More Than Kilts and Cabers: Scottish Gaelic Voices from North America: Seachdain na Gàidhlig: Latha 4 – Gaels in the Upper Mid-West States and the Canadian Prairies.

More Than Kilts and Cabers: Scottish Gaelic Voices from North America explores the authentic voices of Scottish Highland immigrants in North America. Up to about the First World War most Highlanders spoke Scottish Gaelic as their native language, and some knew no other language. It is not hard to find the celebration of Scottish Highland heritage in the forms of kilts and Highland Games, but few people today seem to realize that these immigrants left us a record of their experiences, thoughts, and feelings in the form of songs and poems, and that this was in fact their favored form of cultural expression as individuals and communities. If we care about the history of Scottish Highlanders as immigrants, and want to understand their lives and perspectives, we need to listen to those voices in their native language – even if we need to translate those Gaelic voices to English.

This podcast will be broadcast during Seachdain na Gàidhlig / World Gaelic Week, March 21st through 27th. A new podcast episode will be released every day to explore a different region of North America, discussing the history of Scottish Highland immigrants to the area and the songs and stories that survive to attest to their lives and struggles.

This podcast is a collaboration between three North American organizations serving the Gaelic community: An Comunn Gàidhealach Ameireaganach (the American Scottish Gaelic Society), the Hidden Glen Folk School of Scottish Highland Heritage, and Sgoil Gàidhlig Bhaile an Taigh Mhóir (The Gaelic School of Baltimore).

Audio Engineer: Tim Thompson, Sgoil Gàidhlig Bhaile an Taigh Mhóir Gaelic learner and Board of Trustees member.

Opening song: We Will Go to America, from the CD, “Songs of the Scottish Highlanders in the United States”, by Na Fògarraich.

Na Fògarraich Members:
Michael Newton - solo vocals, keyboards *
Peg Aloi - backing vocals
Benjamin Bruch - backing vocals *
Jonathan Dembling - backing vocals *
Bennett Hammond - guitar
Michael MacNintch - bagpipes
Ed Pearlman - fiddle*
Dan Pitts - step-dancing
Susanna Porte - cello

* - the members with asterisks are playing on “We will go to America”.