Celtic Music and the Growth of the Feis Movement in the Scottish Highlands

Abstract

Traditional music has been a part of Highland life for centuries, long before current marketability of term Celtic. In recent years, however, there has been a major revival of social and commercial interest in genre of tradition that is demonstrably Celtic: song tradition. Through influence of commercial groups like Capercaillie and Altan, and before them Runrig, Clannad and 0 Domhnaill family, for instance, song has made a striking comeback. Capercaillie is even developing tradition by recording recent compositions, and setting modern poems to music (e.g. Breisleach [Delirium], by Aonghas MacNeacail [Angus MacNicol]). This is not to say that singing is making a comeback, because most current performers do not sing in traditional styles. songs, however, are undoubtedly growing in popularity and their tradition springs from deep and ancient roots. THE ROOTS OF HIGHLAND SONGMAKING song tradition has its roots in bardic tradition common to Ireland and Scotland: The human experiences of Gaels can be traced in instinctive, inveterate and spontaneous compositions of bards; ... they react to every major event affecting lives of their community, and their songs mirror their folk-history (Bloomfield and Dunn 1989:67). These bards enjoyed a high status, both in community and court, and wielded considerable political and social influence through their eulogies, elegies and other praise poems for nobles of clan.' Their power was severely curtailed, however, in fifteenth and eighteenth centuries by dismantling of clan system-starting with forfeiture of Lordship of Isles in 1495 and culminating in disastrous battle of Culloden in 1746. By this time there were almost no professional clan poets and in following centuries, people's confidence in their own culture and language was systematically undermined, partly through educational propaganda until, by late nineteenth century, Gaels themselves considered their own language a hindrance to upward mobility (Smout 1986:219). Statutes of Iona in 1609 decreed that parents must send their eldest children to school in Lowlands that thay may be found able sufficientlie to speik, reid, and wryte [sic] (Donaldson 1970:174). more explicit 1616 Act went further, mandating that the vulgar Inglishe toung be universallie plantit, and Irishe [i.e. Gaelic] language, whilk is one of cheif and principall causis of continewance of barbaritie and incivilitie amongis inhabitantis of His and Heylandis, may be abolisheit and removit [sic] (Donaldson 1970:178-179). By early nineteenth century, therefore, aristocracy were almost totally Anglicized. THE VERNACULAR TRADITION A vibrant vernacular tradition emerged in this period and began its transformation into what we call song today. Before its late nineteenth century flowering however, there was one more important modif@ing influence: evangelical revivals. Protestant reformation of sixteenth and seventeenth centuries forced many Hebridean musical traditions underground and a few to brink of oblivion. Later religious revivals, which swept Highlands in first half of nineteenth century, concentrated many people's minds on holy and evangelical matters and reinforced idea of subservience to authority. As 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 continuity of tradition by years of famine in mid-nineteenth century, which resulted in massive emigration from all over Scotland. One, and perhaps only, happy result of this is that many Scottish traditions have survived elsewhere when they have almost died out in Scotland (for example, Newfoundland and Cape Breton Scottish step dance traditions). …