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Òran Bagraidh

by Various

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about

The title single from the album Oran Bagraidh. This album was created and recording during a week's residency in Galloway, South West Scotland.

Ten diverse artists from across the UK and Ireland came together to create new work inspired by Oran Bagraidh, a medieval song believed to be the only surviving example of Galloway Gaelic, a distinct dialect spoken across South West Scotland for many hundreds of years until the 18th century. Galloway was a linguistically diverse area of Scotland and in medieval times early Welsh, old English, and Norse were spoken alongside Gaelic.

Translated as ‘Song of Defiance’ Oran Bagraidh was collected in North Uist by a Canadian song collector and his Gaelic Editor and published in the 1978 book ‘From the Farthest Hebrides’. The song mentions several Galloway place names in the Glenkens parish of Dumfries and Galloway.

Partly unintelligible to contemporary Gaelic speakers, several attempts have been made by historians and academics to unlock its meaning.

Taking informed guesses as to pronunciation, the song is sung in its original format in a Lingua Gadelica*, combining Scottish and Irish Gaelic elements which, from the evidence of local place names, was the case with Gaelic in Galloway. The song is also rendered in part in Welsh phonetics, reflecting mention of Welsh place names in the song and the fact that early Welsh was spoken in South West Scotland until as late as the 12th century.

The multi-lingual collaboration sees Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Welsh, English and Scots vocals alongside northern triplepipes and lyres, electronics, shimmering soundscapes and traditional instruments, juxtaposing the ancient with the very latest technology.

The album will be released on 2 February with a live show at Celtic Connections

*a phrase coined by Scottish Gaelic/ Irish poet Rody Gorman during the Oran Bagraidh residency.

lyrics

Aobh cumar an eas dom,
Aobh Bealach na Slogh,
Aobh bruthaichean Beinn Beithich,
Aobh an gleann’s an robh tu og.
Trom dom maduinn an aon-la,
Trom dom maduinn a’chro,
Ni ro eirig air an eislig
Caisteal caiseal a’chro.

Nar ro geis anns a’chro,
Nir bu geis anns a’chro,
Far tu deanma bi mid diamain,
Lagaidh ceudan diogailt linn.
Buille beada gom borr,
Goille grad beart doid,
Com gun choluin sliochd na feannaig,
Diogailt rindearg baradag sliom.

Riam righfinnid air an Fianta,
Ro-sar rath an rightech tu,
Riam ruighean rath na righinn,
Rogaid roighean tu ar righ,
Saindsearc sighi sorcha seiti,
Caimbeart cruthach calma ceannt,
Supach suanach solma socrach,
Ceudnach clota cleusta clit.

Toinnti muinntir na dubhchos,
Inn san draoinich’s ruigh raoin,
Sloinnti cinneil sliochd a’mhaduidh,
Cingdi cairpeach diaman saoidh.
Bhite breacach Loch a’Barr,
Bhite fiadhach Carrsa Fearn,
Bhite brocach Gleann na Seamraig,
Bhite fleaghtach an Dail Righ.

Do bhi treilis donna dosrach
Air an ruaghagh’s an do dail,
Greaghan congail tochadh sgola
Seirbhti sin an deireadh gnas.
Tarpa sluagh na gruaigi ciar,
Na cneas deathar cairti glas
Dosguin ciripti teasmailt brianta
Sosguin foirprig teanmaidh bragh.

credits

released November 16, 2018
Josie Duncan: harp, voice
Lorcán Mac Mathúna: voice, whistle
Doimnic Mac Giolla Bhríde: accordion, voice
Conor Caldwell: fiddle, voice
Barnaby Brown: whistle, voice
Gwyneth Glyn: voice
Bragod: lyre, voice
Rody Gorman: voice
Macgillivray: voice
Ben Seal: synthesizer, drum programming, prayerbells
Produced by Ben Seal

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Knockengorroch musics Dumfries and Galloway, UK

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