Hebrides Suite The Road to the Isles

The Road to the Isles Chorus 2 Sure by Tummel and Loch Rannoch and Lochaber I will go By heather tracks wi' heaven in their wiles. If it's thinkin' in your inner heart the braggart's in my step You've never smelled the tangle o' the Isles. Oh the far Coolins are puttin' love on me As step I wi' my cromack to the Isles. A far croonin' is pullin' me away As take I wi' my cromack to the road. The far Coolins are puttin' love on me As step I wi' the sunlight for my load. It's by Shiel water the track is to the west By Aillort* and by Morar to the sea The cool cresses I am thinkin' of for pluck And bracken for a wink on Mother knee. The blue islands are pullin' me away Their laughter puts the leap upon the lame The blue islands from the Skerries to the Lewis Wi' heather honey taste upon each name. The Road to the Isles We are going to listen to several different interpretations of this folk song: ~A 1926 recording by Sir Harry Lauder from Songs of the Hebrides ~A recording of a bagpipe band at the 2006 Glenngarry Highland Games 2

Now it is our turn to sing “The Road to the Isles” 3 The Road to the Isles The melody we hear in “The Road to the Isles” was originally from an air played on a chanter. *A chanter is the part of the bagpipe where the melody is played. *It consists of a number of finger holes and looks similar to a recorder. Poet Kenneth Macleod used the melody, adding words and a harp part to create the folk song found in Marjory Kennedy-Fraser's Songs of the Hebrides. Now it is our turn to sing “The Road to the Isles” 3

4 The Road to the Isles The Road to the Isles is an actual road on West coast of North Scotland that is still in use. Known for its remoteness and incredible scenery, the road starts in Fort William and goes to Mallaig and Knoydart with access to the small isles of the Inner Hebrides. The lyrics tell of the different places that the road passes: the Cuillin Hills, Tummel, Loch Rannoch, Lochaber, Shiel , Ailort, Morar, the Skerries, and the Lews. 4

How can we apply all this to our performance?