1. ‘Skye Waulking Song’ from the Album Nadurra
Capercaillie
‘Skye Waulking Song’ from the Album
Nadurra
the study of this set work you will learn about:
the development of folk music
• the music of Capercaillie
how the set work 'Skye Waulking Song' is constructed through an analysis of the music
• the key features in the music.

2. Folk music
Folk music is music of the people - hence the name 'folk' music.
It is generally music performed and owned by the lower classes of a society expressing something about their way of life, how they used to live, or about local mythology.
It is passed on by the oral tradition and is rarely notated.
Folk music is often played at informal occasions, such as jam sessions at pubs or impromptu performances at any social gathering.
Folk music is about everyone taking part, enjoying the music and passing on the tales of life, legend and heritage.
Folk music around the world
There is folk music in every region of every country, reflecting the traditions, life and myths of that particular corner of the world.
In the US, folk music was performed by artists such as Woodie Guthrie, who learned songs from his mother and recorded his own versions of them.
He in turn influenced Bob Dylan, who wrote songs in a folk style but whose lyrics were politically charged - he wrote lyrics protesting against the Vietnam War and other things that he felt strongly opposed to.
Folk songs with political lyrics such as Dylan's were known as protest songs.

3. Folk instruments
Folk music is traditionally played on acoustic instruments. Some of the most common instruments used in folk music include the following:
accordion
bagpipes
banjo
bodhran - Irish drum struck with the hand or a double-ended stick called a 'tipper' or 'bones‘
bouzouki - a Greek string instrument, generally with four groups of two strings tuned in unison or octaves. It was imported to Ireland and developed into a very similar instrument called the Irish bouzouki
concertina - similar to an accordion, but smaller
double bass
fiddle - the name given for a violin played in a folk music context.
guitar
harmonica
hurdy gurdy - a similar shape to a violin,
but played by a wheel rotating in contact
with the strings. The pitch of the strings
is changed by a set of keys rather than
direct contact with the fingers
mandolin
piano
tin/penny whistle
uilleann pipes - similar to the bagpipes,
but using bellows operated by the
elbow rather than blowing. They
produce a sweeter and quieter sound
than the bagpipes making them more
suitable for use in an ensemble of other
instruments

4. Electric instruments
Electric instruments such as the electric bass, keyboard and electric guitar have been used in folk music almost as long as they have in popular music.
Purists fell that music should always be played on acoustic instruments - folk music is also called 'traditional music', and electric instruments are not traditional or part of the folk heritage, so some people felt that the use of electric instruments in folk music was something of a betrayal of their values.
With the introduction of electric instruments into folk music, there is often a cross-over of stylistic influences as well, such as the introduction of elements from pop or rock music (riffs, rock rhythms etc),
When another musical style is integrated with folk music, it is called a fusion of musical styles.

5. Fusion
In a wider musical context, fusion is a mingling of more than one musical style or culture - it does not have to include folk music.
This could be the fusion of Indian music with Western popular music (Bhangra), jazz with classical music, African music with Celtic music and so on.
When talking about fusion, it is important to know what musical styles are fusing together in order to understand the term.
Capercaillie are an example of a band that fuse Celtic folk music with the instruments and production values of Western popular music.

6. Waulking songs
Waulking is an ancient process used for making tweed fabric more flexible and windproof.
A waulking song refers to a song used to make this process into a more sociable occasion.
To keep everyone in time, the work was accompanied by song - waulking song. There would be one person leading with lyrics based on a well-known story, some aspect of village life or general gossip, and the others would join in after each line with some nonsense syllables (serving the same purpose as 'la-la-la' might do in a modern song).
It was considered unlucky to repeat a whole verse, so the songs often had many verses with each line repeated once to form a verse, perhaps giving the lead singer time to think of the next line.
Although machines are used now to produce Harris tweed commercially, the process of waulking by hand or feet still continues in some parts of Scotland as a means of preserving the tradition and as a social occasion for the women of the region.
Waulking songs are still sung by these societies and collections of waulking songs have been produced in notation and recordings.

