University news

A collection of Gaelic recordings made in Nova Scotia is launched online today by the University of Glasgow.

The recordings by Professor Calum Iain N. MacLeod (Calum Iain M. MacLeòid, 1913–1977) will be held in British Academy recognised project, Digital Archive of Scottish Gaelic (DASG), led by the University of Glasgow.

The collection includes interviews, conversations, music, hymns and psalms, and songs largely from people in Nova Scotia. Most of the material is in Scottish Gaelic but some recordings also feature English and French.

Eilidh Cormack, a renowned Gaelic singer, who worked on many of MacLeod’s recordings for DASG said: “We are so fortunate that he chose to gift the University of Glasgow, where he was once himself a student, his collection and his fieldwork, and that it is still with us today.”

The collector, Calum Iain N. MacLeod, was an important figure in the history of the Gaelic community in Nova Scotia. The son of the Gaelic writer John N. MacLeod, he was brought up in Dornie and Kirkhill, Inverness-shire. He attended both Edinburgh and Glasgow universities and won recognition as a brilliant student in Celtic studies. In 1937, he won An Comunn Gàidhealach’s Bardic Crown.

During WWII, he was a major in the British Intelligence Corps serving in North Africa and across Europe. He emigrated to Canada in 1949 to work as Gaelic Advisor to the Education Department of the Nova Scotia government. And he was appointed as Professor of Celtic Studies at St. Francis Xavier University.

The new online collection of recordings will be a useful resource to all those interested in Gaelic folklore, language and song, especially in the context of Nova Scotia’s Gaelic communities.

The recordings will offer an interesting complement to MacLeod’s published collections, including Sgialachdan á Albainn Nuaidh (1969) and Bàrdachd á Albainn Nuaidh (1970).

Professor Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh, Professor of Gaelic at the University of Glasgow and Director of Digital Archive of Scottish Gaelic (DASG) said: “We are absolutely delighted to be launch the very valuable Gaelic recordings made by Calum Iain MacLeod – a collection that adds significantly to Gaelic culture and resources that will enhance Gaelic communities across thew glove.”

Professor Heather Sparling, Cape Breton University, said: “Calum MacLeod did an enormous amount to build and develop Gaelic in Nova Scotia, teaching the language to hundreds of students while he worked as Gaelic Advisor to the Nova Scotia Education Department and especially as a respected professor in St. Francis Xavier University. But I would say that his greatest legacy are the contributions he made to Gaelic Songs in Nova Scotia (1964) – a book he wrote with Eilidh Creighton that is one of the most important published collections in this field to this day.”

The launch of Calum Iain N. MacLeod’s sound recording collection significantly adds to DASG’s sound archive. This project was completed through the excellent work of Fraser Blain and Stephen Barrett.

 

Digital Archive of Scottish Gaelic (DASG)

 The Digital Archive of Scottish Gaelic (DASG) project was established by Professor Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh in 2006 and is a recognised British Academy project based within Celtic and Gaelic in the School of Humanities | Sgoil nan Daonnachdan at the University of Glasgow. Today Digital Archive of Scottish Gaelic (DASG) project is one of the most comprehensive publicly accessible reference points for the Gaelic language and culture. DASG has three main components, Corpas na Gàidhlig, the Fieldwork Archive and our Audio Archive.

Learn more about DASG here - https://dasg.ac.uk/

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Oilthigh Ghlaschu a’ cur air bhog cruinneachadh ùr de chlàraidhean-fuaime Gàidhlig à Alba Nuadh

Thèid cruinneachadh de chlàraidhean-fuaime Gàidhlig a rinneadh ann an Alba Nuadh a chur air bhog air-loidhne an-diugh le Oilthigh Ghlaschu.

Bidh na clàraidhean leis an Ollamh Calum Iain M. MacLeòid (1913–1977) mar phàirt dhen phròiseact Dachaigh airson Stòras na Gàidhlig (DASG), a tha aithnichte le Acadamaidh Bhreatainn agus air a stiùireadh le Oilthigh Ghlaschu.

Anns a’ chruinneachadh, gheibhear agallamhan, còmhraidhean, ceòl, laoidhean is sailm, agus òrain, airson na cuid as motha air an clàradh bho mhuinntir Alba Nuaidh. ’S ann ann an Gàidhlig a tha na clàraidhean sa chumantas, ach tha Beurla agus Fraingis rin cluinntinn ann an cuid dhiubh.

Thuirt Eilidh NicCarmaig, seinneadair Gàidhlig cliùiteach, a bha ag obair air mòran de chlàraidhean MhicLeòid airson DASG: “Tha sinn gu math fortanach gun tug Calum Iain an obair mhòr a rinn e seachad do dh’Oilthigh Ghlaschu, far an robh e fhèin uair na oileanach, agus gu bheil a chruinneachadh againn fhathast san latha an-diugh.”

