Crossing divides 

FIONA MACKENZIE, the Mairi Mhor Gaelic Song Fellow, recently had the chance to visit Estonia, and naturally she was determined to take Gaelic song with her.

IT WAS CERTAINLY a most unusual feeling singing a Gaelic Piobaireachd song on Valentine’s Day in the club where the Estonian Song Revolution began! The Singing Revolution was a series of events over several years, but culminating in 1989 with independence recognised by Russia in August 1991.  On the 24 February they celebrate Independence Day, but they count their original independence in 1918 as the start of modern Estonia.

The Ku Ku Klubi in beautifully picturesque Tallinn was the meeting place where all the bright young revolutionaries gathered to discuss politics and the future of their country, and I was privileged enough be able to take Gaelic Song there on Saturday night. The concert was set up for me by the legendary Jaak Johannsen of the Johannsen Brothers, of long time Estonian Folk Fame.

Folk music in Estonia is a major industry and there is no more important aspect of the culture than singing.  It is no exaggeration to say that there is a theatre, concert hall or other Arts venue on every street corner in Tallinn and there is a bountiful array of events performed every night in the City – Opera, Ballet, Jazz, Orchestral Music – you name it, you will find it.  Ticket prices are ridiculously low by our standards, and halls are packed every night.

Jaak had done a good job of publicising the concert, including publicity on the Estonian Celtic Music Radio channel, and we had a good audience for the evening.  I was accompanied by Fiona Sellar of Inverness on piano (a terrible beast it was too!), whistle, and backing vocals.

We performed a variety of Gaelic and Scots songs, some unaccompanied and some with contemporary arrangements. The audience listened attentively and it was only afterwards that the manager told us that Estonian audiences just do not do that! It is most unusual for them to actually listen to the songs – they are more often regarded as being background.

However, the audience appeared genuinely interested in the songs and their stories. An indicator of the interest shown was when one gentleman came up to me and said in very broken English: “Thank you for showing us the emotion of the songs. You make me inspired to write my own song now”! After the formal concert was over, Fiona and I attempted to teach a Strip the Willow – with varying degrees of success but enjoyed by all!!!

While there, we also recorded an interview on Gaelic song in Scotland which will be broadcast on the Celtic Music channel this week. It was good to know that Gaelic song can reach across language and cultural divides even without a safety net of contemporary musical magical secrets and still be enjoyed for what it is.

On a very snowy and cold Sunday afternoon – so cold that the sea is entirely frozen – I went and stood on the steps on the huge ‘armadillo’ auditorium in ‘The National Song Grounds’ and imagined what it must be like to sing to an audience of 300,000 people as happens at the huge Festival every 4 years!  Maybe one day, a Gaelic singer will be able to introduce the delights of the Highlands and the Hebrides to a wider audience than we would have thought at all possible 20 years ago!

Nägimist!

© Fiona MacKenzie, 2004