Scottish Gaelic Column November 1998 - End of the Deadly Silence

The Scottish Gaelic Column

Tha an colbh Gàidhlig seo air a tharraing à "Cothrom", an ràitheachan dà-chànanach aig CLI. Thèid "Cothrom" fhaighinn an asgaidh le buill ChLI, an carthannas airson luchd-ionnsachaidh is luchd-taic na Gàidhlig.

This Gaelic column is drawn from "Cothrom", the bilingual quarterly magazine from CLI. "Cothrom" is distributed free to members of CLI, the charity for learners and supporters of Scots Gaelic

	Deireadh na Sàmhchair Mairbhtich	End of the Deadly Silence
Gun teagamh tha an còmhlan Runrig air diofar mòr a dhèanamh dhan Ghàidhlig. OK, chan eil Gàidhlig aca uile, tha a' mhòrchuid dhe na h-òrain aca air a bhith sa Bheurla bhon dàrna albam a-mach, chan eil fiù 's ainm Gàidhlig orra. Ach chan urrainnear a dhol as 'àicheadh gu bheil iad air cuideachadh gu mòr le bhith toirt Gàidhlig gu aire an t-sluaigh air feadh Alba agus thall thairis - tha mòran luchd ionnsachaidh, cuid a tha nis fileanta, air tighinn chun a' chànain air an sgàth bho thòisich iad ann an 1973.	Without doubt the band Runrig has made a big difference to Gaelic. OK, they don't all speak Gaelic, most of their songs from the second album on have been in English, they don't even have a Gaelic name. But it can't be denied that they have greatly helped in bringing Gaelic to the attention of the general public throughout Scotland and abroad - many Gaelic learners, some of whom are now fluent, have come to the language because of the band since it started in 1973.
Tha iad cuideachd air Gàidhlig a chur am measg nan cànanan a chleachdar air son ceòl roc. Nuair a nochd a' chiad chlàr aca, "Play Gaelic", an 1978 cha robh e ri lorg anns na bùithtean ach san earrainn Folk - deagh theans seach gu robh e sa Ghàidhlig agus le bogsa ciùil am measg nan ionnstramaidean. Aig an àm sin cha ghabhte ri leithid mar cheòl ùr-nodha, ge b'e dè cho math 's a bha e!	They have also set Gaelic amongst the languages in which rock music is performed. When their first record, "Play Gaelic", was released in 1978 it was only to be found in the Folk section - no doubt because it was recorded in Gaelic and included an accordion amongst it's instruments. At that time such music just wasn't accepted as being progressive - no matter how good it was!
Tha buill a' chòmhlain air atharrachadh bhon uair sin, ach bhon toiseach bha na bràithrean Dòmhnallach agus, cha mhòr cho fada, Donaidh Rothach ann. Ach an-uiridh dh'fhalbh an Rothach, prìomh sheinneadair agus sàr ghuth, air son oidhirp air beatha ùr ann am poilitigs. Do mhòran, b'e Runrig Donaidh - ciamar a b'urrainn dhaibh leantainn orra as 'aonais? Uill, tha iad a-nis am beachd gu bheil freagairt ann dhuinn.	The members of the band have changed in the intervening period, though from the beginning there has been the MacDonald brothers and, for almost as long, Donnie Munro. But last year Donnie, lead singer with an outstanding voice, left to try for a new life in politics. For many, Donnie was Runrig - how could they continue as a band without him? Well, they now believe they have the answer for us.
Agus chan ann a saoghal an roc, saoghal na Gàidhlig, neo fiù 's a Alba a tha an fhreagairt sin a' tighinn. Tha a tuathcheòl Beurla Chanada, ann an cumadh an t-seinneadair Brus Guthro a Eilean Cheap Breatainn ann an Alba Nuadh. Thug iad fada gu leòr a' lorg an duine cheart, agus tha iad cinnteach gur e sin a tha iad air fhaighinn. "Tha guth Bhruis sgoinneil fhèin," thuirt Calum Dòmhnallach. "Bhon chiad fhacal a sheinn e san deuchainn stiùidio, bha fhios agam gur e an dearbh dhuine air son a' chòmhlain is co-fhaireachdainn àraid aige air son nan òran."	And that answer doesn't come from the world of rock, or the world of Gaelic, or even from Scotland. Instead it comes from the English-language Canadian country music scene in the shape of Bruce Guthro from Cape Breton Island in Nova Scotia. They took long enough hunting the correct person, and they are sure that that is who they have found. "Bruce's voice is stunning," remarked Calum MacDonald. "From the first word he sang in the studio audition, I knew that he was the right person for the band with an uncanny empathy for the songs."