7. Background to Capercaillie
Fiddle player Charlie McKerron joined the band in 1985 and Manus Lunny (guitar and Irish bouzouki) in 1988.
Donal Lunny, brought some production skills to the band when he produced their 1989 album Sidewaulk - their first album to contain songs with English lyrics
In 1991 they recorded the album Delerium. This album contained an arrangement of a folk song 'Coisich a Ruin' - a 400-year-old work song that they brought new life to with their fusion sound of electric instruments and interesting rhythms.
In the 1990s, they released the self-titled album Capercaillie, which did very well commercially, but was slated by the folk community as a 'disco' record because of the dance music-influenced percussion parts in the album.
Capercaillie were formed in Oban High School, in the West Highlands of Scotland, in the early 1980s by Donald Shaw and a few friends
The name is taken from a Scottish grouse (a native bird)
The band preserve Scottish folk music, often singing in the Scots Gaelic dialect.
They were first spotted as a potential recording act while performing in the Mull Music Festival in Tobermory in 1983.
Singer Karen Matheson (winner of a national Gaelic singing competition) joined them in 1984 when they recorded their debut album, Cascade.

8. Background to Nadurra
Nadurra was released in September 2000 featuring Capercaillie's highly acclaimed touring line-up as follows:
Donald Shaw: accordion, piano, synth
Michael McGoldrick: flutes, whistle, uilleann pipes
Karen Matheson: vocals
Ewen Vernal: acoustic and electric bass
Charlie McKerron: fiddle
Manus Lunny: bouzouki, guitar, bodhran, vocals
James MacKintosh: drums, percussion
This line-up was acclaimed as 'the marriage made in heaven' because of their individual virtuosity on their own instruments, and also because of the way they gelled together so well as an ensemble, seeming to create a sound greater than the sum of the parts.
The line-up for the band has gone through many incarnations over time, but this particular line-up stayed together for several years in a row, allowing them to build up a real musical partnership.
If you listen to the opening of 'Skye Waulking Song', the sound of the band is almost that of one instrument, the musicians understand each other so well.

9. Story and lyrics
'Skye Waulking Song' is a waulking song telling the tale of Seathan, son of the king of Ireland, from a collection of Gaelic folk songs by Alexander Carmichael.
The original song was nearly 200 lines long and would have taken over an hour to perform, but the Capercaillie version uses just an extract from the Alexander Carmichael collection.
The original song was a lament sung by Seathan's wife, telling of his deeds, his character, her recollections of times spent with him and his demise.
The long lament is a way of grieving, of sharing her feelings and as a sort of therapeutic way of dealing with her loss.
The full title for the song, as recorded by Capercaillie, is 'Chuir M'Athair Mise Dhan Taigh Charraideach' (My father sent me to a house of sorrow).

10. The full lyrics are as follows (nonsense syllables are shown in italics):
Hi ri huraibhi o ho
Chuir m'athair mise dha'n taigh charraideach
O hi a bho ro hu o ho Hi ro ho
'N oidhche sin a rinn e bhanais dhomh
O hi a bho ro hu o ho
Gur truagh a Righ nach b'e m'fhalairidh
M'an do bhrist mo lamh an t-aran dhomh
M'an do bhrist mo lamh an t-aran dhomh
Hi ri huraibhi o ho
M'an d'rinn mo sgian biadh a ghearradh dhomh
O hi a bho ro hu o ho
Sheathain chridhe nan sul socair
O hi a bho ro hu o ho Hi ro ho
Tha do bhata nochd 's na portaibh
Och, ma tha, chaneil i sociar
O nach roch thu, ghaoil, na toiseach
Hi ri huraibhi o ho Hi ro ho

11. Bar Numbers and timing Analysis
Section
Bar Numbers and timing
Analysis
Intro
1-8
0:00-0:33
Begins with a sustained keyboard chord hinting at the key of E minor.
The fiddle joins in, more for effect than anything else, with a tremolo note (rapid repetition of a note to create a 'trembling' effect).
After a few bars the drum part comes in along with a second keyboard sound (electric piano with a tremolo effect) working in counterpoint with the bouzouki to give a sense of movement.
The bass plays staccato, almost imperceptible notes working almost as one instrument with the bass drum.
By the end of this section, the chord sequence has been established as Em-G.
The time signature is ambiguous - it feels like it might be 6/8 or 12/8, but the shaker and hi-hat are playing every two beats, giving more of a triple time feel.

