The Music and Language of Outlander (and Scotland)

[Athena]

Music and language topic!

 

Let's not be limiting and include any Scottish music. I am actually keen on Scottish folk music and bagpipes. 

 

As noted in the S01x02 episode topic, the adapted Skye Boat song is available on iTunes. 

 

You may also discuss the Gaelic on the show.

Edited September 7, 2014 by Athena

[GHScorpiosRule]

Thanks for creating, @Athena !

 

And now that we have a music thread, I'm also posting what I did in the second episode thread:

 

It just hit me what the opening credits song reminds me of...for those that watched The Highlander, starring the verra yummy Adrian Paul, as Duncan McLeod of the Clan McLeod, ye'll ken wot I'm talkin' aboot.

 

Ahem. It reminds me of the song used for when Duncan went to Scotland to bury the bracelet of his first love, who had died. And we got a flashback as to what happened with her and a very young Duncan before he became an immortal.

 

It's very haunting as well as beautiful; could be happy or sad...in Highlander, 'twas verra bittersweet.

Edited August 18, 2014 by GHScorpiosRule

[Sonja]

It's actually Bear McCreary's fault I started watching this show. I follow him on twitter, and the temptation of a McCreary/Moore reunion was too great. I started reading the books after ep 1 and wondered during reading of some chapters what they were going to do with them musically. I'm really looking forward to the OST, hope they are going to release one!

[Pestilentia]

If you like the music in this show Bear McCreary's blog (<--- clickable) is the place to go!

Edited August 18, 2014 by Pestilentia

[CatMack]

I'm really looking forward to the OST, hope they are going to release one!

 

Bear McCreary actually started his own production company last year specifically so he could have more say about releasing his music in an easily accessible way.  I mean, he was super polite about it, but reading between the lines of his explanation he was not happy with his former record label's refusal to make some of his work available for digital download, or just not available at all (it took well over a year to get Caprica's score released, and you still can't buy digital).  I'm sure the studio has a say in it too, but I see no reason they'd prevent him, and the fact that the opening theme is already available for purchase seems like a promising sign. 

Edited August 19, 2014 by CatMack

[Sonja]

I'm sure the studio has a say in it too, but I see no reason they'd prevent him, and the fact that the opening theme is already available for purchase seems like a promising sign. 

Of course they do, but they'd be stupid to prevent it. I just hope there is going to be a physical release. The last Da Vinci's Demons OST has only released as a download so far (with a special edition CD announced for somewhere in the fall) for example. There are things I want in my CD shelf, not just on my laptop and I'm still a liner notes nerd ;-)

[WatchrTina]

I just re-watched the episode on my iPad using Bose noise-canceling headphones and wow, what a difference that made! I could hear the music so much more clearly as well as all the subtle foley artist sound effects (footsteps, etc.) and things like the background rain during the scene in the stable. I can see now that my routine is going to have to be:

1. First viewing with closed captions on.

2. Second viewing with closed captions off.

3. Read Bear McCreary's blog then watch on iPad with headphones, focusing on the music.

4. Listen to Ron's podcast on iPad while playing the episode on the TV with the sound off, captions on.

5. Re-watch shirtless Jamie scenes as needed.

[BizBuzz]

^that

 

But especially this:

 

5. Re-watch shirtless Jamie scenes as needed.

 

I like your style!

[nodorothyparker]

The scene of Claire cleaning out the surgery in the third episode is probably not one I'd normally watch over and over again, but that's exactly what's happening because I don't think I've ever heard such a gorgeous arrangement of "Coming Through the Rye."

[Sonja]

I just re-watched the episode on my iPad using Bose noise-canceling headphones and wow, what a difference that made! I could hear the music so much more clearly as well as all the subtle foley artist sound effects (footsteps, etc.) and things like the background rain during the scene in the stable. I can see now that my routine is going to have to be:

1. First viewing with closed captions on.

2. Second viewing with closed captions off.

3. Read Bear McCreary's blog then watch on iPad with headphones, focusing on the music.

4. Listen to Ron's podcast on iPad while playing the episode on the TV with the sound off, captions on.

5. Re-watch shirtless Jamie scenes as needed.

Did the ADR job in the WWII train station scene sound better with the headphones? It seemed really badly mixed when I watched the ep, but I'm not sure if that was because I had to turn the sound up thanks to my noisy neighbours, so it might have been overamplified.

