[Lyrics: Beth Malcolm]
We bairns all go through an indoctrination of sorts
I was born to two folkies in the late nineties. By the time I could speak, my education in the traditional music of Scotland was well underway
I spent much of my childhood in the back seat, driving through a songbook, from Perth, to the Red fields of Angus, to sing with my Granny.
Who grew up in the bonny high hills in Glen Artney
I sat helplessly in the way of music, and like a little folky sponge, I drank it all in.
Folk songs translates as songs of the folk, songs of the people
In all corners of the word, these folk songs speak of the joys and sorrows of humankind
Sung to the bairns at bedtime, or at work in the paddy fields, or in moonlit song circles in the desert, their messages stand the test of time.
And there are many recurrent themes.
Pacifism
A yearning to live free like the greylag Geese
Togetherness against greed
And our rights to roam and ramble through this wild land
The folk songs of Scotland were written, sung and passed down on the carrying stream long before they got to me. I never sat down to learn them. Yet they seeped into my consciousness, with no effort in my part.