Alister MacDonald
This extract is taken from a book published in 1900 - "MacDonald Bards From Mediaeval Times" by Keith Norman MacDonald. It gives biographies of all the MacDonald gaelic bards and examples of their work. Here is the entry for Alister MacDonald from Achnaconeran.
ALISTAIR MAC DHOMHNUILL.
ALISTER MACDONALD, INVERNESS.
Alister MacDonald, the author of "Còinneach 'us Coille," is the son of Angus MacDonald, crofter, of Achnanconeran, Glenmoriston, a man of exceptional intelligence, still living, and a great great-grandson of Alexander MacDonald, one of the famous seven men of Glenmoriston who protected Prince Charlie for some days in the wilds of the Glen. Our poet was born at Achnanconeran on the 4th of Sept., 1860, and to his mother is due the credit of writing and publishing in the midst of very unsympathetic circumstances, the songs of Archibald Grant, the Glenmoriston bard. When 18 years of age Mr MacDonald removed to Inverness, where he entered the service of the Highland Railway Company as a clerk, and he is now assistant accountant of the company. Having taken several prizes at some of the competitions held some years ago under the auspices of the Gaelic society of Inverness, he had only been a short time in town when he became an active member of that learned body, to the "transactions" of which he has from time to time contributed interesting papers. Articles on Highland subjects from his pen have also appeared in other Celtic publications, and he contributed largely at one time - and still occasionally—to newspaper literature. Mr MacDonald is a master of shorthand (Pitman's system). He is the possessor of the National Phonographic Society's teaching diploma, and taught the art successfully for years. He is assistant secretary to the Gaelic Society of Inverness, and an active member of the Clan Donald Society also. But he is, perhaps, best known to his countrymen as an enthusiastic lover of Highland music and song. For years past he has cultivated Gaelic poetry, and his compositions frequently appeared in the Gaelic column of the Northern Chronicle, and other Highland publications. As he is still comparatively a young man, we hope to have many more poems from his poetic pen, and this hope is buoyed up by the fact that he has taken some prizes at the Highland Mòd competitions.
Mr MacDonald's laudable object in publishing his "Còinneach 'us Coille" was to popularize and encourage native song-singing among Highlanders at the present day. He very truly observes that "most of the productions of our ancient bards, beautifully poetic as they certainly are, do not lend themselves readily to modern popular singing," and the writer quite agrees with him when he says that many of the songs in our standard works are much too long; they are more poems than songs. At the same time, of course, one need not sing all the verses of any song, but there is a heaviness about some for which lighter songs might be substituted. As the demand for Gaelic songs and music increases, no doubt all objectionable features will be reduced to a minimum. At any rate, all the Highland airs should be preserved by everyone who is at all a patriotic Highlander, as it seems much easier to produce a new song to an old air than to compose new music.
In his "Còinneach 'us Coille," a book of 120 pages, Mr MacDonald has given seventy-three poems and songs, exhibiting an intimate and scholarly acquaintance with the Gaelic language. As he himself says "every piece except a few of the long ones should be sung," and they seem well adapted for that purpose. There is a free flow of language in his love songs that is very refreshing, and "there will be found in them something to awaken sympathy, intensify love, sweeten joy, and to reconcile to sorrow."
As a specimen of the sentimental, " Guanag na Duthcha," to the air of "A nighean donn an t-sùgraidh," will convey an idea of his popular style of song :—
Thair dhomh-sa 'ghaoil do chaoimhneas,
'Se 'chuireadh fàilt' us loinn orm ;
'S a dh' fhagadh làn mi 'dh' aoibhneas
Gach là 'us oidhche 's maireann mi.
'S mòr a thug thu thaobh mi
Le d' mhais' agus le d' aoidheachd;
Tha ni-eiginn 'nad aoduinn,
Nach cuir an saoghal à m' aire-sa.
Tha cridhe fo do chiochan
'Tha 'deanamh nàdur grian domh
'S na'm faodainn 'dhol do t' iarraidh
Bhiodh Dia agam ri bheannachadh.
Na'm faighinn thu ri' bhuannachd,
Bu deònach leam an uair tighinn,
'S am bithinn 's mo ghuanag,
'An gaol bith-bhuan neo-dhealaichte.
And of his patriotic songs, the following stanzas from "Oran do Chomunn-Chlann Dòmhnuill," shows what the author is capable of :—
Thoir tasgaidh bhuain 'us beannachadh
A dh' ionnsuidh uasail cheannasach
A' chomuinn bhuadhar, fhearalach,
Dha'n uile dhual 'bhi smearalach,
A rèir mar 'ghluais an seanairean—
'S e 'thi mi 'luaidh na maithibh
'Tha mu Chomunn glan Chlann Dòmhnuill.
'S e thi mi, etc.