[WatchrTina]

Sorry Sonja, I don't recall noticing any problems with the dialog (ADR = additional dialog recording, right?) in the train station scene.  I always just watch that scene impatiently, wanting them to hurry up and get back to Jamie's time zone.  I feel sorry for Frank and I'm happy to see Tobias getting something to do in the episode but I am firmly TeamJamie.

[Athena]

I have renamed this topic to include "Language." The following website has some translations on the Gaelic spoken in the episodes: http://greatscotblog.com/

[WatchrTina]

I watched episode 105 (Rent) again with headphones so as to really appreciate the music.  I just loved the two wool-waulking songs.  I hope Bear McCreary does a blog post to tell us more about that.  

 

My favorite musical cue in the episode come in the flashback when the penny finally drops for Claire and she recalls discussing in the Rising of 1745 with Frank.  They re-use the song that is used for the opening credits, which as I understand it, is a re-working of a traditional song about Bonnie Prince Charlie (Sing me a song of a LAD . . . ) who ultimately goes over the seas to Skye (a Scottish Island) at the end of his failed rebellion.  I just googled it and I think it's called "The Skye Boat Song."  Anyway, it is reprised during the flashback as they discuss the uprising and the camera settles on an old ruined flag that I assume must have been the prince's banner during the uprising.  Very nice that.

 

Bear has said he will use different music over the end credits each time and in episode 105 we are treated to a somber dirge of bagpipes and drum -- very ominous and appropriate to our cliff-hanger ending.

 

And since this thread is now also about language, I have to give props to Graham McTavish for his delivery of the two speeches in Gaelic and his ability to make it clear to the viewer that the speech has changed after seeing the crucified highlanders.  In the first speech he is asking for contributions and while he uses Jamie's back to stir outrage it's really their sense of national pride he's appealing to.  In the second speech he demands their support, fueled by righteous indignation over what they have just seen.  You don't need to know the language to ken his meaning.  Nicely done.

Edited September 7, 2014 by WatchrTina

[theschnauzers]

For those of you who have been waiting to hear from Bear McCreary, he's just posted a blog entry covering the past three episodes (The Way Out, The Gathering, and Rent):

 

http://www.bearmccreary.com/#blog/blog/outlander-the-way-out-the-gathering-and-rent/

[Kat From Jersey]

I watched episode 105 (Rent) again with headphones so as to really appreciate the music.  I just loved the two wool-waulking songs.  I hope Bear McCreary does a blog post to tell us more about that.  

 

 

I adored the waulking songs! 

A call-forward to Echo in the Bone, and Roger's talk about Gaelic and the history of waulking songs.

  Also, I think I caught "Mo Nighean Donn" as part of the words!

Edited September 10, 2014 by Kat From Jersey
Book Talk

[Abhainn]

I adored the waulking songs! 

A call-forward to Echo in the Bone, and Roger's talk about Gaelic and the history of waulking songs.  Also, I think I caught "Mo Nighean Donn" as part of the words! 

 

Yes!  The first one was "Gille Bòidheach", and the second waulking chorus was "Mo nigh’n donn ho gù  -   Hi ri ri hu leo  -

Mo nigh’n donn ho gù."  The second is one we sing quite often as part of our "òran-luaidh" song list.  Waulking songs are very popular  here still, with many groups performing, and nowadays, even the men take part.  :)

Edited September 8, 2014 by Athena
Book Talk.

[zoey1996]

I love the music and the various accents.  I still have to watch with closed-captioning.  However, I think I found an anachronism when Ned and Claire said "Okay."  While 'okay' is documented as far back as the early 1800's, and of course Claire would know the word, would Ned, as an educated man, really say it back to her?  That just pulled me out of the story momentarily, wondering why he'd use the term without questioning the meaning.

[thingamajig]

I love the music and the various accents.  I still have to watch with closed-captioning.  However, I think I found an anachronism when Ned and Claire said "Okay."  While 'okay' is documented as far back as the early 1800's, and of course Claire would know the word, would Ned, as an educated man, really say it back to her?  That just pulled me out of the story momentarily, wondering why he'd use the term without questioning the meaning.

I caught that too.  Whether it's technically correct or not, it felt very anachronistic.  And "as far back as the early 1800s" would still be 60-ish years after this is taking place.

