Question for Aine or other Gaelic singer

Subject: Question for Aine or other Gaelic singer
From: GUEST,Pam
Date: 01 May 00 - 02:12 PM

When we were at school, we sang a song which sounded like Brochan Long, Tannan Long, Brochan Tannan Suigan. Sorry, I know its not the right spelling. I think it was suppose to be about stirring the porridge pot. Would you know the song and, if so, can you give the words and the meaning? Thanks a lot.

Subject: RE: Question for Aine or other Gaelic singer
From: GUEST,Aoife
Date: 01 May 00 - 03:51 PM

Could it have been "Colcannon?" oh did you ever make colcannon with lovely pickled cream.... etc chorus: so you did so you did so did he and so did I? if so, I have lyrics

Subject: RE: Question for Aine or other Gaelic singer
From: Peg
Date: 01 May 00 - 04:25 PM

the song Aoife is talking about (not that there isn't more than one with that chorus) is on the most recent Clannad album (which has lots of their older stuff).

peg

Subject: RE: Question for Aine or other Gaelic singer
From: MMario
Date: 01 May 00 - 04:38 PM

"Colcannon" is in the DT. Though what resemblence "Colcannon" has to the lyrics qouted above puzzle me.

However, the lyrics quoted above DO strike a chord in my memory...I just wish I could remember about what.....

Subject: RE: Question for Aine or other Gaelic singer
From: Peg
Date: 01 May 00 - 04:47 PM

i do not know if the title of the song I am thinking of is Colcannon; I think not actually; but this song does indeed exist on that Clannad album (or some other one, I will have a look and listen when I go home otnight and post tomorrow if i can find it)...

peg

Subject: RE: Question for Aine or other Gaelic singer
From: MMario
Date: 01 May 00 - 04:51 PM

sorry - that came across more snotty then it should have, peg. found the lyrics I was thinking of. yegads my mind is a rat-trap of trivia....

the thread is here...http://www.mudcat.org/thread.CFM?threadID=9268

clink

Subject: RE: Question for Aine or other Gaelic singer
From: Áine
Date: 01 May 00 - 05:16 PM

Way to go, MMario!! I knew we had the lyrics somewhere in the 'Cat -- but, I kept searching for "porridge" instead of "porage" - no wonder I couldn't find it! That'll teach me to 'trace' more threads (at least until Max gets the supersearch going again).

Well, it seems like the magic of the Mudcat has worked again!

-- Áine

Subject: RE: Question for Aine or other Gaelic singer
From: GUEST,Pam
Date: 01 May 00 - 06:30 PM

No, it's not Colcannon. This song was in Gaelic and it sounded as I had said before. Wish I could hum you the tune as I'm sure someone would recognize it. Here's how it sounded to me but the spelling will be phonetic.

Brochan long, tannan long Brochan tannan suigan Brochan long, tannan long Brochan tannan suigan

It goes on into a chorus. Hope someone can help. Thanks.

Subject: RE: Question for Aine or other Gaelic singer
From: Little Neophyte
Date: 01 May 00 - 07:07 PM

Aine, since there has been a thread dedicated to you, I hope you guys don't mind if I take this time to thank Aine for all the blue clickys you have provided on the threads for us Mudcatters.
I just learned how to do the blue clicky thing myself on the HTML practice thread, but I will always be thankful for the times you came by to help me.

Little Neo

Subject: RE: Question for Aine or other Gaelic singer
From: MartinRyan
Date: 01 May 00 - 08:02 PM

Pam

Where were you at school? Sound Scottish rather than Irish to me?

Regards

Subject: RE: Question for Aine or other Gaelic singer
From: GUEST,Frank Harte
Date: 01 May 00 - 08:31 PM

I believe Martin is right, it is Scottish. Ledn Graham sings, or sang it quite a lot, he may even have recorded it,with Joe Holmes or Padraigeen.

Subject: RE: Question for Aine or other Gaelic singer
From: GUEST,Annraoi
Date: 01 May 00 - 08:34 PM

Quite right, a Mháirtín. It is a Scots Gaelic song in Strathspey time. What they call "purt a' béul" - in Irish "port an bhéil" i.e. "Mouth music" very often nonsense lyrics put to a dance tune and meant to accompany dancing rather than be listened to for its own sake. Though having said that, modern singers have performed it as a "tour de force" of musical tongue twisting. The same sort of thing occurs in Spanish song e.g. "Virgen de Amor" where the speed of delivery can be quite astounding in the mouth of a skilled performer. Welsh has at least one song where increase in speed is the essence of the performance, the song being "Cyfri'r Geifr."

