The Kintyre Forum

Just looking at the front page of this week’s Courier, it made me think how Campbeltown and Kintyre seems to be able to produce such enthusiasm and excellence in the musical field.

It’s not just Campbeltown Brass that I am talking about, but the various juvenile pipe bands that can compete with the best, and are indeed one the best themselves. Over the years there have been notable achievements by various former pipe bands in the town, and for many years, Campbeltown had one of the top Gaelic choirs in Scotland, winning the Lovat and Tullibardine trophy regularly at the National Mod. Not a bad achievement for an area that even then was unfortunately not a Gaelic speaking area.

I was performing at the Schools Pipe Band Concert in March this year in the CGS assembly hall, (the previous time I played in that hall being 38 years ago), and I thought that for the size of the population of the town and outlying area, there are not many towns that could put on a show like that with local youngsters, and to such a disciplined and professional standard.

What is it that makes Kintyre able to do this?

EMDEE wrote:What is it that makes Kintyre able to do this?

not a lot else to do when you're underage??! just a suggestion

lets not forget other types of excellent music being produced in kintyre...KSF anyone?

Nomad wrote:

EMDEE wrote:What is it that makes Kintyre able to do this?

not a lot else to do when you're underage??! just a suggestion

It's a lot better than doing this:

viewtopic.php?f=12&t=5746

Perhaps it's Kintyre's almost-an-island-ness that's boosted our musical-ity!!
Perhaps it's because Kintyre ISN'T an island that we aren't taken so seriously in the mainstream media?
Nevertheless, we are blessed with wonders in their craft such as Archie MacAllister, Tony Wilson, and even James McCorkindale (highland dancing clearly wouldn't be the same without a piper after all!), and many many others whose names I can't recall.
All of these local legends have contributed in keeping traditional music alive in Kintyre over the years so strongly they have spawned a new generation of talent that we see today.
As a relatively recent youngster growing up in Kintyre I always saw traditional music as my other arm, like having a second language, something that my city cousins don't quite grasp (unless it's match day.. or Hogmanay! .).

Boaby wrote:Perhaps it's Kintyre's almost-an-island-ness that's boosted our musical-ity!!
Perhaps it's because Kintyre ISN'T an island that we aren't taken so seriously in the mainstream media?
Nevertheless, we are blessed with wonders in their craft such as Archie MacAllister, Tony Wilson, and even James McCorkindale (highland dancing clearly wouldn't be the same without a piper after all!), and many many others whose names I can't recall.
All of these local legends have contributed in keeping traditional music alive in Kintyre over the years so strongly they have spawned a new generation of talent that we see today. .).

I wouldn’t disagree with the “almost an island” thing. An example of an area at an even greater disadvantage geographically is the Shetland Islands, and they have acquired a very high profile in traditional music, in the international sense, with a population in the islands of 23000. Remoteness sometimes seems to give cultural inspiration and purpose to the endeavours of communities.

I would also agree that what we could describe as charismatic musical figures can also give inspiration to youngsters. I was in the pipe band for a number of years with Tony, and his knowledge, leadership and ability to instil enthusiasm was an object-lesson. His work with pipe bands in the town is being very ably carried on today.

Archie has risen to great prominence in spite of the tutor he had.

After reading 'Highlanders' - A History Of The Gaels by John MacLeod, I was enlightened to a possible source of Kintyre's prolific musical talent.

It seems the majority of minstrals and bards of the court of the the Lords of the Isles came from Kintyre. It quotes,in particular, the family names of MacShannon and MacMurchy. It looks as if we have a track record for music and poetry going back seven hundred years.

Mack.

I haven't read that book, but my information is that the McShannons were hereditary harpers to the Clan Donald, the Lords of the Isles, from the 14th till the 16th Centuries, and operated from Dunaverty Castle and Dun Naomhaig on Islay.