[Lebanna]

I took that moment to be him misconstruing the word to be English slang, perhaps something young people were saying these days, or a local word that she had learnt when she was young in Oxfordshire. Kind of 'never heard that before, but I get your meaning and I totally agree'.

I could be projecting - since most of my life is spent speaking a second language, I do that exact same thing sometimes.

[WatchrTina]

Craig Ferguson and his guest (a Scot) just used the word "sassenach" in conversation. This pleases me.

 

ETA:  They were discussing a remote island in the north of Scotland and the slang word that would be used to describe its inhabitants (which I took to be a Scots version of "redneck") and Craig said something to the effect of "Well of course they'd call me a . . ." and his guest broke in with "A sassenach" and Craig actually got all offended saying "No!  That means Englishman!" (Craig had been going to say a slightly derogatory slang term for a resident of Glasgow.)  His guest corrected him saying "No it also means lowlander."  It was funny because earlier they had been discussing how when Craig goes back to Scotland the locals all tease him saying he's lost his accent and become an American so I think having a fellow Scot call him a "sassenach" genuinely bothered him.  And of course I just had an Outlander-gasm of pleasure at recognizing the word.

Edited September 13, 2014 by WatchrTina

[Petunia846]

Not exactly the music of Outlander, but a song that makes me think of Outlander... It's called "Come to Me" and it's by the Goo Goo Dolls. (The rest of this is going under spoilers because we're only on episode 5 of season 1 and my reasoning is based on later stuff...)

It's so perfect for Jamie and Claire that someone should make one of those fanvids with it, but not until after the show's been through all the books, because it's more perfect for them later in life, especially at least after Voyager has been done, if not after we've even seen MOBY. (Yes, I have very high hopes for the show's longevity.) If anyone else has heard that song, please tell me I'm not crazy, because I've gotten super obsessed with that song.

[WatchrTina]

Petunia846 you made me google it and I watched the official video with a big 'ole smile on my face, mentally substituting images from the show and the books and even my hopes for where the story will go next.  Loved it.

[Petunia846]

Yay! I'm not crazy. I haven't seen the actual video, just the song. I'm not sure I want to go watch it though, because I already have a lovely future Outlander imaginations video that plays in my head. Hmm... I'll see. I swear I'm not crazy.

[WatchrTina]

I will admit that when I watched episode 106, The Garrison Commander, the first time I did not notice the music at all beyond a brief "oh listen, harpsichord, that's new" during the dinner party.  It's just such an intense episode and the dialog and visuals completely overwhelmed my ability to pay attention to the music.  But I just caught the last third again and was delighted to notice the musical cue when Dougal comes to the rescue -- a light, determined fiddle line begins, signaling a shift from the English-controlled-action that came before to the Highander-controlled-action to follow.  Dougal steps up and takes charge, and the music reinforces the message that he is a person to be reckoned with and that his threat of "starting a war" is not an idle one.

 

That same fiddle line begins again as Jamie stands up after his talk with Claire and then it morphs into the same highlander theme we've heard before on a wind instrument (penny whistle?) but now it's orchestrated and much more full and it takes us into the end credits.  It reminds me of hearing about how the "Fellowship" theme was used in Lord of the Rings with new instruments added as new characters joined the group and you only ever heard it fully orchestrated when all 9 of them were together.  I loved the layering on of new instruments onto what I've come to think of as the highlander theme and I do love Bear's tactic of using different music for the end credits for each episode (as well as the last few bars of the open credits -- the ones that go over the title of the episode .)

 

I think Bear said he will do a new blog for this episode plus the next two after all three air so I look forward to hearing him talk more about this.

Edited September 16, 2014 by WatchrTina

[CatMack]

That same fiddle line begins again as Jamie stands up after his talk with Claire and then it morphs into the same highlander theme we've heard before

 

It's actually the Jamie and Claire theme.  He's used it fairly liberally, but it works for me since they're such a big part of the story.

[lucindabelle]

What a very cool thread.

I have mixed feelings about the show and its scripts but the production values and music are gorgeous. Big fan of Scottish music going back to silly wizard, back in the day.

I've always wished someone would do an adaptation of Dorothy dunnett. The Game of Kings, and do it like this,,, with all the music and filming there. The late fiddler Johnny Cunningham wished it, too. So maybe the success of this show could cause that to happen.

[Athena]

Learngaelic.net has 20 words relating to Outlander.

[Nidratime]

This is a cool little featurette, but it's about the clothes. Didn't know where to put it.

