1. “Skye Waulking Song” - Capercaillie
Area of Study 4

2. Learning Objectives By the end of the lesson you will be able to:
Gain a broader understanding relating to folk music and the set work
Explain the key features in the music
Understand the analysis of ‘Skye Waulking Song’

3. Background to “Syke Waulking”
A waulking song is a work song, sung by women workers processing cloth.
Capercaillie are a Scottish band who combine traditional Gaelic folk music and elements of rock music.
Their sound is a fusion of the two styles and could be described as Celtic rock.

4. Capercailllie Sound The song combines folk and rock instruments.
The (amplified) instruments associated with rock music are:
Synthesiser Wurlitzer piano
Bass
drum kit
The (acoustic) instruments associated with folk music are:
Violin (fiddle)
Accordion
Pipes
Bouzouki

5. Song Structure Section Bar Numbers Intro 1-8 (0:00 – 0:33) Verse 1
9-11 (0:33 – 0:51)
Break
12-15 (0:51 – 1:03)
Verse 2
16-20 (1:03 – 1:24)
Verse 3
21-24 (1:24 – 1:41)
Verse 4
25-28 (1:41 – 1:58)
Verse 5
29-32 (1:58 – 2:14)
Verse 6
33-36 (2:14 – 2:31)
Instrumental
37-43 (2:31 – 3:01)
Verse 7
44-48 (3:01 – 3:21)
Verse 8
49-52 (3:21 – 3:38)
Outro
53 – end (3:38 – 4:38)

6. Analysis Section one (bars 1 - 24) Section two (bars 24 - to end)
Feels very traditional, with just a simple beat
In E minor - chords change between Em & G
Quite quiet, calm and peaceful - almost sounding subdued
None of the instruments really stand out in the focus is on the singer
Section two (bars 24 - to end)
Full rhythm section (drums and bass part)
In G major (relative major of E minor)
Generally much louder, there is a quieter section when the drums and bass guitar stop
A pipe solo that uses some of the vocal melody line as it improvises
There are harmonised backing vocals

7. Important points to note
'Chuir m’thair mise dhan taigh charraideach' - translates into English as 'My father sent me to the house of sorrow'.
Harmony in this style of music is less important than melody and rhythm
The harmony is very simple
The chord changes highlight the change of section and mood
The melodic lines are played in the folk style
Instruments improvise around the melody simultaneously, sometimes playing a very similar melody in slightly different ways -heterophonic texutre
Improvised counterpoint - around the melody and scale – G major
The vocal part is sung using the scale of E minor pentatonic or G major pentatonic throughout
The traditions of “Waulking Song” can be heard in the use of nonsense, syllables between each sung line and repetition of each line of the verse
The backing vocals join in for the vocalising of the nonsense syllables in between each line of lyrics

8. Glossary relating to Set work
Oral Tradition – a tradition which is passed on by word of mouth or imitation
Protest songs – folk songs with political lyrics
Fusion – a mingling, or blending together, of more than one musical style or culture to create a new ‘fused’ sound
Heterophonic texture – two or more parts playing the same melodic line simultaneously with small variations between the parts
Pentatonic scale - a five note scale
Vocables - nonsense syllables
Scots Gaelic -
Strophic structure - Melody in each verse is the same
Bouzouki - A string instrument a bit like a mandolin