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Monday 21 November 2011

Orkney Anthem

Came across this short film on YouTube via All About Orkney and thought I'd share it here. It's called the "Orkney Anthem". Below are the words (also from YouTube). It's about 5 minutes long but gives a bird's eye view of Orkney and the music is very haunting.




ORKNEY ANTHEM TS Peace/I Drever (part 1) Tae the riven rock rims around them, tae stack and skerry and geo, tae the cliffs piled high wi' their heads in the sky and their feet in the surge below. CHORUS Isles ne'er forgotten, be your sons afar alone or ringed they be by their ain native sea Waes hale, they drink tae their own. Tae the reek o' the rushing tideways, tae the fling o' their froth and foam, tae the spouting hedge, by the iron ledge, o' skerry and reef and holm.
lyrics Part 2: CHORUS Tae the feet o' the bright aurora, that dance tae the elfin lyres, tae the gleams that break, in the midnight wake, tae the blaze o' the beltane fires. CHORUS Tae the brochs o' forgotten builders, each howe wi' its spectral wraith, tae the ruins' hoar, by the ancient shore, o' the kirks o' the ancient faith. CHORUS Spirit haunted and hallowed Wi' rune writ legend strewn, lone isles o' the north, ye call it forth waes hale we drink tae o'or own

6 comments:

  1. This is something else,beautiful.

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  2. Sian, I love your blog though I rarely comment. Thank you for sharing this video. I was in Kirkwall once many years ago, and wish that I had stayed longer, and that I could visit Orkney again. I would love it even more now than I did then (after years of living in rainy Seattle, my tolerance for grey, wet, windy weather is better than it was 20 years ago!). Cheers!

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  3. Pat - glad you enjoyed it.

    Frith - May you return to Orkney one day!

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  4. The very best version of this great song has been recorded by the Kirkwall City Pipe Band on their album Anthems of a Peedie Nation. Orchestrated in a great way!

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    1. I agree! KCPB Anthems of a peedie nation is super!!

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  5. I love living in Orkney

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