Any more out there ? Annraoi

Subject: RE: Question for Aine or other Gaelic singer
From:
Date: 01 May 00 - 09:27 PM

It's a song called Brochan Lom

I'll type it up.

Subject: RE: Question for Aine or other Gaelic singer
From:
Date: 01 May 00 - 11:46 PM

It IS a Scottish Gaelic song. I learned it years ago.

I looked over the version Cuilionn posted and it's pretty close to what I learned. Here's his version formatted for HTML

Subject: RE: hot porage, cold porage? Help!
From: Cuilionn
Date: 24-Feb-99 - 12:14 AM

Here's what ye are luikin' for, I believe:

Subject: RE: hot porage, cold porage? Help!
From: Cuilionn
Date: 24-Feb-99 - 12:14 AM

Here's what ye are luikin' for, I believe:

Rann/Verse 1: Brochan lom, tana lom, brochan lom sùghain (3x)
Brochan lom 's e tana lom, 's e brochan lom sùghain

Séist/Chorus: Brochan tana, tana, tana, brochan lom sùghain (3x)
Brochan lom 's e tana lom, 's e brochan lom sùghain

Rann/Verse 2: Thugaibh aran do na balaich leis a' bhrocan sùghain (3x)
Brochan lom 's e tana lom, 's e brochan lom sùghain (S´ist/Chorus)

Rann/Verse 3: Seo an rud a gheibheamaid o nighean Gobha 'n Duine (3x)
Brochan lom 's e tana lom, 's e brochan lom sùghain (Séist/Chorus)

A rough translation (which invites correction frae those whae hae mair Gaelic) is as follows:

1) Thin porridge, sparse & thin, thin & watery porridge.
Thin porridge, it is sparse & thin, it is thin & watery porridge.

2) Give bread to the lads with the watery porridge.
Thin porridge, it is sparse & thin, it is thin & watery porridge.

3) This is the thing to get from the blackmith's daughter.
Thin porridge, it is sparse & thin, it is thin & watery porridge.

Gabh spors! (Have fun!)

Here's the way I learned it.

Brochan lom, tana lom, brochan lom na sùghain
Brochan lom, tana lom, brochan lom na sùghain
Brochan lom, tana lom, brochan lom na sùghain
Brochan lom, 's e tana lom, 's e brochan lom sùghain

Séist Brochan tana, tana, tana, brochan lom na sùghain
Brochan tana, tana, tana, brochan lom na sùghain
Brochan tana, tana, tana, brochan lom na sùghain
Brochan lom, 's e tana lom, 's e brochan lom sùghain

Thugaibh aran do na gillean, leis a' bhrochan sùghain
Thugaibh aran do na gillean, leis a' bhrochan sùghain
Thugaibh aran do na gillean, leis a' bhrochan sùghain
Brochan lom, 's e tana lom, 's e brochan lom sùghain

Seo an rud a gheibheamaid o nighean gobha 'n dùine
Seo an rud a gheibheamaid o nighean gobha 'n dùine
Seo an rud a gheibheamaid o nighean gobha 'n dùine
Brochan lom, 's e tana lom, 's e brochan lom sùghain

Gruel, thin and meagre, gruel thin from the sowans
Give ye bread to the young men with the sowan's gruel
This is what we used to get from the smith's daughter at the fort

I haven't found a site with MIDI for the tune (Which to fiddlers is The Orange and Blue) but I found a site with several versions of it in ABC format.

http://trillian.mit.edu/~jc/music/book/500/OrangeAndBlue.abc

Subject: RE: Question for Aine or other Gaelic singer
From: GUEST,Pam
Date: 02 May 00 - 01:46 PM

George, Aine, everybody, thank you for all your help! Yes, I am Scottish and I should have probably mentioned in the first place that it was in Scots Gaelic and not Irish.

I'll print out this page so I can teach the song to my kids. I appreciate all the trouble you all went to. What a great site Mudcat is!

Subject: RE: Question for Aine or other Gaelic singer
From:
Date: 02 May 00 - 06:28 PM

You're very welcome, Pam. Come back any time. Let us know how it turned out.

Subject: Brochan lom
From: GUEST,Philippa
Date: 02 May 00 - 06:37 PM

a Scottish song, but there are verses in English (at least one recording: Jean Redpath) and in Irish, which aren't translations of the Scots Gaelic. all use the Gaelic chorus. I remember the Irish had something about "leis an cléite gandail"; can anyone supply full verse(s)

Subject: RE: Question for Aine or other Gaelic singer
From: GUEST,JR
Date: 03 May 00 - 06:47 AM

George, how do you pronounce those Gaelic words?