Message in a Bottle - Programme Notes

"Being brought up in Mallaig, my father's family were boat builders while my mother's family ran the mailboats and I had uncles who were fishermen, so as well as the kind of environmental idea of being near the coast there's this connection to the people for who the sea provides a living. But then being able to access all this SNH research - the tagging of basking sharks and things - has been an eye-opener. Their work with birds on the coast and finding out where they migrate to has been incredible. It's something that I wouldn't have necessarily known about coming from a musical and creative side. That's the joy of a commission like this. You get an insight into another world which is just amazing and you then get the chance to tell other people about stuff that's going on that you ordinarily wouldn't know about."

Ingrid Henderson, in The National, 10th January 2020

1. An Ataireachd Àrd (The Surge of the Sea)

Tha an t-òran seo le Dòmhnall MacÌomhair à Ùig Leòdhais air aon de na h-òrain Ghàidhlig as cumhachdaiche agus as buaine a chaidh a sgrìobhadh mun mhuir. Tha bòidhchead is cumhachd a’ chuain rin cluinntinn anns na faclan còmhla ri bròn na h-eilthireachd fhad ’s a tha am fonn a’ teàrnadh is ag èirigh mar a bhios ataireachd fhiadhaich na mara. Tha tuinn shòlasach is bhrosnachail a’ Chamais Dharaich ann am Mòrar gan cur ris a’ phìos seo.

Composed by Donald MacIver, Uig, Lewis, this is probably the most powerful Gaelic song every written about the sea and certainly one of the most enduring. The words speak of the beauty and power of the sea contrasted with the sadness of forced emigration, while the melody echoes the rise and fall of the wild rolling, ocean. The piece is accompanied by the ever comforting and inspiring waves of Camusdarach, Morar.

2. Brath sa Bhuideal (Message in a Bottle suite)

’S e brath ann am botal is mar a bhios fortan, na sruthan mara, a’ ghaoth agus nàdar ga stiùireadh dha a cheann-uidhe a th’ aig cridhe a’ phìos seo. Ann an 2008, chuir balach à Armagh, a bha naoi bliadhna a dh’aois, botal le brath ann dhan mhuir far costa na h-Èireann agus deich bliadhna an dèidh sin, thàinig am botal gu tìr ann an Canaigh. Bha brath sìmplidh ann – gaol na h-òige – ach anns a’ phìos seo tha an teachdaireachd a’ dol am meud gus am faic sinn na tha a’ tachairt anns a’ mhuir againn agus ciamar a tha na gnìomhan againn fhìn a’ toirt buaidh air an àrainneachd is air an fhiadh-bheatha againn. Tha an ceòl is an dealbh-beò le Cat Bruce stèidhichte air na lorgas am balach òg. Tha e a' meòrachadh air turas a' bhotail is e a' siubhal air sruthan a' chuain tro thìm a' coinneachadh le beairteas beatha na mara. Tha an dealbh-beò a' comharrachadh na dàimh eadarainn fhèin is a' mhuir agus a' toirt iomradh air a' bhuaidh againn air na cuantan againn is an cuid fiadh-bheatha.

The undeniably romantic notion of casting a message into the ocean and allowing fate, the currents, wind and nature to guide the journey and decide its final destination, formed the catalyst for this piece. In 2008 a nine year old boy from Armagh placed just such a message in a bottle off Northern Ireland and ten years later it washed up on Canna. The message was a simple one of childhood love but in this piece it grows to a bigger message about what’s happening in our seas and how our actions affect our environment and our incredible wildlife. The music, and our animation, by Cat Bruce, is inspired by the little boy’s discovery. He imagines the journey of the castaway bottle, as it travels on the ocean currents, through time and space, encountering a wealth of marine life. The animation also celebrates our long relationship with the sea and hints at some of the impacts we are having on our oceans and its wildlife.

