Highland Cathedral

Pipers at Edinburgh Castle

For a new anthem for Scotland my votes on the tune Highland Cathedral with new words - 'The Highlands Call on eagles wings...' This tune is stirring and uplifting ....and nothing much beats the pipes, but adding the strings of the orchestra makes it easier to sing to.

I went in search of a good version on YouTube. Loved this version with the orchestra adding that extra depth -  oh wish they might play this at the Commonwealth Games Glasgow 2014 ( and not Flower of Scotland!)  Check it here -

https://www.youtube.com/highlandcathedral

I agree with many that Flower of Scotland now sounds out-dated and even slightly bitter. We need a forward looking more positive and inspired song. This is not about sending the English homeward - its about an inclusive and confident way forward for all who wish to live in Scotland. When I lived abroad I did used to think of the pipes and the Highlands and those damp misty mornings. 

Where the highlands call home on eagles’ wings,

And where heathers always bloom,

I will always be true

 To the highlands that are calling home for me.   

By many bonny lochs and rugged wild shorelines, 
Misty mornings and wide open spaces, 
My heart will always be  
Where the highlands are calling home for me.  

STRANGE pop business: Gary Barlow

Gary Barlow is now considered as pop music or rather pop song royalty in England (he received an OBE and organised the Queen’s Jubilee concert and even more).  He is following in the footsteps of top no 1 world selling pop singer songwriter Elton John

When Take That broke up Barlow had initial success with his 1997 album, Open Road, which made No 1 in the UK charts. However his 1999 album, Twelve Months, Eleven Days, only made No 34. It appeared that the pop business didn’t know what to do with Barlow as the piano playing and songwriting member of the band. Pop music has become, especially over in LA, more about the glitz and showmanship.

Oddly, back in the 70s, the pop business didn’t know what to make of Elton either – who after working in Publishing became a solo artist in America when he donned extrovert glasses and glittering shoes and jackets, to be seen and heard!

After Take That broke up inn 1996, Robbie Williams (Angels, Let Me Entertain You) became the Big Star, although he has never broken in America.

Meanwhile Barlow was out in the cold and consigned to several years in the wilderness (1999 to Take That reunion 2006 and later his solo release 2012). Even as he retreated into his songwriting he found that the music business wouldn’t touch him and in order to have people even look at his songs he had to put them out under another name.

This continued over years, while he put on weight and became reclusive. Then in there was talk of a Take That reunion in 2006 after a Tv documentary – and the rest is recent history.......

His 2012 album Sing made No 1 UK charts.  
 

There are a few others such as Kylie who also resurrected her career. In the shallow world of fame this shows the real secret of success is hard work. At 43 Gary is looking better than ever. No matter what people view as cool or not cool – nothing much beats a great pop song!


Gary Barlow OBE (born 20 January 1971) is an English singer-songwriter, pianist and record producer. He is frontman and lead vocalist of British pop-group Take That and served as head judge on series 8, 9, and 10 of The X Factor UK. Barlow is one of Britain's most successful songwriters, having written thirteen Number 1 singles and twenty three top 10 hits. He has had three Number 1 singles, six top 10 singles and two Number 1 albums as a solo artist, and has had sixteen top 5 hits, eleven Number 1 singles and seven Number 1 albums with Take That. He is also a six-time recipient of the Ivor Novello Award and has sold over 50 million records worldwide. He was appointed an OBE in 2012 for services to music and charity.
 

Richard Thompson's colourful songs

 

His song lyrics paint the most colourful characters. I first came across Richard Thompson when I was a student and when I heard some of his Bright Lights album songs on a visit to Stirling uni – and I was hooked from the start with the energy and dynamics of his guitar, his colourful songs and the sultry expression and tones of his then wife Linda, and I learned to sing Richard’s insightful songs.

As well as being a brilliant song writer Thompson, with his own very individual guitar style, is one of our top guitarists and he is listed in Rolling Stones top one hundred guitarists. 

My favourite Richard Thompson songs are – Bright Lights, Heart Needs a Home, Down Where the Drunkards Roll, Dimming of the Day, This Cruel Country,  .

With an artist’s paintbrush Richard draws real life stories and unforgettable characters. They grab emotionally with pain and joys.

Richard likes to improvise and play from instinct with his unexpected, soulful guitar that leaps and springs at you, wrapped around with challenging intelligent lyrics that speak in clear unforgiving voices. His songs tell of troubled, characters, about flying free and escaping life’s pressures. His songs are edgy, brooding at times, mournful and thoughtful with lines such as -

 ‘There goes a troubled women she dreams a troubled dream, She lives out on the highway, She keeps her money clean.’

‘I was a butterfly lived for a day, I could be free just floating away.

This cruel country has teased me and lied.’

