The life and songs of Iain 'an sgiobair' MacNeacail and the role of a song-maker in a Hebridean community

Abstract

Iain MacNeacail of the Isle of Skye has been making songs since 1917, when he was fourteen years old; he still composes today. His style is that of the late nineteenth century and early twentieth century bàird bhaile [township poets] who compose on a huge range of subjects. This dissertation explores the world of a Gaelic song- maker, largely in his own words through the use of tape recorded interviews and investigates his thoughts on his motives and his methods of composition. These aspects of song scholarship are under -researched in many cultures and though there are extensive collections of Gaelic songs available which allow study of the textual /musicological side, the maker's own perceptions of his work and the community's perception of their bard have been neglected. The picture that emerges is of a living village song -maker in the context of a community rich in song and cultural life, where villagers look to their local bards for articulation of their own feelings.

Functional local song in its element operates on many levels. Chapter one is the biography of Iain MacNeacail, largely in his own words, which sets the scene and provides some historical background on north Skye itself. Chapter two describes the community social life, centering on the taigh céilidh [céilidh or visiting house] and other pastimes during the long winter months. Chapter three consists of an edition of MacNeacail song's, with notes and detailed transcriptions of interviews relating to their background and genesis. Chapter four elucidates the actual process of making a song: how they come to him, his conscious technique and his unconscious skill. Chapter five discusses the function of song in MacNeacail's Hebridean community. This ranges from amusement to revenge and protest and looks particularly at song as a form of response, whether to adversity, requests or questions. The functional aspect of song has changed dramatically since World War II; these changes and how MacNeacail has adapted to cope with them are discussed in some detail. The final chapter examines the song- maker's aesthetic: what poets he likes and why. MacNeacail views his world through a song- maker's eyes and everything is therefore interpreted in relation to and through the words of the great bards of the past that he admires so much and quotes so often. It concludes by examining others' and his own opinions of himself and his abilities.

Iain MacNeacail's knowledge and experience provides a unique opportunity to record one of the last Gaelic bards reflecting upon his life, his art, and his role in tradition. These reflections, together with information gathered in further fieldwork, present a portrait of a type of village life once common in Gaelic society, but now rarely seen and even less frequently preserved.