My first experience of Lairg was of a cyclist  - and I quickly found that any route through the North Highlands was going to take me to Lairg.  The five roads are like spokes of a wheel, radiating out through the Highlands and bringing people together for big events such as the sheep sales.  I made it an ambition to cycle all five roads and they are each some of th e finest cycling I've experienced in Scotland.   The song began as a meditation on these five roads and I wanted to combine a sense of gratitude for Lairg's location with a meditation on how things have changed over the years and the uncertainty that all progress is good progress. 

The piano voices Loch Shin, especially at the very end of the track, whilst the fiddle represents the yearning for a better future.  The accordion is the anchor and the call for change.  Working with the Lairg Gaelic choir was great fun and they were very tolerant of my inability with the language.  Translating from English to Gaelic is always a challenge because most things use more syllables in Gaelic than English.  Eventually, with Donald Beaton's generous and expert help, we settled on Shine! Lairg! as the best way to express the sentiment.  It is my fault we would get kicked out of the Mod for splitting the word soillsich into two separated syllables.  But the Beatles did it with Love Me Do so there is precedent.  As there is in the Gaelic psalm singing tradition where words could be stretched over multiple notes to suit the tune. 

I'm really delighted with how all the different elements of the song came together - its a warm and affectionate song but hopefully avoids being syrupy or shortbread tinny!

We recorded the song in UHI Alness with Steve Bull, recording the vocal and piano together before adding the different accordion elements with Amy Henderson, whose tone and touch are achingly lovely.  Douglas Montgomery, an Orcadian fiddle player and teacher, added the fiddle part, with David writing the melody line and Douglas the chorus chords and exceptional expressive technique.  

The Lairg Gaelic Choir were recorded in Lairg Parish Church, which has a beautiful acoustic for choral work.  Steve also put the piano and vocal tracks through speakers into the space to add natural reverb.  He then combined all our work into one cohesive whole and we decided it would be in keeping with the project to offer the track for free to all who wish to hear it.

Piano and Vocal - David McNeish
Accordion - Amy Henderson
Fiddle - Douglas Montgomery
with Lairg Gaelic Choir

Recorded and mixed by Steve Bull at UHI, Alness and Lairg Parish Church.

Gaelic translation by Donald Beaton.

Music and Lyrics by David McNeish.