MovieChat Forums > South Riding (2011) Discussion > A song for Joe

A song for Joe

posted 13 years ago by silverwhistle
5 replies | jump to latest

I'm a long-term fan of Hamish Henderson, and this poem/song of his, from 1960 is, for me and many others, the real (inter)national anthem for Scotland. (I've said so in the press before now!) It also strikes me as very apt for the South Riding's own expat Scotsman, given its references to John Maclean and also to the fight against racism in South Africa:
The Freedom Come-All-Ye
http://unionsong.com/u597.html

Seingner Conrat, tot per vostr'amor chan
http://www.silverwhistle.co.uk/knightlife

[–] annemharvey 13 years ago

In the modern context I find the label 'union' song, deeply alarming!

John Maclean taught my grandmother!

[–] silverwhistle 13 years ago

John Maclean taught my grandmother!

Wow…!!!! (Is awestruck.)

Seingner Conrat, tot per vostr'amor chan
http://www.silverwhistle.co.uk/knightlife

[–] annemharvey 13 years ago

[–] silverwhistle 13 years ago

That's not the imperious (and - indeed imperial! - one), but my paternal grandmother who died when I was 18 months old, so I have no memory of her.

And my great aunt was at school with Willie Gallacher who was, of course, born in Paisley.

Dear Joe would be impressed!

BTW re your famous name - have you read Frank Kuppner's 'A Very Quiet Street'?

Um, no.

Claim to fame: my great-granduncle James was a self-taught violin-maker known as 'the Scottish Stradivarius', and my great-grandfather was a sculptor: Rothesay Mercat Cross and the Port Bannatyne and Scoulag war memorials being among his work. On my mother's side, there's a line of descent from the first Bishop of Durham.

Seingner Conrat, tot per vostr'amor chan
http://www.silverwhistle.co.uk/knightlife

[–] silverwhistle 13 years ago

I sang the Freedom Come-All-Ye yesterday lunchtime in the Free Hetherington.

Seingner Conrat, tot per vostr'amor chan
http://www.silverwhistle.co.uk/knightlife