Evan MacColl Canadian poet and songs

Subject: Evan MacColl poet and songs
From: The Sandman
Date: 30 Jan 20 - 03:03 AM

Evan MacColl
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Evan MacColl
Born        21 September 1808
Kenmore, Argyll and Bute, Scotland
Died        24 July 1898 (aged 89)
Kingston, Canada
Occupation        Gaelic poet, composer
Spouse(s)        Frances Lewthwaite, Isabella MacArthur

Evan MacColl (Scottish Gaelic: "Eóghann MacColla"; 1808–1898) was a Scots-Canadian Gaelic poet who also produced poems in English. He is commonly known in his native language as Bàrd Loch Fìne (the "Poet of Loch Fyne"). Later he became known as "the Gaelic Bard of Canada".[1]
Contents

    1 Early life
    2 Later life
    3 Poetic achievements
    4 Publications
       4.1 Books
       4.2 Scores
       4.3 Archives
    5 Memorial
    6 References

Early life

Evan MacColl was born at Kenmore on the banks of Loch Fyne, Argyll and Bute, Scotland, on 21 September 1808 when the area was thoroughly Gaelic speaking. His father was Dugald MacColl who was possessed of "the richest store of Celtic song of any man living in his part of the country."[2] His mother, Mary Cameron, "was noted for her storehouse of traditional tales, legendary and fairy tales." She was also said to be something of an 'improvisatrice' or maker-up of tales.[2] Though MacColl was fully employed farming and fishing, and later with road repairs, he nevertheless received a fair education. His father was fond of literature and procured books for his children when he could. The local village school offered a very limited education in English, and his father employed a tutor who taught his son English and instilled in him a love of Burns and of English literature in general. His poetic efforts began in boyhood, founded on a rich vein of the native Gaelic literary tradition surrounding him in youth and inherited from his family, although also inflected by the growing influence of Lowland Scots and anglophone literature.[2]
Later life

MacColl's family emigrated to Canada in 1831, but he could not make up his mind to leave Scotland. He continued his employment in road repairs while composing many of his best-regarded Gaelic lyrics. He published his first book of poems at his own expense in Glasgow in 1836. This was The Mountain Minstrel; or, Clàrsach nam Beann, and it sold enough to give the author a small profit. In 1837, he began contributing to the Gaelic Magazine then published in Glasgow. From October 1838 to January 1839, MacColl made a tour of northeast Scotland which was recorded in a diary published by Alexander Mackenzie in his biography of MacColl.[2] Later in 1839 he became a clerk with the Customs House in Liverpool. He remained in Liverpool until 1850, when, because of declining health, he obtained six months' leave of absence and visited friends and relatives in Canada. While staying on his brother's farm on the Trent River, he was introduced to the Hon. Malcolm Cameron, then a Minister of the Crown and was offered a position in the Canadian Customs at Kingston, Ontario, which he accepted. MacColl remained in this post for thirty years and was superannuated about the year 1880.[3] His first wife was Frances Lewthwaite whom he married in Toxteth, Liverpool on 6 May 1847.[4] He later married Isabella MacArthur in Kingston. He had nine children from one or both marriages.[2] He died on 24 July 1898 in Toronto and was buried in Kingston.[1]
Poetic achievements

Dr. Norman McLeod, editor of Good Words, wrote as follows:

    Evan MacColl's poetry is the product of a mind impressed with the beauty and the grandeur of the lovely scenes in which his infancy has been nursed. We have no hesitation in saying that the work is that of a man possessed of much poetic genius. Wild indeed and sometimes rough are his rhymes and epithets, yet there are thoughts so new and striking—images and comparisons so beautiful and original—feelings so warm and fresh that stamp this Highland peasant as no ordinary man.[3]

MacColl wrote numerous poems while in Canada, including one in Gaelic in praise of a Scottish organization in Toronto in 1858. MacColl was literate in Gaelic and was a well respected authority on the literature of the Highlands, sought out in Canada by those who took an interest in the subject.[5]

One of MacColl’s English poems is "Robin", written for the occasion of the Burns Centennial celebration in Kingston. The poem's easy and melodious expression is in excellent imitation of Burns' own style. He had been for many years the bard of the St. Andrew's Society of Kingston, and his anniversary poems are greatly appreciated by all Scotsmen. His poetic gifts were inherited by his daughter, Miss Mary J. MacColl,[6] who published a meritorious little volume of poems entitled "Bide a wee," highly commended for their sweetness and delicacy

Subject: RE: Evan MacColl poet and songs
From: The Sandman
Date: 30 Jan 20 - 03:03 AM

can anyone pst examples of his poetry

Subject: RE: Evan MacColl poet and songs
From: Backwoodsman
Date: 30 Jan 20 - 03:34 AM

Google is your friend...

Subject: RE: Evan MacColl poet and songs
From: Jim McLean
Date: 30 Jan 20 - 07:52 AM

Eóghann could also be pronounced Ewan.

Subject: RE: Evan MacColl poet and songs
From: Jeri
Date: 30 Jan 20 - 09:02 AM

Evan MacColl, "The Gaelic Bard of Canada"

Off topic ("wrong guy") stuff has been deleted.

Subject: RE: Evan MacColl poet and songs
From: GUEST,akenaton
Date: 30 Jan 20 - 12:09 PM

At this moment, I am looking across wild Loch Fyne at the tiny village of Kenmore. Just three or four houses really but the birthplace of the bard. The houses date back to the 18th century, low thatched roofed cottages which have been altered to give upstairs bedrooms, overlooking a little bay which no doubt contained fishing skiffs during the boom in herring fishing in Loch Fyne. There is little doubt that one of these houses was MacColl's place of birth.

Another great Scottish poet and novelist Neil Munro was born just a couple of miles away in the town of Inverary.

Subject: RE: Evan MacColl poet and songs
From: The Sandman
Date: 30 Jan 20 - 04:06 PM

nobody was having a go at anyone i was interested to know more about the poems that inspired ewan to use a similar name, my thanks to back woodsman

Subject: RE: Evan MacColl poet and songs
From: Steve Shaw
Date: 30 Jan 20 - 06:43 PM

"Another great Scottish poet and novelist Neil Munro was born just a couple of miles away in the town of Inverary."

As we appear to be dealing with a confusion of near-namesakes, I assume that this may be referring to "Matt Munro."

Subject: RE: Evan MacColl poet and songs
From: Dave the Gnome
Date: 31 Jan 20 - 11:47 AM

Her version of "Sympathy for the Devil" is surprisingly good. Apropos of nothing whatsoever.

Anyway, Mrs Miller's lad didn't get his name from this poet at all. I have told you before, he was listening to a Scottish miner describing his day. "Ah wus doon the pit, 'ewin ma coal..."

Subject: RE: Evan MacColl poet and songs
From: GUEST,akenaton
Date: 31 Jan 20 - 12:19 PM

Pay no heed, it's just a couple of puir wee Englishmen trying to take the piss out of real National culture, having nane o' thur ain!.

For any genuine people in the audience I would suggest joining the "Neil Munro Society"    based in Glasgow and a right cheery crowd, we have had some terrific days out with the society in Glasgow and Inverary the latest included a dramatization of "The Lost Pibroch" one of Munro's famous short stories the pipeing was performed by two of Scotland's finest. £20 will buy you annual membership and you wont regret the sillar.