” were mainly imported from sowtanSeolnd, England or the Continent andthe cia exon fr chosing blind mete tied. Church muse throughout Scollnd seme to bave Bena ow eB when the Gasc trntion nas pulsed. Apu, ied by an Eaard Mia rom Fabra, bal een pubis in L635, tut wen copa Pecame sare no reps with msi appeared A ole Son of ony ele fs, puede 1666, tears the sda paler and emane ofr shout sentry The Synod of Lotlandipensnd wth the sgig of pal is churches Denween 1645 and 1653, But ne 10 dhe Syd of Angi which when tebe the Rex ‘Angus MacQueen of hs tes in lest in Sh, fn 1695, Brovght a chars asin Nm the ‘het tha for several yeu he hd ste the gn ofthe Pls in ube wor.” (lacTaih Reprint 1938, pax) Those who sw 2 ned for reform inne complained in patil of excenine dal {nd vevortamentation ofthe eral ody W. Mine Gibson, wong ofthe attempts ‘ef that were made foward the end of the 180h entry, ete "omamental and Cetra” use which hs lng eon a grace to ur churches, and which many forts ave ‘eon made to improve and cea aay." (Gibson, 1907) oyever the resommendstion of he 1786 General Assombly tht there should be 2" tothe ancient practice of slang without reading the Has” was dificult to implement inthe Highnds, were thes “anclen?” custom had become part of the Refemed tation md ‘st oneantons were not tracted othe us of unrebeved quatai ofthe stil ni ballad mete. Ard 30, tener tothe Church mse in the Highlands todsy lS coe serene 19 al the “bad” charitritice mentioned. sow which cn be viewed from a ifferent standpoint. When ornament is igo are spostn they ad oa performance rather han detract from i Cat Philp Eman! Bac oc mented: "Nobody doubts the necessity of omsaments, They are gut adsense i ‘erent compotion made tolerable by them, and the best mslody, without them, em In the Western Ie, mscalomarentation iste ti esos and would be used to snr exten by the same singers fer Pass ao ‘ind of oe, The slow pce of Palmsiging does give more cope frit Another complaint voiced during the period of deine in Scottish musi ws thst | ten nd to be xed by et. a na ot Risa may Rae dane lot oper tte ion In Gute piney. Some ofthe tne favoured wee in the Stn PF! tin sales and when thre were learned by er the tendency wa toc =" {te fone which didnot Gate modal pater. The taney ae ths pes + ‘arte shih woud be ising they had ben earned ently rom he ook sagt sem Indes that the ony indigenes cents in Ga Pale least itl and — mugally— this prediction for eran modes As form of 22°" Fine the “asic! way of singing metriel pins has intgued objective obseen Tres nate ue of tnenames which apps in the Seortioh Pate, ome 2 trample De hn at freer to expan the Gah “Long Tunes x they 8 Swot in Prk Life the North of Scotland, 189, ses" ‘Lord Reny, Manto of F a Museo OF Fouls, et, wth thousands Satu 1 Protestant ral to embark torent mands of thes retainers wer inns tof th eany and to fat forthe ascendancy of tel Continent. Many fiat forthe scendancy of of them fe there; others retuned and altroian, 6 atacted to this ken too, saying that th Forte hind and sibegien ins, et Erg ‘he Gace department ofthe HBC brows Gate serves fom ther own sto, an Gash erie recorded by their Outi Broaden untae brosdes at atone a month. ‘Ut stout he ate 19505, the serie was om a tuto, the pe ws the prerogative of 2 the pecertors sola pur AF cutie broads the sng was that of the patiua church ‘rom whch the broadest was made The Gos department now wes elected tem mt uid tout recordings fr the sudo nics, atd it may therefore Be repre ws Foner inthe diveiaton of an utente form of Gabe Protestant pre. Thor Knuihen, a Danish muscle ands fomner member of sll ofthe Schoo! of Seotih Sade, int tok + se tee in Palnsinging ~ especialy i Lewis Palmainging ~ on aig a ecrding of Marian MacDonall, wh has deeloped the ar of sping Pals on intoephy The Pasig of te Precenor Dunc Fae, Edda, 106, Bzone Church Life Re. Alexander Waters, Et by Wiliam: Andres, 1899 (014 Mghlnd Church Masie HL. Camptl i Traction ofthe Gas Society of Inverness, * elton im the ine of Lis Rey.M. MasPhalin The Oban Times, 198, Sees of eight weekly atic in The Scotman, It Ostler 196D. F Clon.SDE 1 and 1 Maryrdom Pat 88 re 11-8 12 (e's rans ath Tedbtak Das ‘there