 

‏@OutlanderTVNews Featurette on the Costumes of 'Outlander': http://outlandertvnews.com/2014/09/featurette-on-the-costumes-of-outlander/
 

Edited September 17, 2014 by Nidratime

[romantique]

The music is so wonderful that when it is absent, it really stands out. I noticed how it was dead silent when BJR and Claire begin to speak after his shave in the dining room. The music kicks in once he starts describing the flogging and the music underscores the chilling scene so well. 

 

I have long been a fan of Bear's music since BSG and have his sheet music from the show (so glad they published it!) and I've already memorized the Jamie and Claire theme on the piano thanks to Bear McCreary so helpfully providing the melody lines in his blog. I'm sure we're going to hear many variations of it in The Wedding episode. Can't. Wait.

[ElectricBoogaloo]

I have renamed this topic to include "Language." The following website has some translations on the Gaelic spoken in the episodes: http://greatscotblog.com/

I found it a little tricky to locate all of the blog entries specific to Outlander on this website, so here's a link to a list of all of the episodes that they have translations for: http://greatscotblog.com/tag/how-to-speak-outlander-2/

 

Hope that's helpful!

[Meredith Quill]

Outlander Main Title Theme Lyrics (Skye Boat Song adaptation):

 

Sing me a song of a lass that is gone,
Say, could that lass be I?
Merry of soul she sailed on a day
Over the sea to Skye.

 

Billow and breeze, islands and seas,
Mountains of rain and sun,
All that was good, all that was fair,
All that was me is gone.

 

Sing me a song of a lass that is gone,
Say, could that lass be I?
Merry of soul she sailed on a day
Over the sea to Skye.

[BizBuzz]

Thanks for the SS, I was actually wondering about them.  Do you know the lyrics to the song that was sung when Claire realized this was not new, about her going through the stones?  That Jamie described for her?

[Meredith Quill]

No, I have no idea Biz sorry. Hopefully it will be included in the soundtrack when that is released?

[justmehere]

Some bagpipe music:

 

Scottish National Anthem - Flower of Scotland

 

 

 

Amazing Grace (because it must be on the pipes)

 

 

 

Of course, Scotland the Brave

 

 

 

For fun: "Dueling Pipers" from the College of Piping

 

[WatchrTina]

I just listened to the mid-season finale through headphones.  I will confess that I didn't concentrate on the music as much as I intended because the episode is just so compelling.  But I did notice a few things I loved.  I think Bear reprises the music the druid ladies danced to when Claire approaches the stones.  That is very nice -- a call-back to episode 1.  I also think he mingles the Frank theme (on cello) with the Claire-and-Jamie theme (or a wind instrument?) when both Frank and Claire are approaching the stones.  Last but not least, the end credits use the same highlander-to-the-rescue fiddle tune that I first noticed when Dougal busted into the room during The Garrison Commander.  The same tune was used at the very end of that episode as Jamie walked away (another highlander to the rescue) and then of course this episode ends with Errol Flynn, I mean Jamie coming to the rescue.

 

Bear has said he will update his blog and cover the last 3 episodes so I'm really looking forward to that.

[CatMack]

Bear's blog post is up.  He says there are no concrete details yet, but there is definitely a soundtrack in the works.  He lists a few tracks that are givens, but wants suggestions of what people would like to hear on the album. 

[Nidratime]

This amused me:

 

@OutlanderCast  ·  Sep 28 'Outlander' Cast Members Recite 'The Skye Boat Song' http://fb.me/3bMQ8ZeFk

 

[Nidratime]

Someone made alternative opening credits for some reason. No singing of the Boat Song.

 

http://outlander-online.com/2014/10/09/video-outlander-opening-credits-alternate-ending/

[ennui]

I actually watched the Outlander Yule log, with music and dogs. It would have been better if the dogs were relaxed, instead of paying attention to their trainer. Even when they were down, their eyes were open and their ears were listening.

 

I'm not sure where to ask -- do the actors actually know Gaelic, or are they speaking it phonetically? 

