Best Sound In The World - apart from Scotland lifting the World Cup

[Lachlan09]

Runrig sang it (I was never really into them though Hamish, my brother was), so did Capercaillie before them, but it's been sung a long long time before that, The first time I heard it was at a ceilidh we played at in 1968. It was sung by Mod Gold Medallist George Clavey, the TV and recording artist (sadly I think no longer with us - we got to know him and his lovely Leosach wife Lena).

The song was around a long time before that too !

But the lyrics sum it all up. I never want to be far from the sea - ever. I could never stand it !

I lived as a child and young adult by the sea. When I emigrated to Essex, Southend on Sea was just over 30 minutes away (as far as I ever want to be). The places abroad I have lived and worked:- Hong Kong, Sumatera Indonesia and East Java Indonesia, Batangas Philippines, Singapore, Muscat Oman - all of them beside the sea.

I don't want to die away from the sound of the sea.

Well spotted Highlander_Daz !

Two other songs covered by Capercaillie are favourites of mine:- Maighdeanan Na H-airidh and Fear a' Bhàta. I know the second one's been done to death (a bit like a pipe band playing The Barren Rocks of Aden - a gala-day tune), but I like them. In fact the first one was my Gran's favourite. She won a Mod gold-medal in 1928 (or 29) for singing while at the spinning wheel (makes a change from the clarsach !).

The only two songs I ever sang solo at competition were A Fagail Bharraidh and A Fagail Liosmor (sorry - I lost the accents on the lettering !)

Some other songs I like are:-

Iain A Luaidh Nach Pos Thu
Tiugainn Do Scalpaidh
An Ataireachd Ard
Tiugainn Leam Thar Saile
Failte Do Bharraidh
Clachan Mo Ghaoil

Plus various songs I can’t remember the names of now !