Gaelic Lament

[@susandumbill8805]

"What you can't say you can often sing" so very true.

[@gallaicceltic8176]

Lament songs are very traditional here in Northern Portugal. They are very similar and so heartbreaking. This is our Celtic legacy!

[@MsJoaniePH]

I have lost many people that I have loved dearly over my lifetime. During my darkest hours, I turned to Gaelic Music as the bitter/sweet of the lyrics and musical themes seemed to be the only way to manage my grief. To me, Gaelic music is indeed one of the keys to the mysterious of the universe where the human soul is involved. Beautiful and in line with what I have had to deal with in my own life.

[@jonathanparchmont3531]

R.I.P Martin. long live Scotland and her beautiful people.

[@Vinniegret]

No one can sing grief like the celts. And no matter how removed out celtic heritage is, when we hear that music our celtic hearts respond.

[@CarlosAugustoScalassaraPrando]

nope

[@northscot9862]

@@CarlosAugustoScalassaraPrando OK. PEDRO. FUCK OFF.DAEGOS DO NOT LIKE NORTHEN MUSIC .SAOR ALBA GU BRATH

[@tajmahal6533]

Albanians are pretty good at it too.

[@Vinniegret]

@Mongo what are you talking about.?

[@jmagowan12]

Tá ceart sinn a chara Ceilteach!

[@lpslover8627]

I'm sorry for your loss Ms. Bennett.....love from Appalachia

[@spmoran4703]

Appalachia another Celtic place .

[@jimcrawford5039]

That pulled at my heartstrings! 55 years in Australia, never ever been back.

[@MsJoaniePH]

Most Gaelic laments are short, to the point, but repeated until the pain is embraced, the pain is healed and only a scar remains.

[@impalamama7302]

The Gaelic laments traveled across the pond, down the Appalachian Mountains through the "Great Wagon Road", traveled through the South to the Mississippi River Delta and gave birth to the Blues.

[@neilmckay4097]

I have no doubt that Scots and Irish emigrants contributed to nearly every American tradition, and certainly to Appalachian bluegrass and shape note. But blues is almost entirely derived from West African music.

[@moragmckay3779]

@@neilmckay4097 I saw a very well researched music documentary on BBC2, I think, many years ago. It actually attempted to discover the origins of the Blues by the host, who may have been of Jamaican ancestry (he said, but I don't remember for sure) travelling to the homelands of all the cultures which came together where the Blues emerged. He concluded they mostly derived from Scottish Psalm singing, which the slaves of Scottish property owners would have heard when taken to church by their religiously devout "masters". They would throng the galleries at every service, because it was considered vital they were raised Christian. He considered whether memories of West African music also influenced the emerging sound, but said there was likely to have been infuence in both directions, so it was impossible to tell which influenced which. I once, briefly, took a community music class (before it moved to another town) led by a very successful, English, orchestra leader, then semi-retired. When I had barely grasped the basics of reading simple music, he asked me to write a piece. On seeing it, he immediately said, is it Blues you love, or Scottish Traditional music? Apparently I was using unconventional keys or something, which was typical of both. He played it, to make sure it sounded as I'd intended, which it did, so it wasn't just lack of musical skill!

[@RhonaMacLeod]

... and Margaret is also a fine singer, too - I'm pleased to have met and heard her sing a few times when I was living in Scotland.

[@spmoran4703]

Celtic people are not ashamed to express emotion. We morn but we accept sorrow and loss . It us part of what we are . As an irish Celt i grew up with is . Well done you in Alba for this beautiful documentary.

[@alst4817]

Ah but they are afraid to express emotion. Just not while singing or while drunk…

[@armstronggermany2995]

Still choosing the lament for my funeral when I get back to Scotland .

[@DarlisaBlack]

beautifully powerful... I could connect to the grandmother singing her simple phrase over and over when all other words fail in grieving...

[@vardellsfolly5200]

Ι love their accent..their songs..their language.

[@Shian222]

Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou, you have given me back a piece of ancestral memory, a connection to a soundness of how to bear and soothe the deepest grief, that I needing to reclaim. Somewhere within knew I needed a celtic lament to open my heart this morn and you showed and told me why. I am both humbled and grateful.

