Polly Hitchcock - 2024
Radio nan Gàidheal
NB 95% in Gaelic; some music occasionally in the background & two or three short clips.
Availabe to about 25th November 2024.

Ann an 1951, thàinig ban-Ameireaganach a dh'fhuireach sna h-eileanan airson ùine ghoirid. B' ise Polly Hitchcock agus na cois thug i inneal-clàraidh, ùidh ann an ceòl is dualchas nan eilean, agus miann cuid de na h-eileanaich a chlàradh.

'S ann an taigh an dotair ann an Dalabrog a chlàr i a' mhòr-chuid - òrain, puirt air a' phìob, òrain luaidh - agus chaidh clàr le cuid de na thog i fhoillseachadh ann an 1952, às dèidh dhi tilleadh do na Stàitean. Eadar Iain Ruadh, An Eòsag, Iain Pheadair, Eàirdsidh agus Ceit NicDhòmhnaill, Rena NicIllEathain is gu leòr eile, abair gur e clàr air leth a th' ann ri èisteachd an-diugh.

Ach mar a tha Coinneach Mac a' Ghobhainn ag ionnsachadh sa phrògram sa, tha gu leòr eile ann a chlàr i is a bha glaiste ann an tasglann an Smithsonian Institute ann an Washington gu seo.

'S i Rona Lightfoot aon tè a tha ga lorg fhèin is a pàrantan sna clàran; agus tha Cailean MacIllEathain - mac an Dotair MhicIllEathain aig a robh Polly a' dèanamh a clàraidhean - a' bruidhinn air mar a bhiodh a mhàthair, Rena, a' cuimhneachadh air Hitchcock, is i fhèin a' seinn air a son. Cluinnidh sinn cuideachd bho theaghlach Polly Hitchcock fhèin ann an Ameireaga.

Sùil is sealladh air leth air Uibhist a Deas o chionn 70 bliadhna, agus na thàlaidh seinneadair Ameireaganach a thaigh an dotair ann an 1951.

google translation
In 1951, an American woman came to live in the islands for a short time. It was Polly Hitchcock and her friends who brought a recording machine, interested in the music and heritage of the islands, and a desire to record some of the islanders.

It was there that the doctor's house recorded Dalabrog[South Uist] for the most part - songs, pipe tunes, lead songs - and an album with some of the songs was published in 1952, after she returned to the States. Including Iain Ruadh, An Eòsag, Iain Peter, Archidsy and Keit MacDonald, Rena MacLean and plenty of others, let's say it's a great album to listen to today.

But as Kenneagh Smith is learning in this program, there is plenty more that has been recorded in the archive of the Smithsonian Institute in Washington until now.

Rona Lightfoot is the only one who is looking for herself and her parents in the records; and Cailean MacLean - the son of Dr. MacLean with whom Polly was making her recordings - speaks of him as his mother, Rena, used to remember him as Hitchcock, who herself played it for her. We will also hear from Polly Hitchcock's own family in America.

A unique look at South Uist 70 years ago, and the attractiveness of an American singer who was housed there by the doctor in 1951.

www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m00243r5
BBC Radio nan Gàidheal is a Scottish Gaelic language radio station owned and operated by BBC Scotland.