'Open your heart to the Highlands'
By Carma Wadley
Deseret Morning News
Published: Friday, June 8, 2007 12:15 a.m. MDT
Whether you have Scottish ancestors or just want to be a Scot for a day, the Utah Scottish Association invites you to "open your heart to the Highlands" at ScotFest 2007, the 33rd annual Utah Scottish Festival & Highland Games at Thanksgiving Point this weekend — in the center of Utah's own "highlands." Gates open at 5 p.m. today and 9 a.m. Saturday.
Tonight's activities include the strong-man contest, with ExtremeSports-style events; a concert by Ocean's Apart, a Celtic duo comprised of Steve Colby and John Good; a military tattoo; and a torchlight gathering of the clans. Fireworks will end the evening.
Saturday's events include pipe bands, the Scottish-dance competition and the heavy-athletics competitions, including the caber toss, hammer throw, stone throw and others, featuring some of the world's best athletes.
Musical entertainment will take place throughout the day, with miniconcerts by Ocean's Apart, Wicked Tinkers and Molly's Revenge during the day, and a major concert at night. Local musicians Dorian Mirth and Cynthia Douglass and her harpist ensemble, and St. Louis-based uillean piper Tommy Martin will also perform.
The March of the Clans will take place at noon, and at 1 p.m., a haggis will be ceremoniously piped in.
Throughout the day, there will be vendors, Scottish food, a chance to do family history research, and demonstrations of kiltmaking, weaving and Irish step-dancing.
There will be sheepherding demonstrations with border collies, and a chance to see Highland cattle, also known as Hairy Coo. A diorama of the Battle of Culloden will be on display in the Clan MacIntosh tent. And British cars will be lined up for inspection.
There will also be special activities/events for kids.
A little bit of history
Scottish dances have their roots in the history and culture of the country. There are actually two kinds of dances, Highland and Country or National dances.
Some of the dances grew out of victory celebrations back in the Middle Ages. The earliest references to dances in Scotland appeared in a chronicle compiled by Water Bower in 1440, telling of the marriage ceremony of Alexander III.
Another story tells of Scottish mercenaries who performed a sword dance before the Swedish King John III in 1573. Supposedly, at a given signal, the dancers were to take up their swords and assassinate the king, but the signal was never given.
"Sword dance and Hieland danses" were also performed at a reception for Anne of Denmark in Edinburgh in 1589.
When the 1747 British Act of Proscription tried to suppress Highland culture and forbade the wearing of kilts, much of traditional Highland culture went underground. But after the act was repealed in 1782, and later boosted by Queen Victoria's love of it, Highland dancing enjoyed a revival. That was when Highland Games as we now know them began.
Scottish dances are generally performed to bagpipe music. Although four dancers may compete at the same time, they are each judged individually.
Some of the most common Scottish dances include:
Highland Fling: A victory dance, tradition says, performed by warriors on their small, round shields called targs. Because most targs had a sharp 5- to 6-inch spike of steel in the center, the need for quick and precise footwork was paramount.
Sword Dance: Also called the Ghillie Callum, this dance is said to date back to the Battle of Dunsinane in 1504. Ghillie Callum was a Celtic prince who slew one of MacBeth's chiefs, and taking the chief's sword, crossed it with his own on the ground and danced over them.
Seann Triubas: The Gaelic pronunciation is "shawn trews," which translates to "old trousers." Although it depicts a person shedding trousers, the origins of the dance are unclear. Some say it dates to 1783, when the repeal of the British Act of Proscription of 1747 once again allowed Scots to wear kilts and tartans.
Strathspey and Highland Reel: According the legend, the dance came about as a group of townspeople waited for a minister to arrive at a wedding. The day was cold, and they began dancing in order to keep warm.
Scottish Jig: Similar to the Irish Jig, but the Scottish version adds arm movements to the traditional footwork. It is said to be a parody of an Irish washerwoman in an agitated frame of mind.
Scottish Lilt/Flora McDonald's Fancy/ Scotch Measure/ Earl of Errol: These are among those known as National dances. They are of more recent origin and have a more balletic or flowing style than the Highland dances.
Sailor's Hornpipe: A dance common to many places in the British Isles, it is said to imitate shipyard activities from the days of wooden sailing ships. Accompanying music was often played on the hornpipe (something like a modern-day tin whistle) rather than on the bagpipes.