[WatchrTina]

ennui none of the main actors are fluent in Gaelic.  That being said, I presume they are learning it to certain degree in order to speak the lines with the correct delivery.  For example, I don't speak Spanish but I can say "come here!" and "sit down" and "what is your name" in Spanish.  So for short phrases I'm sure they have learned what the words mean and could even use them conversationally.  For longer speeches (like Jamie volunteering to take the beating for Laoghaire or Dougal's Tavern speeches) I'm assuming he's having to do a fair bit of that phonetically.   I've seen photos of the Gaelic coach holding posters of Gaelic words spelled out phonetically so they obviously use that technique sometimes.  I've also wondered if they didn't cast a few gaelic-speakers in minor roles specifically for the "Hall" scene when the various MacKenzies come to Colum for justice.  They pled their cases in Gaelic.

[Firebunny]

ennui none of the main actors are fluent in Gaelic.

 

I could be completely wrong about this (I'm completely wrong about many things), but I believe there is one main actor fluent in Gaelic and that's Caitriona Balfe.  She tweeted something about how the guys wouldn't be able to talk about her behind her back in front of her the way the highlanders do Claire.

 

I remember Sam saying at a panel that he had hoped to be fluent before the series started production, but he hadn't been able to do that.  So he's at least studying it.

[WatchrTina]

Cait is Irish and my understanding is that she speaks Irish Gaelic which is related to but not the same as Scottish Gaelic. And of course Cait has no lines in Gaelic since Claire does not speak it.

[theschnauzers]

In case you missed the article a day or so ago, and confirmed by Bear McCreary on his Twitter account, a soundtrack of season 1A will be released in early February on CD and for download by Sony's in house music label in conjunction with Bear's music label. Total length -- 51 minutes.

Edited January 15, 2015 by theschnauzers

[mizkat]

Cait is Irish and my understanding is that she speaks Irish Gaelic which is related to but not the same as Scottish Gaelic.

 

I think it's pretty close. I know two words in Irish Gaelic: chailнn donn: brown girl (actually girl brown). So when Jamie said brown haired girl in Scottish Gaelic I knew what he meant even without the context. 

 

Otherwise--I'm clueless. It's a difficult language to follow, but it sounds beautiful to my ears. 

[ulkis]

What a very cool thread.

I have mixed feelings about the show and its scripts but the production values and music are gorgeous. Big fan of Scottish music going back to silly wizard, back in the day.

I've always wished someone would do an adaptation of Dorothy dunnett. The Game of Kings, and do it like this,,, with all the music and filming there. The late fiddler Johnny Cunningham wished it, too. So maybe the success of this show could cause that to happen.

 

I came here to suggest people try Silly Wizard

 

Donald McGillavry, because the subject matter is relevant to the show:

 

 

and the Queen of Argyll because it is still one of the prettiest songs I've ever heard, both music and lyrics.

 

 

(As an aside, I wish someone would film the Lymond Chronicles too, just so I would know what the hell is going on in them, heh.)

 

I also like Capercaillie. This is a song about soldiers in the Napoleonic wars (in Gaelic, it has the lyrics in both that and English):

 

Edited April 9, 2015 by ulkis

[theschnauzers]

Good news for those who hav been waiting to hear from Bear McCreary! He's posted a blog entry about episode 1.09 "The Reckoning."

 

http://www.bearmccreary.com/#blog/blog/outlander-the-reckoning/

[DittyDotDot]

I just started watching this show and while I'm not overly enthused by the writing and not sure I'm gonna stick with it over the long haul, I wanted to pop in here to say how much I loved hearing a Bear McCreary soundtrack again. It's like this show was made solely for him to compose. Well done Mr. McCreary, well done!

[ulkis]

I just started watching this show and while I'm not overly enthused by the writing and not sure I'm gonna stick with it over the long haul, I wanted to pop in here to say how much I loved hearing a Bear McCreary soundtrack again. It's like this show was made solely for him to compose. Well done Mr. McCreary, well done!

 

Have you heard the soundtrack for Da Vinci's Demons? That's also by McCreary and it is amazing as well.

[DittyDotDot]

Have you heard the soundtrack for Da Vinci's Demons? That's also by McCreary and it is amazing as well.

 

No, I haven't watched that show yet, but it's on my very long list of things to get to. I used to skim McCreary's blog every now and again back when I was watching Caprica but haven't done so for a very long time. I also enjoyed his scores for Eureka, The Cape, and Black Sails (which was really the only thing that kept me watching that one through the whole first season). Somehow this show really feels musically special though, kinda how I felt about the work he did on Battlestar Galactica.

[bluebonnet]

Sometimes the question is "Is there a show worth watching that Bear McCreary doesn't score?"