3. The Lochaber Gathering & The Meeting Grounds

Tha eòlas agus fiosrachadh mu chumadh agus eachdraidh na tha timcheall oirnn taisgte ann an ainmean-àite Gàidhlig. Chithear ainmean a tha a’ tòiseachadh le Inbhir, Camas, Rubha is Abar/Obar air feadh nan cladaichean is lochan againn. Tha am facal mu dheireadh ri fhaicinn anns an sgìre agam fhìn, ‘Loch Abar’, a tha a’ ciallachadh àite far a bheil dà uisge a’ coinneachadh, gu sònraichte, Loch Iall agus an Linne Dhubh agus ’s e an aon fhacal a chithear ann an Obar Dheathain, Obar Pheallaidh agus fiù ’s Aberystwyth. Bithear a’ dèanamh caismeachd phìobaireachd airson cruinneachaidhean mòra a chomharrachadh agus tha an dàrna port a’ leantainn an nòis sin. Tha e a’ comharrachadh coinneachadh chreutairean mara is eòin aig grunn àiteachan biathaidh is briodaidh an dèidh thursan fada fad mhìltean de mhìltean a h-uile bliadhna.

Gaelic places names provide us with so much information about the topography and history of our surroundings. All around our coast and inland lochs prefixes such as Inver, Camus, Rubha (‘point, headland’) and Aber can be found in abundance. The latter in my home area of ‘Loch Abar’ pertains to the confluence of two waters, namely Loch Eil & Loch Linnhe and is the same prefix found in Aberdeen, Aberfeldy and even Aberystwyth. The tradition of composing a pipe march to commemorate important gatherings is continued with the second tune which marks the meeting of sea creatures and bird life at various feeding and breeding grounds after incredible journeys of thousands of miles each year.

4. The Living Water (An Cuan Beò)

“The sea is ever-present; it takes people away, it brings them home, it feeds them and swallows them up; it is beautiful and terrible and eternal” A.L. Gillies ‘Songs of Gaelic Scotland’

Tha an t-òran seo a’ glacadh iomadh taobh na mara agus na dàimh againn leis a’ chuan tro na bliadhnaichean. Tha a’ mhuir a’ cur iomadh rud nam chuimhne, cuimhneachain air bliadhnaichean mòra ag iasgaich ann am Mallaig nam òige, ceanglaichean teaghlaich le bàta a’ phuist, saoir nam bàtaichean, malairt nan iasg, call uabhasach a’ Silvery Sea, seann eòlas mu shruthan cuain, eilthireachd agus a’ bhuaidh againne air a’ mhuir.

This song tries to encapsulate the multi faceted nature of the sea and our relationship with it through the years. Memories of fishing boom times throughout my youth in Mallaig, family connections to mailboat runs, boatbuilders, the fishing trade, the tragic loss of the Silvery Sea, ancient understanding of ocean currents, emigration and finally questioning what lasting affect we have left upon our seas.

5. Jigs: Port na Culaidh & Port an Luig Mhòir

Bidh mise, coltach ri iomadh duine eile, gam tharraing fhìn air ais don mhuir aig amannan matha agus dona. Tha an dà phort seo stèidhichte air sgrìob air latha fuar na Samhna mu chladach an Eilein Sgitheanaich cuide ri Somhairle MacDhòmhnaill. Tha na h-ainmean a’ toirt iomradh air dà phort faisg air Ealaghol. Tha culaidh a’ ciallachadh ‘clàrach’ no ‘bàta le clàr còmhnard’. A rèir Maighread Stiùbhart, ’s ann aig Port an Luig Mhòir a dh’fhàg Teàrlach Òg Stiùbhart an t-eilean is e a’ dèanamh air tìr-mòr ann an 1746. Mo thaing dhi airson an fhiosrachaidh seo.

Like many people I’m constantly drawn to the coast in good times and in bad. These two jigs were inspired by a cold November day ‘sprachling’ about Skye’s coastline with Somhairle MacDonald. The names refer to two inlets near Elgol. The first likely translates as the ‘harbour of the flat bottomed boat’ and the second is the ‘port of the big hollow’ where according to the Ainmean-Àite na h-Alba project on Place Names of Strath and Skye, Bonnie Prince Charlie rowed from to the mainland in 1746. Thanks to Margaret Stewart for her research on this.

