A terrible mistake

When I went to Islay in 1977 after working in what I considered then (and still think now) a pretty tough 'scheme' school in Glasgow, I brought with me, as I thought, all the skills I'd picked up from a great principal teacher and good colleagues - and, looking back, a bit of arrogance I could have done without.

I set out to keep the Islay kids in order. I was stern ('cross,' - crosda in Gaelic, as the kids said). I didn't smile for weeks, which was how I'd been taught teachers behaved in Glasgow. Apparently, I scared some of the Islay kids to death. They were silent a lot of the time. Not something I was used to.

Gradually I started to relax a wee bit. And so did my pupils. In Glasgow, I'd taught my pupils French songs: nursery rhymes, pop songs - anything that would engage them. I taught them the words first and then the music. I did the same in Islay. It took me about 30 seconds to realise I was dealing with a completely different group of people. I don't remember what song I started with in my first year class. Let's say it was Frere Jacques. A ronde in three parts. Goes down a treat with most age groups. Only needs a wee bit of practice. I sang the verse to them. They sang it back. I explained that we were going to sing it three times in three groups, each group starting at a different point. And off we went. Well, they didn't need me, did they? These kids came from a long tradition of unaccompanied singing - especially in Gaelic - and they knew what a ronde was.

They also understood harmony, and with every song I taught them the French words for after that, they harmonised automatically.

They also sang a lot better than I did.

It was a good lesson. For me. In a way, it opened my eyes to how diverse a group my pupils were. A lot of kids were involved in music. There were Gaelic choirs everywhere. And it wasn't just singing that the kids took part in. Stewart McNally played the pipes. Angus MacGregor played the tuba (sorry if I've got that wrong, Gus - I know it was brass anyway!). Branwen Sykes played the flute. A lot were involved in Scottish dancing. Pipe Major Hood trained his pipers in the portakabin outside my classroom. When I recorded exam tapes to send to the Exam Board in Edinburgh, I had to explain why you could sometimes pick up pipe music in the background.

All this was normal and a world away from a Glasgow scheme. A lot of Islay and Jura kids came from a farming background and from an early age kept their own animals, which they put in to the Show. They drove tractors - very well - from the age of about 10. The ones who lived in the villages had responsibilities like cutting peat from an early age. The 'up country' kids had a long day, leaving home early to be at the road-end to get the bus to school. They never complained, although sometimes the Jura kids didn't make it to school because of the weather.

I'm delighted to say nothing has changed. Many young people in Islay are still involved in music. And many have held on to their love of music for a long time.

I have a specific reason for this post: Angela Paterson, Port Ellen, has been invited to take part in Celtic Connections in January. 

Angela is a self-made artiste, who writes and sings her own music. She has sung and played in many settings over the last few years - including the Hebridean Princess. It has taken years of hard graft to get to where she is and everyone who knows her should be proud.

Here's to her success!