12. Section Bar Numbers and timing Analysis
Verse 1
9-11
0:33-0:51
• The instruments continue in the same way as for the introduction, but the voice enters to sing the first line of the verse ('My father sent me to a house of sorrow').
• The voice sings the characteristic lilting rhythm, but this is working against what the other instruments are playing, so the time signature is still a little ambiguous.
Break
12-15
0:51-1:03
• The backing instruments continue with their atmospheric background sound, while the fiddle becomes a little more prominent, but still concentrates more on effects than on melody as such.
Verse 2
16-20
1:03-1:24
• The voice begins to establish itself as the main rhythmic feature, setting the 12/8 time signature.
Verse 3
21-24
1:24-1:41
• Continues seamlessly from verse 2.
• The last line is sung unaccompanied, serving as a link between the opening section and the next section.

13. Section Bar Numbers and timing Analysis
Verse 4
25-28
1:41-1:58
• The accordion joins in along with a strummed accompaniment on acoustic guitar/bouzouki.
• Backing vocals join in for the nonsense syllables, leaving the main lyrics for the lead vocal.
• The drum part is now clearly setting the 12/8 feel along with the rest of the band.
• The bass part has much more substance than previous sections.
• The chord sequence changes here to C-G-Em-G, adding some harmonic interest.
Verse 5
29-32
1:58-2:14
• The same for verse 5.
• The accordion provides countermelodies to the vocal.
Verse 6
33-36
2:14-2:31
• The same for verse 6
Instrumental
37-43
2:31-3:01
The uilleann pipes solo along with the fiddle in a heterophonic texture while the accordion provides accompaniment and occasional melodic doubling.
• The instruments (particularly the accordion) emphasise the second and fifth beats, adding some extra rhythmic interest.

14. Section Bar Numbers and timing Analysis
Verse 7
44-48
3:01-3:21
• The chord sequence changes to Am7-Em-Em-G for one verse only.
• The dynamics drop considerably, with all the instruments leaving room for the intimate vocal sound (with backing vocals on nonsense syllables).
• All instruments drop out for the last line, adding to the contrast as the drums build up to the last verse.
Verse 8
49-52
3:21-3:38
• Chord sequence returns to C-G-Em-G.
• Full band plays.
Outro
53-end
3:38-4:38
• Vocals improvise to the nonsense syllables as the instruments weave a counterpoint with each other.
• The chord sequence alternates between C and G for the remainder of the song.
• A long fade out brings the song to an end.

15. Important points to note
Harmony in this style of music is less important than melody and rhythm.
The harmony is very simple throughout the song (there are only four chords in the whole song), but the changes in chord sequence, while infrequent, are very noticeable when they happen, highlighting a change of section and mood.
The melodic lines are played in the folk style - the instruments improvise around the melody simultaneously, sometimes playing a very similar melody in slightly different ways (creating a heterophonic texture) and sometimes weaving a complex, improvised counterpoint around the melody and scale (G major).
The vocal part is sung using the scale of E minor pentatonic (or G major pentatonic) throughout.
The traditions of waulking song can be heard in the use of the nonsense syllables between each sung line and the repetition of each line of the verse.
Also, the backing vocals join in for the vocalising of the nonsense syllables in between each line of lyrics.

16. Glossary
oral tradition a tradition which is passed on by word of mouth or imitation rather than by written means
protest songs folk songs with political lyrics
fusion a mingling, or blending together, of more than one musical style or culture to create a new 'fused' sound
heterophonic texture two or more parts playing the same melodic line simultaneously with small variations between the parts

17. Text taken from Edexcel GCSE Music – John Arkell, Jonny Martin Pearson Education Ltd. 2009