Bha an neach-cruinneachaidh, Calum Iain M. MacLeòid, cudromach ann an eachdraidh na coimhearsnachd Ghàidhlig ann an Alba Nuadh. B’ e athair an sgrìobhadair Gàidhlig Iain N. MacLeòid (‘Alasdair Mòr’), agus thogadh e anns an Dòrnaidh agus ann an Cnoc Mhoire, Siorrachd Inbhir Nis. Chaidh e gu oilthighean Dhùn Èideann agus Ghlaschu agus choisinn e cliù mar oileanach barraichte ann an Ceiltis. Ann an 1937, choisinn e Crùn na Bàrdachd aig a’ Chomunn Ghàidhealach.

San Dàrna Cogadh, bha e na mhàidsear ann am Feachd na Faisneis san arm Bhreatannach agus e a’ frithealadh ann an Afraga a Tuath agus air feadh na Roinn Eòrpa. Rinn e imrich a Chanada ann an 1949 gus obair mar Chomhairliche Gàidhlig do Roinn an Fhoghlaim aig riaghaltas na h-Alba Nuaidh. Agus chaidh a chur an dreuchd mar Ollamh na Ceiltis aig Oilthigh Naomh Fransaidh Xavier.

Bidh an cruinneachadh ùr air-loidhne de chlàraidhean-fuaime na ghoireas feumail dhaibhsan aig a bheil ùidh ann am beul-aithris, cànan is òrain na Gàidhlig, gu h-àraidh ann an co-theacs choimhearsnachdan Gàidhlig na h-Alba Nuaidh.

Bidh e comasach na clàraidhean seo a chleachdadh agus ceanglaichean a dhèanamh ri cruinneachaidhean foillsichte MhicLeòid, a’ gabhail a-steach Sgialachdan á Albainn Nuaidh (1969) agus Bàrdachd á Albainn Nuaidh (1970).

Thuirt an t-Ollamh Rob Ó Maolalaigh, Stiùriche Dachaigh airson Stòras na Gàidhlig (DASG): “Is ann toilichte a tha sinn ann an DASG clàraidhean luachmhor Chaluim Iain MhicLeòid a chur air beulaibh an t-sluaigh – tasglann bheairteach a tha cur gu mòr ri stòras is cultar nan Gàidheal agus a bhios na bhuannachd do choimhearsnachd na Gàidhlig feadh an t-saoghail.”

Thuirt an t-Ollamh Heather Sparling, Oilthigh Cheap Breatainn: “Rinn Calum MacLeòd mòran airson a’ Ghàidhlig a thogail agus a leasachadh ann an Alba Nuadh, a’ teagasg a’ chànain do cheudan de dh’oileanaich fad ’s a bha e a’ frithealadh mar Chomhairleach Gàidhlig do Roinn an Fhoghlaim ann an Albainn Nuaidh agus gu h-àraidh mar ollamh measail aig Oilthigh Naomh Fransaidh Xavier. Ach chanainn gur e na tabhartasan a thug e do Gaelic Songs in Nova Scotia (1964) a dhìleab as motha – leabhar a sgrìobh e còmhla ri Eilidh Creighton a tha, chun an latha an-diugh, air fear dhe na cruinneachaidhean foillsichte as cudromaiche san roinn.”

Cuiridh clàraidhean-fuaime Chaluim Iain M. MhicLeòid gu mòr ri tasglann-fhuaime DASG. Chaidh am pròiseact seo a choileanadh leis an t-sàr obair aig Friseal Blain agus Stephen Barrett.

 

Dachaigh airson Stòras na Gàidhlig (DASG)

Chaidh am pròiseact Dachaigh airson Stòras na Gàidhlig (DASG) a stèidheachadh leis an Ollamh Roibeard Ó Maolalaigh ann an 2006 agus is e pròiseact a tha aithnichte le Acadamaidh Bhreatainn a th’ ann a tha stèidhte taobh a-staigh Ceiltis is Gàidhlig ann an Sgoil nan Daonnachdan aig Oilthigh Ghlaschu. An-diugh tha  Dachaigh airson Stòras na Gàidhlig (DASG) air tè dhe na làraichean-lìn as ioma-chuimsiche agus as ruigsinniche airson fiosrachadh mu chànan is cultar nan Gàidheal. Tha trì roinnean ann an DASG, Corpas na Gàidhlig, Faclan bhon t-Sluagh agus Cluas ri Claisneachd.

 

Ionnsaich tuilleadh mu DhASG an seo - https://dasg.ac.uk/

 

 

First published: 20 September 2022