[@MoonStar-fq6oy]

Thank ya for these stories ❤the song and video I'm sorry for your loss of your Son ❤✌️

[@shaunwalker2557]

what a beautiful and elegant lady..i feel so sad for her..i would imagine the pain of losing her son so early and tragically would be immense..yet even i can feel soothing power of those four lines and bagpipes.i really hope she has had and is having some happiness.

[@rabbitspliff]

Margaret Bennett has a fantastic Hebridean lilt to her voice. Over here (Inverness, Black Isle, Easter Ross) the dialect is altogether a lot stiffer than it is in the west coast and Isles. According to the Internet, Margaret is from Skye, yet I haven't found any other clip online that has managed to so well capture the quality I remember in how the locals spoke when I was on Lewis & Harris.

[@TheKyleMcVay]

Beautiful, like a gospel. And the best way to stop the arguments is to just ignore them...

[@fivenaumans]

5:26 Beautiful lyrics and sound.

[@fortis6258]

To the Highlanders! Also, these Gaelic Laments are similar in the ways of Portuguese Fados.

[@avian8338]

Does anybody know where this whole program might be found? What a priceless find so unlike modern television!

[@dougalwood546]

de Venour try BBC FOUR OR BBC SCOTLAND ALTERNATIVELY TRY BBC ALBA

[@vickimiller3830]

Dougal wood was e

[@eaccristo]

oh how I sob for my dark haired son as well.

[@The_Gallowglass]

+evonne accristo

[@margaretwhelan3459]

How beautiful this music is.

[@Arkybark]

Can't comment directly on past comments here anymore since the Google switchover, but I agree what MsJoaniePH said and would expand it to include all Celtic music, even if not in Gaelic. There is something wonderfully comforting about it.

[@Yosef_Morrison]

I was struck by the singing of a wake song for the dead, a "Caithris" pronounced in Gaelic like "Karrish" sounds very much like the Jewish word "Kaddish" for the hymns from the Psalms for the dead.

[@Yosef_Morrison]

I guess I've been living under a rock. Lost tribes of Israel expert Rabbi Yair Davidy says research proves that the Scots/Celts are one of the lost tribes.

[@krift1716]

@@Yosef_Morrison Yes, they are a mix of two or three migrations, Milesians, the children of Japheth (the children of Danu). Hebrew and Gaelic language both descend from Phoenician. Indo European peoples all descended from Noah.

[@Yosef_Morrison]

@@krift1716 thank you so much for your reply! I'm very grateful for it. I'd love to converse more with you about this. I've been tracing my ancestors which came from Scotland in the Hebrides and Aberdeenshire. Would you care to email me at compassionthinker (at) gmail.com ? Thank you!

[@Scotty432]

I’ve been fascinated by the Gaelic/Hebrew connection for sometime now. I grew up in Dundee and as a young man, 22, ending up in Israel almost on a whim. The first thing I noticed was many of the words were similar to Scottish dialect. Look up Donald Yates on yt, “when Scotland was Jewish” My year in Israel changed my life for ever. That was almost 40 yrs ago.

[@Scotty432]

This man has made some interesting connections between Galilee and the gaels. kzbin.info/www/bejne/j4bPfaJrf92ilZI

[@mikekavanagh8952]

Excellent.

[@Aritul]

Beautiful excerpt. I learnt a lot.

[@jsmith20109]

Beatiful sounds! Even if you don't understand the words.

[@TomorrowWeLive]

She has the most beautiful accent.

[@Locahaskatexu]

can no-one hear the heartwrenching torment in the music itself? by the Gods, such power....

[@azaraliyev2064]

Love gaelic from Azerbaycan

[@born_asleep]

I listened to this as a kid for a lullaby

[@WilliamMoirSCOT]

FAB,melted my Heart.

[@1zero8dragon]

The laments are sometimes all we have in America. So far away boys and girls.

[@CreatorsKid]

Thanks for posting this. I hope to meet him someday.

[@hafpipe]

@94iou32 If you go to 'Allan MacDonald The Lament for the Children' (on KZbin) you'll hear Allan playing and singing it. Someone has also put up the lyrics and translation as well.

[@bunnyhill2504]

True. Because of all the tragic events

[@GreenManelishi]

Thanks for posting that video.

