Music and storytelling has been a tradition in Mackay Country spanning hundreds of years.  In a time when television and computer games were unheard of people would ‘ceilidh’ with one and other - visiting each others’ houses and continuing an oral tradition through conversation, stories, songs and music which would be passed down to the following generation.

 

Each village would boast various musicians who may not have had widespread acclaim but were accomplished musicians and kept old traditions alive. 

 

 

Oran Mhor and More…

 

Singing in Gaelic was an ideal way of expressing love songs, sea-ballads and the general way of life of the time and the Dùthaich MhicAoidh possessed a wealth of talent to convey these songs.  Listening to recordings of the Melness and Kirtomy ceilidhs you can capture the sense of happiness and emotion after a singer had performed, wishing somehow you could have been there with them.

 

 

Peggy and Josie Munro, Midfield, Melness sung in the local Mods.  They came from a Gaelic speaking background (as did most of Melness round about the 1930-40’s) and there was a lot of music in their family, perhaps mainly kept for playing beside the fireside of an evening.  Their brother Nigel also sang in the local Mods and at many a local ceilidh.  Singers Neil Munro and Georgie Mackay attended these ceilidhs.  Tot Burr and Morag Macleod were singers in Tongue, Edie Mackay in Strathnaver and Alla and Georgie Matheson in Swordly.  It is said that Georgie had a great style for delivering a Port-a-Beul.  In Kirtomy were brother and sister - Angie and Ella Mackay, Magnus (Bain) Mackay - well known skipper of his fishing boat the Sealgair - and also Willie Robert  Mackay who still lives in Skerray.  Each performer would have a signature song that they would be asked to sing time and again as they probably added their own unique style to it.

 

Sadly most of these singers are now gone and so too the songs.  Not all of them were recorded and I do not suppose they imagined that these songs would cease to be sung and consequently never heard of again.