I'm trying to avoid talking about the Opening Ceremony of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow yesterday (it was atrocious) and the games in general because I don't have anything positive to say but I thought this was quite a profound thing.
The South African opera singer Pumeza Matshikiza sang "Freedom Come All Ye", one of the candidates for a Scottish national anthem, written in the 1960s. I would say though it's more of an "international" anthem, as the writer himself saw it; Hamish Henderson, a renowned Scottish Socialist poet and intellectual. She also sang it in full Scots too, with good pronunciation. I was very impressed.
Here is wikipedia's succinct description:
One of Henderson's most important songs, it presents a non-romantic, revisionist view of the role of the Scots in the world at the time it was written. It describes a wind of change blowing through Scotland and the world at large, sweeping away exploitation and imperialism. It renounces the tradition of the Scottish soldier both as imperial cannon-fodder and colonial oppressor and ends with a vision of a future global society which is multiracial and just.
The tune is actually a First World War pipe tune called
"The Bloody Fields of Flanders". Henderson heard it being played on the pipes on an Anzio beachhead when he fought in the Second World War.
Scottish history is also referenced, such as the Highland clearances and the simple fact of folk leaving for the Americas and elsewhere - the "weans mourning the ships sailing doon the Broomielaw" would be children crying at their loved ones sailing away from them along the river Clyde, possibly forever. When Henderson implies that "Maclean meeting with his friends in Springburn" is an example of this "Freedom" we can have, he's referring to my hero
John Maclean, a Scottish Communist and anti-war activist who died imprisoned for his beliefs by the British government; his health having deterioriated so badly through force feeding during his hunger strikes. He had a poem dedicated to him posthumously by the Scottish Communist/Nationalist poet Hugh MacDiarmid; namely "Krassivy, Krassivy" - so called as MacDiarmid translated the Russian adjective as "beautiful and red".
But yes, when Maclean would have the right to meet with his friends (fellow Communists) in Springburn without being imprisoned, then that's a free society.
I personally love the song. You will find my worldview tucked within its verses. There's a few other versions out there, I thought
this one was very good. That's probably one of my favourites. I liked Luke Kelly's version too.
Roch the wind in the clear day's dawin
Blaws the cloods heilster-gowdie owre the bay
But there's mair nor a roch wind blawin
Thro the Great Glen o the warld the day
It's a thocht that wad gar oor rottans
Aa thae rogues that gang gallus fresh an gay
Tak the road an seek ither loanins
Wi thair ill-ploys tae sport an play
Nae mair will our bonnie callants
Merch tae war when oor braggarts crousely craw
Nor wee weans frae pitheid an clachan
Mourn the ships sailin doun the Broomielaw
Broken faimlies in lands we've hairriet
Will curse 'Scotlan the Brave' nae mair, nae mair
Black an white ane-til-ither mairriet
Mak the vile barracks o thair maisters bare
Sae come aa ye at hame wi freedom
Never heed whit the houdies croak for Doom
In yer hoose aa the bairns o Adam
Will find breid, barley-bree an paintit room
When Maclean meets wi's friens in Springburn
Aa thae roses an geans will turn tae blume
An yon black boy frae yont Nyanga
Dings the fell gallows o the burghers doun.
Rough the wind in the clear day's dawning
Blows the clouds head over heels over the bay
But there's more than a rough wind blowing
Through the Great Glen of the world today
It's a thought that would make our rats
All those rogues that go boldly fresh and gay
Take the road to seek other pastures
With their ill-ploys to sport and play
No more will our handsome youths
March to war when our braggarts arrogantly crow
Nor small children from pithead and village
Mourn the ships sailing down the Broomielaw
Broken families in lands we've harried
Will curse Scotland the Brave no more, no more
Black and white to each other married
Make the vile barracks of their masters bare
So come all you at home with freedom
Never heed what the hooded crows croak for Doom
In your house all the children of Adam
Will find bread, whisky and painted room
When Maclean meets with his friends in Springburn
All those roses and wild cherries will turn to bloom
And the black boy over there from far Nyanga
Knocks the cruel gallows of the burghers down.
But yes, it was quite beautiful to see a black South African woman standing on a stage singing Freedom Come All Ye to an international audience. One can't help but think that the "black lad frae yont Nyanga" has finally "dinged the fell gallows of the burghers doon". If only Henderson could have seen that.