Music of the Hebrides

"Famed for their traditional Gaelic songs, as well as the skills of local pipers and fiddle and accordion players, the Outer Hebrides have become world-renowned for their music", writes visitouterhebrides.co.uk. The Lewis Pipe Band marches through the town centre of Stornoway every Saturday evening from the end of May until the end of August. The Hebridean Celtic Festival takes place in July for four days, see the program for 2016.

Sleeps the Noon in the deep blue Sky: By Kenneth McKellar on Youtube. And lyrics here:

Sleeps the noon in the deep blue sky,
While bright the sun shines on Cona's steep.
Sweet sounds the note of the lonely heron,
Sleeps the noon in the deep blue sky.

Bright the sun shines on Cona's steep,
While hounds for chase all on fire are straining.
Their deep-mouthed bay sweet as bardic music,
Sleeps the noon in the deep blue sky.

Sweet the winds softly murmuring,
Of eagle sweet is the far-heard cry.
As sails she o'er Morven's mighty sea-board,
Sleeps the noon in the deep blue sky.


Eriskay Love Lilt: By Judith Durham & The Seekers on Youtube. And lyrics here.

Vair me o, ro van o
Vair me o, ro van ee
Vair me o, o ru o ho
Sad am I without thee

When I'm lonely, dear white heart
Black the night and wild the sea
By love's light my foot finds
The old pathway to thee.

Thou'rt the music of my heart
Harp of joy, o cruit mo chridh
Moon of guidance by night
Strength and light thou'rt to me


The Cockle Gatherer: On Youtube.

The Seal Woman's Croon: By Nathalie de Montmollin on Youtube.


Milking Croon: By Etnastara on Youtube and also als Gaelic Song. And the lyrics here.

Il a bho-lag-ain il bho m'agh-an
Il a bho-lag-ain il bho m'agh-an
Il a bho-lag-ain il bho m'agh-an
Mo chrodh laoigh air gach taobh an abh-ainn.

Eel-a vo-la-kin eel vo ma-an
Eel-a vo-la-kin eel vo ma-an
Eel-a vo-la-kin eel vo ma-an
Mó-chró lur air guch turv an a-van.



The Skye Waulking song: By Capercaille on Youtube.


The Mermaid's Croon: By Joanne McIver on Youtube and by City Choir Dunedin on Youtube and by Trackers of Jura on Youtube. And the lyrics.


Ho! mo nigh’n dubh
He! mo nigh’n dubh
Mo nighean dubh
‘S tu mo chuachag.

Caidil a luaidh
Fo chobhair nan stuadh
Air bodha na suain
'S do bhruadar 's a' cheòban

Caidil a ghraidh
O caidil mu thràth
Is t'athair air bhàigh
Is fadal mo phòig air

Eala rid' thaobh
Is roin os do chionn
Lacha Mhoire 's a' chaol
'S cha'n fhaobar bhrònag


Translation:

Sleep beneath
The foam o’ the waves
On reefs of sleep
Dreaming in dew mist.

Thy seabed
The seals o’er head
From reivers dread
Securely guarding

While I croon,
White swan of the moon,
Wild duck of the sound,
By thee are resting.


Kismuil's Galley: By The Corries on Youtube.


The Bens of Jura: On Youtube with the lyrics.

Like watercress gather'd fresh from cool streams,
thy kiss, dear love, by the bens of Jura.
Cold, cold the bens, cold thy love as they,
Like watercress gather'd fresh from cool streams.
Gold the morn at dawn up wingeth,
Dreams the night, deep drown'd in dew mist,
And my heart, reft of its own sun,
Deep lies sunk in death torpor cold and gray.
Like watercress gather'd fresh from cool streams,
thy kiss, dear love, by the bens of Jura.
Cold, cold the bens, cold thy love as they,
Like watercress gather'd fresh from cool streams.


Land of Heart's Desire: By Lorna Kelly on Youtube. And lyrics here.

Land o' heart's desire,
Isle of Youth, dear Western Isle,
gleaming in sunlight!
Far the cloudless sky stretches blue across the Isle,
green in the sunlight.
There shalt thou and I wander free on sheen-white sands,
dreaming in starlight.


A 13th Century Love Lilt: By Alison Pierce on Youtube.


Felix Mendelssohn: The Hebrides - Overture, Op. 26: On Youtube. Also known as Fingal's Cave. It was composed by Felix Mendelssohn while residing on these islands.


Hebridean Symphony: Composed by Sir Granville Bantock. On Youtube.


Ian Anderson, singer of Jethro Tull: He owned an estate at Strathaird on Skye at one time.Severa l Tull songs are written about Skye, including Dun Ringil, Broadford Bazaar and Acres Wild (which contains the lines "Come with me to the Winged Isle, / Northern father's western child..." in reference to the island itself.


The Folk Rock Band Runrig started on Skye. Listen to The Mighty Atlantic. Runrig's second single is entitled Skye.


Celtic fusion band The Peatbog Faeries is based on Skye.


The Road to the Isles: This is a classic Scottish traditional song. It is part of the Kennedy-Fraser collection and it appeared in a book entitled ‘Songs of the Hebrides’ published in 1917.


Gaelic Song from the Isle of Lewis - Thainig na Meirlich anns an Oidhche:


Gaelic Song: An Aitearachd Ard by Ishbel MacAskill:


Ishbel MacAskill - Gradh Geal Mo Chridh (Fair Love Of My Heart):


Music from the Western Isles - Beanntan na Hearadh