Sources: www.highlandnet.com, www.scottishdance.net
© 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company | All rights reserved
By Carma Wadley
Deseret Morning News
Published: Friday, June 8, 2007 12:15 a.m. MDT
Whether you have Scottish ancestors or just want to be a Scot for a day, the Utah Scottish Association invites you to "open your heart to the Highlands" at ScotFest 2007, the 33rd annual Utah Scottish Festival & Highland Games at Thanksgiving Point this weekend — in the center of Utah's own "highlands." Gates open at 5 p.m. today and 9 a.m. Saturday.
Tonight's activities include the strong-man contest, with ExtremeSports-style events; a concert by Ocean's Apart, a Celtic duo comprised of Steve Colby and John Good; a military tattoo; and a torchlight gathering of the clans. Fireworks will end the evening.
Saturday's events include pipe bands, the Scottish-dance competition and the heavy-athletics competitions, including the caber toss, hammer throw, stone throw and others, featuring some of the world's best athletes.
Musical entertainment will take place throughout the day, with miniconcerts by Ocean's Apart, Wicked Tinkers and Molly's Revenge during the day, and a major concert at night. Local musicians Dorian Mirth and Cynthia Douglass and her harpist ensemble, and St. Louis-based uillean piper Tommy Martin will also perform.
The March of the Clans will take place at noon, and at 1 p.m., a haggis will be ceremoniously piped in.
Throughout the day, there will be vendors, Scottish food, a chance to do family history research, and demonstrations of kiltmaking, weaving and Irish step-dancing.
There will be sheepherding demonstrations with border collies, and a chance to see Highland cattle, also known as Hairy Coo. A diorama of the Battle of Culloden will be on display in the Clan MacIntosh tent. And British cars will be lined up for inspection.
There will also be special activities/events for kids.
A little bit of history
Scottish dances have their roots in the history and culture of the country. There are actually two kinds of dances, Highland and Country or National dances.
Some of the dances grew out of victory celebrations back in the Middle Ages. The earliest references to dances in Scotland appeared in a chronicle compiled by Water Bower in 1440, telling of the marriage ceremony of Alexander III.
Another story tells of Scottish mercenaries who performed a sword dance before the Swedish King John III in 1573. Supposedly, at a given signal, the dancers were to take up their swords and assassinate the king, but the signal was never given.
"Sword dance and Hieland danses" were also performed at a reception for Anne of Denmark in Edinburgh in 1589.
When the 1747 British Act of Proscription tried to suppress Highland culture and forbade the wearing of kilts, much of traditional Highland culture went underground. But after the act was repealed in 1782, and later boosted by Queen Victoria's love of it, Highland dancing enjoyed a revival. That was when Highland Games as we now know them began.
Scottish dances are generally performed to bagpipe music. Although four dancers may compete at the same time, they are each judged individually.
Some of the most common Scottish dances include:
Highland Fling: A victory dance, tradition says, performed by warriors on their small, round shields called targs. Because most targs had a sharp 5- to 6-inch spike of steel in the center, the need for quick and precise footwork was paramount.
Sword Dance: Also called the Ghillie Callum, this dance is said to date back to the Battle of Dunsinane in 1504. Ghillie Callum was a Celtic prince who slew one of MacBeth's chiefs, and taking the chief's sword, crossed it with his own on the ground and danced over them.
Seann Triubas: The Gaelic pronunciation is "shawn trews," which translates to "old trousers." Although it depicts a person shedding trousers, the origins of the dance are unclear. Some say it dates to 1783, when the repeal of the British Act of Proscription of 1747 once again allowed Scots to wear kilts and tartans.
Strathspey and Highland Reel: According the legend, the dance came about as a group of townspeople waited for a minister to arrive at a wedding. The day was cold, and they began dancing in order to keep warm.
Scottish Jig: Similar to the Irish Jig, but the Scottish version adds arm movements to the traditional footwork. It is said to be a parody of an Irish washerwoman in an agitated frame of mind.
Scottish Lilt/Flora McDonald's Fancy/ Scotch Measure/ Earl of Errol: These are among those known as National dances. They are of more recent origin and have a more balletic or flowing style than the Highland dances.
Sailor's Hornpipe: A dance common to many places in the British Isles, it is said to imitate shipyard activities from the days of wooden sailing ships. Accompanying music was often played on the hornpipe (something like a modern-day tin whistle) rather than on the bagpipes.
Sources: www.highlandnet.com, www.scottishdance.net
© 2009 Deseret News Publishing Company | All rights reserved
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