Episode 3

27th February 2014: Weel, we’ve geen intae Richie’s studio again and sorted oot the soons and sangs for oor third edition o’ Scots Radio.
There’s a lot in this edition as usual, we hiv news of a new book an CD o’ sangs for bairns in Aiberdeenshire. The book an CD, caad ‘Fan I wis Young’ wis pit the gither by Tom Spiers wi a foreward and glossary by Les Wheeler. It contains 25 sangs fae the Greig/Duncan folk sang collection wi illustrations by Sandy Cheyne. The sangs on the CD are a’ sung by the Spiers family – Tom himself, wife Maggie and dochter Emma and Aiberdeenshire Cooncil are gaan tae distribute the book and CD tae the Primary schools in the area. Noo a’ they hiv tae dee, is get teachers tae use them! The book and CD is tae be launched at a special centenary memorial concert tae Gavin Greig, tae be held in the New Deer Hall, on the 20th March. Gavin Greig and the Reverend James Duncan collected over 3,000 songs fae the area at the turn o the 20th century.
I eventually track doon Tom and Les and hae a confab aboot the project and ither things. Ye canna help bit spik aboot ither things fin yir in the company o sic great orators as Tom Spiers and Les Wheeler.
And then we ging doon tae the Borders tae hear aboot a new Roman Road fae renowned writer, widcutter, fencer and noo archaeological diviner, Walter Elliot. Colin Wight spiks tae Walter aboot his new book on the subject, ‘The Devil’s Causway’ – an ither things – including his much loved dialect and Border wirds.
And jinin a’ this thegither, my contributor and culture advisor, Steve Byrne joins me as this month’s special guest. He’s jist affa busy the noo, an I thocht it wis time ye heard aboot the ither side o my studio companion. I’ve lost coont o hoo mony projects he’s deein – bit he maks an affa good job o them.
Steve also taks us through the ‘Kist o’ Riches’ and the monumental taks o digitising thoosans o Scots sangs fae the School o’ Scottish Studies Archive – and at the same time, taks us roon by the Borders area again – tae Ettrick and James Hogg – and a Borders Ballad. An then up tae Aiberdeeshire for oor final recordin.
We finish we an interview fae my ain archive – an interview wi Aiberdeenshire writer and poet, the late Great Flora Garry in fit she reads her much loved poem ‘Bennygoak’. It’s een o my maist treasured recordins and I think ye’ll hear why.
Enjoy the confabs.
Bye the noo – Frieda