[@Jfmurphy01]

The Gaels are a group of the Celts.

[@bigjohn697791]

i am see alot of words in scottish gealic are the same as those in irish gealic i could work out the jist of what is been said with Irish gealic

[@kbsiva]

What a beautiful video. Is there more to this? Can somebody point me to the source of this video?

[@PrincessDigiko]

Welp, I'm crying.

[@diegobac5067]

Does anybody know the name of "granny's lament" at the end?

[@isaweesaw]

The lyrics are "Tha mi sgith 's mi leam fhin" This comes from another Gaelic song, "Tha mi sgith" (I am tired), but this is set to a different tune

[@stringalong3452]

This is beautiful. Can I put a link to it on my KZbin channel? I’d like my subscribers to see this.

[@dsplgb]

go for it

[@JackCampin]

The polyphonic style of gospel and shape note singing comes mainly from a style once common to the whole of Britain - in England it was called "West Gallery singing". The Gaels took it in one direction, the Americans (black and white) in others. But until about 1800 (when it got regulated nearly out of existence) the main creators of it were the English. From here in Scotland, Willie Ruff the urban legend monger is just another foreign fantasist.

[@shaunwalker2557]

at about 3:00 who is singing the lament...it's so beautiful..

[@dsplgb]

www.margaretbennett.co.uk

[@dsplgb]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/l2i6daFvnKaCnbs

[@liamcrouse]

@SkySpiral8 You're not the first - see J. Purser, 'Scotland's Music'. The closest comparison he could make to Gaelic tonal usage is Ethiopian nasal singing.

[@vickystanley8853]

Why all the effort to make a connection between Scottish music and anything.

[@gavin_lundy]

Does anyone know what documentary this is from?

[@cscptdave]

@SkySpiral8 Trying to relate the Gaelic people to Africans is a HUGE stretch, don't ya think?

[@xtramail4909]

Not a huge stretch to relate them to North Africans. But a huge stretch to relate them to Sub-Saharan Africans

[@willneverforgets3341]

gaelic laments, fado... nice!

[@fishoscine1220]

Can someone please give me some direction to finding the Full Documentary????

[@dsplgb]

Hi, it was a TV series on the BBC years ago, cannot remember the name of it. I thought it was on BBC Alba but by the program looks like it may have been BBC 4. This may be of interest to you , more about language Irish Gaelic kzbin.info/www/bejne/o4Oskn-JmbeAg9U

[@94iou32]

has anyone lyrics of firr a ciann dhubh?

[@cooramoor1]

Us Scottish are the product of Irish who traveled across the water separating Ireland and what is now Scotland. Scot's are the product of the pairings between the Irish and the original Celts. When we call the Irish our "Celtic Cousin's", we're not far wrong. The Scots and the Irish are related on a base level, as we both technically share Irish blood. The Scot's just have a majority of Celtic in them instead of Irish.

[@impalamama7302]

But we still wear Orange on St. Patrick's Day, lol!

[@ladyrelinquish]

I have always been drawn to ancient Egypt. My great great grandfather was Gaelic speaking, immigrated from Scotland to New Zealand, I'm proud to carry his name. Upon my research I came across King Tut, which we have heard of at one point or another. What I didn't know but came across, was he had two sisters who had fled ancient Egypt, one founded Scotland the other Ireland. I would love if anyone was able to confirm this, as I am trying to learn more about my Gaelic Scot history.

[@saoirserosenstock8144]

+lady relinquish That's complete nonsene I'm sorry.

[@lil_weasel219]

The Irish are celtic, the Scottish are a mix of Celtic, Anglic and Nordix

[@donadmacdonald7889]

@@lil_weasel219 not true . The majority of Irish are quite short and stocky with dark hair - the opposite of the Celt as described By Ceaser who wrote were tall , loose limbed with light hair - a type who most commonly can be found in the Highlands of Scotland

[@UlyssesHaq]

They will never understand, because they don't want to understand! Your comment is amazing, but we can't save people from themselves. The internent has made people feel important, that their opinions are worthy, thus their drivel is the result.

[@jamessheehy2752]

scots gaelic sad to say there language is dead but at least its father language irish has survived and in irish scots gaelic will live forever !

