Scotlandsmusic

download

Adam McNaughton wrote this song for Betsy Whyte, the wonderful travellerstoryteller and singer. It describes the passing of a way of life for the travellers.This song is a great favourite.

Yellow's on the Broom

1. Ah ken ye dinnae like it lass tae winter here in toonFor the scaldies aye miscry us and they try tae bring us doonAnd it's hard tae raise three bairns in a single flea-box roomBut Ah'll tak ye on the road again when yellow's on the broom.

Chorus

When the yellow's on the broom, when the yellow's on the broom

plus last line of preceding verse

2.The scaldies ca' us tinker dirt and sconce oor bairns in school But who cares whit a scaldie thinks for a scaldie's but a fool They never hear the yorlin's sang, nor see the flax in bloomFor they're aye cooped up in hooses when the yellow's on the broom.

3.Nae sale for pegs nor baskets noo, sae jist tae stey aliveWe've had tae work at scaldie jobs fae nine o'clock till fiveBut we ca' nae man oor maister for we own the warld's room And we'll bid fareweel tae Brechin when the yellow's on the broom.

4.Ah'm wearied for the springtime when we tak the road aince mairTae the plantin', and the pearlin' and the berry fields at BlairWe'll meet up wi' oor kinfolk fae a' the country roonWhen the gang-aboot folk tak the road an yellow's on the broom.

download

Christine Kydd is “one of Scotland’s great singers”. Traditional singer Contemporary songwriter.

A renowned interpreter and champion of the Scots song tradition, Christine has performed and recorded, over a number of years, with other singers and musicians to produce some of Scotland’s finest and often award-winning harmony vocal sounds, including successful and groundbreaking projects with Janet Russell, and in supertrio, Chantan.

Originally from Glasgow, Christine grew up musically in the vibrant Edinburgh of the 1980’s where groups like The Easy Club, Jock Tamson’s Bairns, Sileas, The Poozies and Shooglenifty among others were forming. She was involved in many combinations of groups and bands at this time, but notably toured extensively with Janet Russell in the UK, Europe, the USA and Canada.

Christine later was invited to join the group which became Chantan- a successful blending of influences from a variety of sources including jazz and blues, treatments which received great acclaim.

Christine loves working with other singers and musicians, and has been invited to sing and play with a number of combinations, including current projects: the fantastic Calluna (Anna Wendy Stevenson, Rebecca Knorr, Charlotte Peterson); on a programme of “Songs and Tunes of the Sea” with the wonderful multi- instrumentalist Norman Chalmers; with the brilliant, original singer from Ceolbeg, Barbara Dymock, in an exciting new harmony duo, Sinsheen.

Christine performs and teaches in many contexts at home and abroad, including the National Centre for Excellence in Traditional Music, Plockton, Scotland. She has been involved as founder of many community choirs in Scotland, including Sangstream, Sangschule, Angus Folk, Breakish Singers and JustSinginBirnam.

She has appeared on TV in the UK, Europe, Russia and Japan and on radio at home and internationally. Concerts include numerous festivals,(including Celtic Connections, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Towersey, Whitby, Sidmouth and Orkney) in the UK, Europe (including Northlands and Lorient), and festivals and tours in the USA, Canada and Russia.

Her latest solo album, ‘Dark Pearls’, received excellent reviews. Launched on the Culburnie label, the album features Lorraine Jordan as guest musician. Never one to stand still creatively, Christine is currently working on a project involving the songs she’s written over a number of years.

www.christinekydd.com/