6. An t-Seòladair aig Rubha Dà Chuain (The Sailor at the Point of Two Oceans)

Tha iomadh ciall air a’ phìos seo. ’S e rubha beag a th’ ann an Rubha Dà Chuain faisg air Mòrar ach tha rudeigin nas motha an lùib an ainm sin. Tha e a’ riochdachadh an àite far a bheil sinne mar daoine, far am feum sinn slighe shoilleir a chur romhainn ma tha sinn airson ’s gum mair an saoghal againn. Tha an seòladair a’ toirt iomradh air a’ chearban mhòr a chithear cho tric anns a’ mhuir an seo agus air a’ bheachd gu bheil dleastanas againn uile a bhith a’ stiùireadh a’ chùrsa le gliocas agus faiceall.

Various meanings can be interpreted from this piece. Rubha Da Chuain is a tiny headland close to Morar but the name suggests something much bigger. It reflects the pivotal point we’ve reached as a species and the need to decide a clear path to secure the survival our planet. The sailor/ seoltóir (Irish reference) refers to the mighty yet graceful basking shark, so prevalent in our waters, but also the idea that we all have individual responsibility to navigate this path wisely

7. The Sarcastic Duck

Chòrd an rannsachadh a rinn mi còmhla ri sgioba mara NatureScot rium gu mòr, ag ionnsachadh le sàr-eòlaichean mu na creutairean is àrainnean iongantach air feadh na h-Alba. B’ e gairm na lacha-duinn an rud a b’ èibhinne a dh’ionnsaich mi, fuaim a tha car coltach ri Kenneth Williams agus air a bheil am port aotrom seo stèidhichte.

I thoroughly enjoyed my research with the NatureScot marine team, learning facts from incredible experts about the most amazing creatures, habitats all around Scotland. The most humorous one being the Kenneth William’s style call of the Eider Duck which inspired this fun piece.

8. Reels: The Dance of the Storm Petrels & Swallows of the Sea

Chan eil luaireag ach beagan nas motha na gealbhonn agus nuair a bhios iad a’ sgèith bidh iad a’ plapail air bàrr an t-sàil is a’ biathadh le an sgiathan gu h-àrd ann an cumadh ‘V’. Tha an dàrna port stèidhichte air an steàrnan, eun a bhios a’ siubhal astar iongantach a h-uile bliadhna. Bidh iad a’ cur a’ gheamhraidh (againne) seachad anns an Antartaig agus an uairsin a’ tilleadh a dh’Alba airson na h-iseanan aca àrach anns a’ mhuir bheartach againne.

Storm petrels are a little bigger than sparrows and in flight they flutter over the water, almost as if to dance, feeding with their wings held up in a ‘V’. The second tune is inspired by the Arctic tern which is the ultimate long distance migrant. They spend our winter in Antarctica and then make a huge migration up to Scotland and into the Arctic to raise their chicks in our rich seas.

9. Òran ‘Brath sa Bhuideal’ (Message in a Bottle Song)

Tha seo a’ togail air an earrainn den dealbh-bheò Brath sa Bhuideal. Tha e sgrìobhte ann an riochd Òran Breug no Faoin Dhuan agus ged a tha e èibhinn tha e a’ toirt iomradh air cùis mhòr na h-àrainneachd. Tha an t-òran a’ toirt an ìre gu bheil brath a’ dol eadar adag is giomach, pèileag chabagach agus crùbag shrònasach agus tha iasg ann a tha ag òl à crogan coke agus sùlaire a’ togail nead de dhriamlach plastaig! ’S e an car san sgeul seo gu bheil na rudan seo a’ tachairt an da-rìribh.

This expands on the song excerpt of the Message in a Bottle animation piece. It’s written in the style of a childlike Òran Bhreug or Faoin Dhuan (Lies Song) which is comical but belies its more serious environmental meaning. It jokes about passing the message from a haddock to a lobster, a gossipy porpoise and a nosey crab and the ridiculousness of a fish slugging from a coke can and a gannet building its nest from plastic fishing line! Sadly the twist in the tail is that these things are indeed happening for real.

Sèist / Chorus: Àilleagan ’s àill i ò ro, àilleagan ’s ho rò i, Àilleagan ’s àill i ò ro, shiubhail e fada, fad’ o thìr