Tha e air clàradh mar-thà an t-seinn air son sia dhe na h-òrain air a' chlàr ùr ris a bheileas an dùil bho Runrig - ged nach eil Gàidhlig aige.	He has already recorded the singing for six of the songs for the new release awaited from Runrig - even though he has no Gaelic.
Cò e, ma-thà? Rugadh e aig toiseach nan 60n ann an teaghlach mòr sa bhaile bheag mèinneaireachd guail Sydney Mines far a bheil e fuireach a-rithist. Nuair a bha e fhathast 'na dheugaire lean e a bhràithrean as sine "sìos an rathad" a Ceap Breatainn gu mìle fon talamh ann an mèinnean cruaidh-chreagach ann an ceann a-tuath Saskatchewan. As a sin shiubhail e Canada, bho obair gu obair agus a' faighinn cuid oidhche aig caraidean a Ceap Breatainn.	Who is he, then? He was born in the early 60s into a large family in the small coal-mining town of Sydney Mines, to where he has returned to live. In his early teens he followed his older brothers "down the road" from Cape Breton to work a mile underground in the hard-rock mines of Northern Saskatchewan. When he put that behind him he travelled Canada, going from job to job and receiving accommodation from fellow Cape Breton exiles.
Bha seann ghìotar aig aonan aca, agus nuair a thog is dh'fheuch e e fhuair e e fhèin air slighe a thug dhachaigh e agus gu bàrr co-fharpais air son sgrìobhadairean seinn. Lean clàran is cuirmean, craoladh is cliù - agus soidhneadh gu EMI. Sa Gearran am-bliadhna fhuair e moladh seasaimh bho èisteachd de 8,000 Canaideanach nuair a sheinn e an clàradh as ùire aige, "Falling", air son craoladh beò de Dhuaisean Ciùil a' Chost an-Ear. Seo blasad dhen òran:	One of them had an old guitar lying around, and when Bruce picked it up to try he found himself on a journey which brought him home and to the top of a singer-songwriter competition. Records, concerts, broadcasts and acclaim followed - as did a signing to EMI. In February of this year he got a standing ovation from 8,000 Canadians when he sang his latest recording, "Falling", for the live broadcast of the East Coast Music Awards. Here is a sample of the song:
Hey I'll be in town tomorrow, could you meet me at the station If it's just to see your face as the train pulls through I just want to see you laugh or cry or shake your head at me I just want to see what twenty years has done to you	Hey I'll be in town tomorrow, could you meet me at the station If it's just to see your face as the train pulls through I just want to see you laugh or cry or shake your head at me I just want to see what twenty years has done to you
See I have nothing left to lose and no time left to choose If I should let this deadly silence carry on Twenty years or twenty days is far too long For two people who once held each other in their arms	See I have nothing left to lose and no time left to choose If I should let this deadly silence carry on Twenty years or twenty days is far too long For two people who once held each other in their arms
Tha Brus Guthro air a ràdh gum bi e ag ionnsachadh Gàidhlig gus taic a chumail ri Ruairidh Dòmhnallach a' seinn nan òran Gàidhlig. Tha sinn a' cur fàilte is furan air Brus dhan Ghàidhlig, agus a' dèanamh fiughair ri 'chluinntinn anns an Runrig ùr. Agus co aig a tha fios; 's dòcha gum faigh sinn ball ùr do ChLI ann an Canada!	Bruce Guthro has said that he is will be learning Gaelic so that he can sing support to Rory MacDonald who will do lead vocals for the Gaelic songs. We give Bruce a warm welcome to Gaelic, and look forward to hearing him in the new Runrig line-up. And who knows; perhaps we'll get a new member for CLI in Canada!

You can find more articles in the archive under Gaelic Column and information on the organization at C.L.I.

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