Memorial Concert for Iain Archie Macaskill- Glasgow 02/10/09
by Fiona J. MacKenzie
www.fionamackenzie.org
Iain Archie Macaskill was a Scottish Gaelic Bard and piper who left the tiny Hebridean island of Berneray in 1925 to start a new life in Australia. He missed his homeland dreadfully and his dearest wish was to return on day. He never did, dying 9 years later. His great great niece Alina is now trying to raise the money to repatriate his remains and part of that fundraising effort was to old a concert in Glasgow’s Piping College to which all the great and good of Gaeldom in Glasgow, were invited. The Piping College has a strong tradition of supporting causes which have a piping link and this was no exception. The small performance hall resounded with the traditional sound of the Strathclyde Police Pipe Band and those singers who were to sing after them ( i.e. Yours Truly) had to plug the ears- for any singer who’s had to sing after a piper playing in the same room, you’ll know exactly what I mean……brings a whole new meaning to the phrase, keeping in tune…… Great piping though, none better and a fine set of tunes from some of Glasgow’s Best.
Gaelic obviously abounded in the programme for the night and multi talented musician and singer Norrie Maciver from Lewis gave renditions of some great Gaelic songs in his own inimitable style. Norrie pays with the up and coming exciting young band Bodega- watch- or rather listen-out for them. Norrie can play guitar, accordion, percussion as well as sing and being a recent graduate of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama will stand him in good stead for his future career in the Scottish Traditional music industry. His songs included his own unique version of the old cèilidh favourite ‘Balaich an Iasgaich’ and he was joined in a longer set by young singer from South Uist, Sineag Macintyre, also a recent graduate of the RSAMD. Sineag is destined to become one of Scotland’s young tradition bearers of Gaelic song, having been steeped in the tradition from the earliest age . Her songs and voice tell of stories and people of a time past but with the freshness and vitality of youth and the future of Traditional Gaelic song is safe in the hands of singers like Sineag.
Singer Ann Gilmour gave of her time to sing self accompanied on guitar in some Scots and popular songs.
Young piper Andrea Beaton from Cape Breton who is working for some months at the College provided some sparkling solo sets on the Highland bagpipes, proving that its not essential to be kitted out like something from a shortbread tin, to deliver accurate and tight Strathspeys, marches and reels.
What is important about events such as this concert or cèilidh is the fact that it centres mainly around young performers with more mature singers around to ground the whole performance aspect of the night with their experience. Traditional events such as these of course are not complete without their ration of tea and home bakes and this was no exception . Unsophisticated perhaps, but a real community event and one certainly enjoyed by the smallish but perfectly formed audience.
The whole evening was filmed by BBC Alba , parts of which will be used in a documentary about the project to bring Iain Archie home and some of Iain Archie’s own songs will hopefully feature in that documentary.
These events may not receive the same media attention that larger and more prestigious events do but they are nonetheless what makes the Gaelic Culture so special,, they tell of who the Gaels are and where they came from- and where they are going.
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Iain Archie MacAskill once owned part of the farm we know own. Tomorrow 11.3.2010 we are hosting his family from Scotland and showing them where Iain lived and neighbouring farms he visited during his time in Lake Varley. We hope our hospitality will leave a lasting memory and an insight into how Iain Archie had to deal with the harsh elements and farming in those early days.
Further to being involved in the Repatriation of the Bard of Berneray it was one of the many stories that has touched my heart, that a great niece has taken the time and effort to do this. So much so that I presented her with a plaque with the story and photo’s of the Bard’s final journey back home to Berneray