A Jacobite Legacy-Peter Kay

Description

A Jacobite Legacy-Peter Kay

This historical study was written originally as a script for “The Lancashire Drift”, Nick Dow’s excellent folk music program on BBC Radio Lancashire, Mainly designed as a background, or, series of links between a number of songs played in topical chronological order. It was never meant to be a definitive history of the Jacobite period, so please try not to judge it as such. In a number of cases I have been faced with a vast array of verses, in order to keep this down to the single volume I have taken it upon myself to omit the seemingly less important ones. What you are left with is the songs displayed virtually in the shape in which they are performed by the artists listed at the back of this volume. I make no apologies for any areas which you may feel I have overly romanticised, because that’s the way I am. So, put on those rose coloured glasses, get a feel for the period, and the songs, and go out and sing a few. I know I have!

This collection of songs and historical notes is dedicated to my children, Alison and Christopher, in the hope that they develop an interest in traditional music and song, not to mention, for the tact they have shown where description of the quality of my singing has been called for.

PETER KAY March 1995

FOREWORD by RONNIE BROWNE

My late partner Roy Williamson’s song “Flower Of Scotland” has attained massive popularity and is sung with exuberance, pride and reverence by the Scottish nation.

A couple of years ago I was in Orkney to celebrate the Orkney Rugby Club’s 25th Anniversary. I was in the company of some of Scotland’s heroes of the contemporary rugby scene, including Finlay Calder, Jim Calder, Roger Baird and John Beattie. After a weekend of games and coaching, we all gathered in the clubroom on the Sunday night for the farewell dinner, after which I led the singing of “Flower Of Scotland”. We dedicated the song to our guest of honour, Pierre Berbizier, the former French serum-half and present coach of the French XV. The song was sung with such passion and commitment that, afterwards, Pierre singled me out and said that, as we were singing, he felt a tingle run up and down his right arm, and the hairs on the back of head bristle. He told me that at that moment he finally understood how the Scotland XV managed to play with such fierce determination. I of course explained that the feeling encapsulated in Roy’s song arose from the rich legacy of songwriting that both Roy and I had grown up with, songs just like those contained in this book.

It is therefore with pleasure that I recommend the contents to the reader/ singer, in the hope that you too might feel that tingle running up your right arm.

RONNIE BROWNE March 1995

A Jacobite Legacy : Peter Kay