is ai "Son chim e math bith on dreams dione gu deat (0 Tighar e+ Dh nn seh Senna an cent ‘An ies muinghneach (Gan deta tu am feed For the Lord God isn and si: ‘he Lord wil pre ace and gor: ‘0 sod thing il he wil Hom thom tat alk pet 0 Lord of tows, Heed & ‘he man Bat tet in ee mm Mechyrdome A A Bye Hain. “Martyion”, compose by Hugh Wison (1764. and 2 124) was only sumed alte te wipe of Fer Cota Pim 118.1828 ath aekerecs tae eis te cea dna a reegeeeace ee fouath ev teach = uncompromising pentato ‘ineadh tears tear 1 dem enh Dn ne ‘Cha hai as ch mateam bed een ee en Wane ee onan Seer. aoe Ot en eS een ae ee. ee Freie mcg ers eee pimping osc: —— eT eras aa ae eee ‘saree aa eno {Tete or hs palms tobe found nthe Revied Chrch Hymna an The Sot ler (1929). Whee te ‘une dies fom the pulied veson transition ofthe an oe en esse Kya hat of te pubis ie ‘The Gal tents ae om he caren alton of th Mtl Pie, sel on the Synod of Ares anton of 16598. Engh tet ae om he Authored vron of he Re, wn 3 Dine iS 3 ios Prom a pied manent (2 note aac nly) by T Kruden, 21.364SDE? Stoudwater Pram 46. 1&2 ‘Se Daas temunn duen gu teach 2 Spogmad €'s a is Mar in go suai? an tau om, Gea tla for a ite mde 1 very pent help ead Thetfre wil not we fear, though ‘Googh the mounts Ye cai churches te tunes “Cole”, “Dundee” and “Stornoway” ae rion stashed to portont, itching up of tne to Wet, sl 0, ou he opening stamas of Palm 46 it Enh we mst ot confer otal pease. By holding ont he fia ote ht ata ang ote 0 fake up te melody ln, he sect oe of it er fore emumentton tan customary this 14 we of decoration. The mage qunty ois sce with he tte me tera ie exter “L woud ie to ty to fora what sn my opinion the pei coment of omamentalhymusinging a regoes stetement in conseetonl son: nota cooeestionasngin which creryne sas ia Body as wth one mouth, flowing the tatoe of the oman. But incl peopl, who inthe Sine fellmahipresve the feed fo bear witness to tei ‘elaioa 1 Gad on + penn as Tharkié Knudon, DFS Information 68/2 Pom eBay He 194 Pte Carey, Tt of Naot Ly of Sti ee ese. elite note of the scoad pls of the tone, hich pont epee a hangs rot manor to major for hs parila phe, benpeeier Bre a Tone aor he fon nad fx seo bebe theft, tid and fs! phrase of he tne stow int enias ae omitted trom Hart's 1634 Pulte and it i comet 1 dbcbch di 8th Bess the Lad, O my sal and ‘The frou pag here Wik Noman Macheod sae ssi i fapether forthe reer voion, bot thre ating Bis the Lor O my su an reerston” Resotel i 1955 at Fiery, Lews by fore at is bea tee Dames Rowe in Pinay 120“The recordings in SCOTTISH TRADITION 6 ~ GAELIC PSALMS FROM LEWIS — were chosen and prepared fom she tape archives of the CHOOL OF SCOTTISH STUDIES, Unversity of Edinbureh, 1 Gers Sua, Enon EHS LD, ‘ha oth Sou Arie ofthe BRITISH BROADCASTING CORPORATION, Section and Commentary Morag Macleod ‘Teehseal — Fred Kent Map — Ralph Morton See Editor — Peter Cooke tae Te the Gace degurtnet, BAC Sctiand for items 1 & 4 on Side 2, which were recorded in Stomoway Free Church in Sune 1969 ‘Toth Trustee of the National Libary of Seotand for pemison t reproduce pugs from the 1634 and 1635 Pslters ‘To Towtiit ude, now muscologit onthe sat ofthe Danish Folklore Archives, forthe we of tanscrption and commenti. SCOTTISH TRADITION isan steprate seis of discs designed to is aspects of Scottish oral tation, Recordings are drawn fom an archives of some 2,000, tous of materia ~ the ess of tmeaty-one years of Sjtemati collecting By the School of Record ia thesis now aa Ballantrshat SCOTTISH TRADITION 1 BOTHY BALLADS MUSIC FROM THE NORTH EAST Ise TNGN 109, ee SCOTTISH TRADITION 2 MUSIC FROM THE WESTERNISLES TNCM 110 SCOTTISH TRADITION 3 WAULKING SONGS FROM BARRA TNGM {1 Lewis SCOTTISH TRADITION 4 SHETLAND FIDDLE Music NGM IT SCOTTISH TRADITION S THE MUCKLE SANGS [Clic Scots alos) Fidigarry eg Stornoway (TwoDae Album) NM 11970 SCOTTISH TRADITION 6 GAELIC PSALMS FROM LEWIS -TNGM 120, Alb published by the Schoo of Sst Studies: SCOTTISH STUDIES — Av annual ournal TTOCHER ~ A quarterly magizine of ales, adtons and songs, ‘Publised 1975 by Tangent Records, London Copyish © 1975 by the School o Satish Studies er seers 52 Stafebry Avenue, London WIV 7D Printed in Gr stain,