Monday 25 May 2015

THE UMBRELLA and THE ROLLING SEA

Some background

For several years the bus taking me to work in the East End of Glasgow passed under a bridge called the HIELANDMAN'S UMBRELLA

And it was there in that rather dark place (and recently returned from Tiree) that I wrote the words for a song called YOU COME ON OVER ME 

I used to sing it a lot when I was out and about performing - and could sing it quite well at the time

Returning to it many years later - and when attempting to re-record it -I added some words and a bit of a tune which turned it into the song now entitled LIKE THE SEA ROLLING IN. 

The track which Jennifer Clark used for her arrangement of the song was one of those old attempts. And although the vocal was/is weak - she improved it markedly and has made it into something which - for me anyway- is mesmerizingly special.

Again, it can be heard on Bandcamp at https://sheilakcameron.bandcamp.com/track/like-the-sea-rolling-

About the bridge 


The Hielanman's Umbrella (English: Highlandman's Umbrella) is a famous landmark in the centre of Glasgow,Scotland It is the local Scots nickname for the glass walled railway bridge which carries the platforms ofGlasgow Central station across Argyle Street

Due to the forced displacement of people during the second phase of the Highland clearances in the 19th century, 30,000 Highlanders who spoke Scottish Gaelic but did not speak English came to Glasgow to find work When arriving in the city they were housed in many different areas of Glasgow Over many years Highlanders continued to arrive and began to keep in touch by meeting under the bridge, mostly at weekends

With the city's inclement weather and the meeting of the Highlanders it came to be known as the Hielanman's Umbrella

As time passed the Highlanders and their offspring became integrated into Glasgow culture until finally the meetings no longer occurred. Many of the younger generation no longer recall the name of the bridge

                                 

The text and the image were copied from Wikipedia