Mac-Dhòmhnuill mòr nan Eileannan,
'Us Mac-'ic-Ailean sheasadh e :
Gleanna Comhann cha chèileadh e:
'S a' Cheapuich cha bhiodh deireadh oirr'
'S Gleann-Garradh dlù's cha theicheadh e,
'Us iomadh fion-fhuil eile
Nach biodh leibideach's a' chòmhlan.
'Us iomadh fion-fhuil, etc.
These specimens are taken at random, and they are not necessarily the best, there are other and many excellent songs throughout the work, which mark our clansman as a contemporary bard of exceptionable ability, and one of whom much more will be expected in the future.
Since the "Còinneach 'us Coille" was published he has written and published the following additional songs, etc. — (1) " Brosnachadh Chloin Dòmhnuill," 1896 (a poem); (2) "Tìr nam Beann, nan Gleann, 's nan Gaisgeach," a song to the air of "E ho rò mo rùn a' chailin," by Wm. Ross; (3) Blàr Allt-a-Bhonnaich, battle of Bannockburn, which took Mr Theodore Napier's prize at the Highland Mòd for the best poem on that subject some two or three years ago (1896) ; (4) " Dunnian," a song on Dunean, Inverness, to the air of—" There grows a bonnie brier bush " ; (5) "An uair is tinne 'n gad cuaille 's ann is dualaich dha bristeadh," a poem illustrating this well-known proverb ; (6) " Coire Lusain," a song to an old air, the melody being very fine ; (7) " Cruinneag a' Chlachain" — the maid of the clachan -a love-song also to a beautiful old air resembling a fairy whisper; (8) "Far a' bheil Loch Nis a' sanais Crònan tairis do Chillionan " — Where Loch Ness whispers to Cill Eonan — (Kilninian), and some love-songs that have not yet been printed.
Considering that Mr MacDonald has had few educational advantages beyond the usual routine of a country school, before the passing of the Education Act, broken by intervals of herding and crofting, his present position as a writer of English and Gaelic is very creditable indeed. Both his father and mother had a particularly wide acquaintance with the song literature of the Highlands, from whom he inherited that deep love of the music of his native country which he undoubtedly possesses.
Is e an t-ionnsachadh òg
An t-ionnsachadh bòidheach
Some of the best poems in "Còinneach 'us Coille” are "Mo Dhachaidh Gàidhealach," "Mo chaileag Ghàidhealach," "Am Fear-Fuadain," "Air cùl Achleagan Bàidheanach," "Tom-an-t-sheòmair," "Cumha Màthair," etc., besides those already quoted. Our promising bard is still singing away, not later than a few weeks ago he composed the following "Luinneag " on finding a small twig of heather under his feet in the office :—
Ged thàinig tu g' am ionnsuidh
Gun fhios a'm ciamar,
'S mise rinn an surd riut
A fhlùrain chamnich
Ged thàinig, &c.
Fhuair mi'm badan bòidheach
Anns an ofig bhòrdach,
'S rinn mo chridhe sòlas—
Bha mi òg feadh bheannaibh.
Ged thàinig, &c.
Ma's ann a' togar càirdeas
Air fear cinnidh 'thà thu,
Cha'n'eil sin ro dhàn duit
'S fuil nan àrmuinn annam.
Ged thàinig, &c.
Fuil Chlann Dòmhnuill uasal
D' am bu ghnàth 'bhi uaibhreach,
'S iomadh blàr a bhuadhaich
Iad fo uaill do chaithream.
Ged thàinig, &c.
Chuir thu mis' a bhruadar
Air an làmh a bhuain thu,
'S shaoil leam gu'm bu ghruagach,
A bh'air chuairt's a' mhaduinn.
Ged thàinig, &c.
'S shaoil leam bhi le m' eudail
Mach a' cuallach sprèidhe
'Nuair bha 'ghrian ag èirigh,
Air na slèibhtean fallain.
Ged thàinig, &c
S cinnteach mi nach d'fhàs thu
Am measg pheann 'us phaipeir,
'S ann a fhuair thu t' àrach
Air an àrd chnoc ghreannach.
Ged thàinig, &c.
'S ged bu gheal 'us dearg thu
Tha thu nise 'seargadh,
'S tha do ghnùis a' dearbhadh
Gur a searbh leat t' aineal.
Ged thàinig, &c.
Cha b'e so an t-àite
'S am bu mhiann leat bàsachd,
'S cinnteach mi gu'm b'fhearr leat
Glacaig àrd a' chanaich.
Ged thàinig, &c.
'S iomadh de chlann daoine
Tha mar sin 's an t-saoghal,
Là 'us là air faontradh
Fad o'n gaol 's an aithne.
Ged thàinig, &c.
Here are the original pages from the book.
