While the People’s Voice project focused on poetry and song in English and Scots, in 2017 the team were delighted to be in a position to help sponsor An Lochran’s wonderful concert at that year’s Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow, ‘Strì is Buaidh’.
This concert, directed by Ewen Henderson, celebrated the political and protest dynamics that have been central to Gaelic song cultures over many centuries. The themes addressed – war, land and language among them – are testament to the fact that in Highland culture politics have always been articulated through the medium of song, and song has always been political. A selection of songs from the concert showcasing the diversity of Gaelic protest song is offered here, with translations and song histories from Jo MacDonald.
The solo performers on the night included:
- Allan MacDonald
- Gillebride MacMillan
- Sineag MacIntyre
- Cathy-Ann MacPhee
- Alasdair Whyte
The band comprised Ingrid Henderson, Megan Henderson, Ewan Robertson and Andrew MacPherson.
An Lochran is Glasgow’s premier Gaelic arts development agency.
The team would like to thank Shona Masson for her help with this initiative.
If you are interested in the ways that Gaelic poetry shaped debates about the franchise, see Sheila Kidd’s essay on this website.