Scottish Tradition (16) - William Matheson: Gaelic Bards & Minst

Double CD, including booklet. Sung by the Rev William Matheson, ex-head of the University of Edinburgh Department of Celtic Studies. Contains 17 tracks in the category of Gaelic song known as Iorram and 18 tracks in the category known as Amhran.

During his years as a lecturer and reader in the Department of Celtic in the University of Edinburgh, William Matheson was regarded by the staff of the School of Scottish Studies as their most reliable consultant on questions of Gaelic oral tradition, especially on songs and their melodies.

An active and enthusiastic collector of songs and traditions since the 1930s, Mr Matheson accumulated a repertoire which illustrates admirably the marvellous variety of types of song that still exist in Gaelic. Praise poetry - eulogy and elegy - and its music has long been one of his special interests, and two types of it are featured on these CDs: Iorram and Amhran. Short explanations of the genre are given in the booklet.

The Rev William Matheson was recorded extensively by the School and this collection was made available on CD with the help of the Scottish Arts Council. The two CDs are accompanied by an extensive booklet with explanations about the songs and includes the lyrics in both Gaelic and English.

The Scottish Tradition Series consists of a selection of material previously held in the archives of Edinburgh University's School of Scottish Studies.