Capercaillie
Skye Waulking Song
This track is from the album Nadurra, released in
2000. (Nadurra is Gaelic for naturally)
Capercaille

Capercaille is a Celtic, modern Folk Band.

It is made up of 8 musicians mainly from
Scotland & Ireland.

It was formed in Oban (Scotland) in 1984,
& has become famous worldwide.
Capercaille continued…

They play traditional folk instruments (uilleannn
pipes, flute, fiddle, accordian & bouzouki) over
more modern instruments like drums, keyboard
& bass guitar.

Their singer, Karen Matheson, mainly sings in
Scots Gaelic.

Their music is a mix of traditional Celtic songs
& more contemporary ideas & modern drum
beats.
‘Skye Waulking Song’
Chuir M’Athair Mise Dahn Taige Charraideach

The full title translates as ‘My Father Sent
Me to a House of Sorrow’.

The song is a mixture of traditional folk
music and popular music.
Instrumentation
Traditional
fiddle
Modern
guitar
uilleann pipes
bass guitar
whistle
drum kit
accordian
keyboard (2)
bouzouki
Structure
8 verses based on the same melody but
slightly different chords
Intro
Verses 4-6
Begins with sustained keyboard  Full rhythm section drives song
forward. It’s in G major.
chord
 Chords C, G, Em C, G
 Fiddle joins in (tremolo)
 Mostly louder
 Drums, 2nd keyboard and
bouzouki join in (counterpoint) Instrumental
 Bass playing staccato
 Pipes and fiddle solo in a
heterophonic texture. Improvising.
Verse 7
(verses 1-3)
 Traditional (fairly simple beat).  Chords change to
Am9-Em9,Em C, G
 It’s in E minor (chords switch
between Em & G).
Verse 8
 Quiet, calm & peaceful.
Chords change back to C G Em C G
 Focus on the singer
Outro


Vocals improvise to nonsense syllables.
Instruments weave counterpoint. Long
fade-out to end.
Structure
8 verses based on the same melody but
slightly different chords
Intro

sustained keyboard chord
EF#GA
chords switch between
 Em G
Verses 4-6

C
G
Em
C G
Em
C G
Instrumental


Verses 1-3
Verse 7
Am9 Em9
Em
C G
Verse 8
 C
Em
C G

Em G
C
G
G
Outro

C
G
C
G etc.
Time Signature/Rhythms

Basically in 12/8 (4 beats in a bar)

the singer sings in 12/8, but sometimes
the hi-hat plays on every other quaver so
it also feels la bit like 6/4.
2 more things
The melody is based on the pentatonic
scale.
 E G A B D or G A B D E


The song ends with a fade out.
Lyrics

The lyrics are in Scots Gaelic.

Words in italics are ‘nonsense’ syllables
Chuir m’athair mise dha’n taigh
charraideach
Hi ri huraibhi o ho
‘N oidhche sin a rinn e bhanais dhomh
O hi a bho ro hu o ho
Lyrical Meaning

The lines of the verses are taken from a
13th century lament called ‘Sethan, Son of
the King of Ireland’.

It’s about a girl who is unhappy with the
marriage her Father has arranged for her.
Waulking?

A stage in traditional clothmaking.

Woollen cloth/tweed was cleaned, thickened &
softened by this process.

Women pounded the cloth against a table or
trampled on it.

Women sang songs to pass time & keep the
rhythm of the pounding.