Richard grew up in London, in a musical family. His Scottish father exposed him to a record collection of both jazz and traditional folk, which provide a unique and wide music background. This interesting mix of styles led to Richard rich and original song writing style.  He has collaborated with many, including Crowded house, John Martyn, Al Stewart, Matthews Southern Comfort, Sandy Denny, Nick Drake and more. Richard continues to tour.

He also writes great quotes on his website! "I prefer to concentrate on songs that are deserving, but slightly too arcane to be in every household -- the also-rans, the misfits, the hidden jewels."
"It's an honour to have this job and, to me, the greatest thing is to be up on stage and to feel that connection with an audience... It actually doesn't matter how big that audience is, as long as you get the feeling that there's that musical communication there... that mystical thing that happens in a room full of people. Music is played, things change subtly. It's a beautiful thing. "

 Richard Live. I have seen Richard Thompson three times live in Glasgow – the first time a quality gig at the concert hall along with bassist Danny Thompson.

The next was at an excellent set at the Old Fruitmarket, where he rocked with his band and he played songs from his 2009 album, as well as his top quality back catalogue of songs.

I also saw Thompson perform an accomplished set at the Glasgow Concert hall as part of Celtic in 2010, where I also took photos.  

He now lives with his new wife in LA and a few years back there was an interesting tv program about his songwriting. There is something insightfully real, truthful and optimistic about the human condition in Richards songs. 

Richard and Linda Thompson had their first major album with I want to See the Bright Lights in 1974. Thompson continues to record and tour to this day.  

Richard Thompson, British songwriter, guitarist and recording and performing musician. Richard Thompson made his début as a recording artist as a member of Fairport Convention in September 1967. He continues to write and record new material regularly and frequently performs live throughout the world. Thompson was appointed an OBE in the 2011 New Year Honours for services to music.^[5] On 5 July 2011, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University of Aberdeen. His songwriting has earned him an Ivor Novello Award and a lifetime achievement award from BBC Radio (2006).

Capercaillie, Thirty Years On

Their song A Prince Among Islands was the first Gaelic song to chart. Capercaillie developed the Gaelic song tradition through the creative use of modern production techniques. The band, originally called The Etives, was begun by  Donald Shaw and Karen Matheson in 1982. They are from Taynuilt south of Oban, near Loch Etive, where there was a strong tradition of folk music  - both Donald's parents are musicians and his father is also a accordionist.

Their first two albums were recorded traditionally – Crosswinds (1987) and Sidewaulks (1989). 

In the 80s Capercaillie were greatly influenced by Irish folk music of the 80s, with bands like Clannad and Planxty. Irish music was more advanced then and the Irish band Clannad proved the wider appeal that was possible with their chart success for the theme Hurry’s Song.

So for their albums Delirium (1991) and Secret People (1993) Capercaillie added basslines, drum machines and synthesisers and this fusion sound let to chart success in the 1990s. Shaw said that some may feel they sold out from the folk traditions but he feels they would have sold out by making the same record over and over. The  band preferred to move on and try new things. Their sound became contemporary traditional music. The band toured worldwide and continue to tour today.

Now in the 2000s, Capercaillie have returned to a slightly more traditional arrangements and instruments with a more subtle fusion of modern instruments.

Capercaillie are considered folk royalty. Donald Shaw has been the musical director for Glasgow’s highly successful Celtic Connections since 2007. I cover the festival each year and I am well aware of the diversity, quality and musicianship that Donald pulls together to make this highly successful event for the city of Glasgow.

One aspect that makes the band stand out is the clear beauty of Karen Matheson’s subtle expressive voice. She often sings in Gaelic. There are some wonderful clips of her on YouTube singing with the unmatchable quality of the Transatlantic band  - nothing much beats a perfect vocal, beautiful  melody and the TS band!  In a BBC documentary Karen said as a teenager she was dragged around venues to sing by her dad. It was only when she met Donald and realised his drive and creative enthusiasm for the folk music that she was able to see the purpose of it all.  Donald and Karen married ( ) - I notice at Celtic there are several married couples in folk music! 

On this documentary about the bands thirty years together Shaw said that there was no music industry compared to 30 years ago and that it is all about making music for the live experience now.  Donald Shaw is very much the musical driving force of the band. He is also a successful composer and arranger and recently he composed music for the BBCs 'Hebrides; Islands on the Edge.'

The present day line up of the band consists of - Karen Matheson (vocals), Charlie McKerron (fiddle), Michael McGoldrick (flute, whistle, pipes), Manus Lunny (bouzouki, guitar), Donald Shaw (keyboards, accordion), Ewen Vernal (bass), David Robertson (percussion), Che Beresford (drums), James Mackintosh (drums).

Capercaillie are a Scottish folk band, founded in the 1980s by Donald Shaw and fronted by Karen Matheson. They have seen four of their albums placed in the UK Albums Chart, and continue to perform and record to the present day.