[@DonegalRaymie201]

Don't talk shite!! GAIDHLIG is alive and well, and spreading around the globe thanks to great singers like Julie Fowlis and Karen Matheson, and "Brave"! Nor did it come from Ireland either.....it's a SHARED language, as Welsh is with Breton, ffs!!!

[@groonsmanwullie]

***** complete and utter rubbish,learn some history moron.

[@jamessheehy2752]

i say it as i see it english rule killed gailic an the scots language is only spoke in the highlands

[@jamessheehy2752]

***** you truely are mental

[@DonegalRaymie201]

james sheehy You TRULY are ILLITERATE, Pmsl!!!

[@sandralynnsparks3468]

Margaret Bennett is one of the best teachers I ever had. I am so sorry to find out Martin died...I've been too far out of touch with the music. Ocho'n.

[@chrisjones3296]

Dreams

[@CuebsyNL]

Is this a part of a documentary or something, or is this the whole item?

[@auberdine3405]

It was part of a BBC 4 documentary.

[@ashleighholmes8422]

1:03

[@raam1666]

a heritage stolen from me

[@TomorrowWeLive]

They can't steal it if you don't let them. Gaelic is on Duolinguo, my Dad's learning it!

[@jmagowan12]

Tá stuif go h'ailainn seo.

[@alistairmackinnon4216]

She is not here

[@cscptdave]

@SkySpiral8 What a crock.

[@CarFox6]

"Call and Response" comes from the African Griot tradition. The plantation masters were less friendly Scottish guys who liked to sing and dance with their slaves and more rich men of English descent who rarely interacted with the slaves at all. African American culture was largely independent of the white culture at the time because the freed slaves had to develop a strong sense of community among themselves.

[@jessmessing3146]

I don't think there is just one call and response tradition. The Gaels in Scotland were singing work songs without any knowledge of what they did in Africa.

[@kelseycrider329]

@@jessmessing3146 Like wool waulking songs! Oh they're so fascinating!

[@vickystanley8853]

The Scots were one of quite a few cultures to naturally develope a call and response style all independent of eachother.

[@StevieAch]

Irritatingly, the whole thing had been politicised and quite a few academics reject that out of hand, more for its racial history consequences. But if you listen to them both side-by-side it is pretty obvious.

[@GunnaR6667]

It is very easy to come to that conclusion. Historically the Romans never called the Irish (or British for that mater) "Celts". Archaeologically Ireland is at best a remote province and quite peculiar variant of LaTène culture, which may be identified with "Celts". Linguistically Irish has a strong substratum of non-Indoeuropean elements. Remember that the term "Celtic" for this group of languges is a modern tag. That book is long outdated and a bad point to start from...

[@W-E-A-P]

the Irish Gaels brang Gaeilge Gaelic to Scotland and Isle of man the Scottish were pics knowing as picland Scottish Highland holds a lot of Irish Gael blood. tál

[@ruthferguson9300]

The word British Brit is a Jewish word for covenant

[@Antithropocentric]

A special lament should be written for the loss of Scotland's priceless vistas to giant wind turbines. It's a highly intrusive land-grab with a dubious green badge attached.

[@heresjohnny999]

shut the hell up

[@cnphy]

GAH!! WHY!!!??? Why is it everytime I come to listen to this genre of music all there is freakin argument or crap talking or ridiculously pointless discussion? WHY DAMNIT!? If you like it then shut up and listen, if not then go watch a different video...but seriously, no one is going to change anyone elses mind on freakin youtube. Just let it go, for the love of all that is good and peaceful in this world.

[@XibalbaCuahomtec]

"Were not very vocal when it comes to speaking up, we've had a history of that kind of oppression" . . . Uhhhhh the Irish not speaking up? This chick ever read a history book?

[@Nautilus1972]

Hear Hear, Irish culture has little to do with the Celts.

[@darioplant8029]

Beautiful song. No need for the explanatory intro, though.

[@riner9]

Scotland isn't even Scottish anymore.

[@iancole83]

i yelled shut the fuck up at 00:34

[@davidstuart401]

So sing your laments fair folk of Scotland but come to terms with the present and leave the UK to bring about the nation Alba was and will be.