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The Powell & Pressburger Pages

Dedicated to the work of Michael Powell and Emeric Pressburger and all the other people, both actors and technicians who helped them make those wonderful films.

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The "Macaphee" song

It had long puzzled admirers of IKWIG exactly what the people from the Glasgow Orpheus Choir were singing at the Ceildhe. Because it contains Gaelic & Scots phrases and is sung as a round it is very hard to unwind and identify. It is sung as what is sometimes called "mouth music" or puirt a' beul.

Well Patricia Relle finally found it for us.

Hi everyone,

I too have been searching the 'net for the 'Macaphee' song - I could remember having sung it at primary school in the 1950s whilst listening to the BBC Schools' Programme 'Singing Together'. I'd remembered the first and last lines of the first verse but not any of the rest! I'm so glad to have discovered it again. Thanks Kath for giving me another start after I'd almost given up.

Macaphee Turn the Cattle

Macaphee turn the cattle roon loch a forum.
Macaphee turn the cattle roon loch a forum.
Macaphee turn the cattle roon loch a forum.
Here and there and everywhere,
The cows are in the corn.

A waiting at the shielin o mhairi ban machree.
Waiting at the shielin, oh far away to sea.
Hame will come the bonny boats,
Mhairi ban machree.
Hame will come the bonny lads, hi ho and hee.

Macaphee turn the cattle roon loch a forum.
Macaphee turn the cattle roon loch a forum.
Macafee turn the cattle roon loch a forum.
Here and there and everywhere,
The cows are in the corn.

It was recorded by Lizzie Higgins - see http://www.mustrad.org.uk/articles/higgins.htm

For anyone wanting to buy these very interesting CDs: Musical Traditions Records' first CD release of 2006: Lizzie Higgins: In Memory of ... (MTCD337-8), is now available. See http://www.mustrad.org.uk/records.htm for details.

Regards
Patricia

See also the article about other music in IKWIG

See also this video clip of the song

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