Ghaists is the second single from Glasgow-based artist Seán Gray, released on Friday, 13th August.
The heartfelt single was written by Rab Wilson, one of Scotland’s most accomplished poets, and is inspired by the abandoned mining village of Benwhat in East Ayrshire.
Seán writes and performs his material in Lallans Scots, which he grew up speaking in the village of Colyton in Ayrshire. The Scottish language was recently added to Spotify’s list of recognised languages after a sustained campaign and Seán is proud to showcase his native tongue in his work.
A sought-after session musician, Seán has spent most of the past decade playing with the award-winning Paul McKenna Band who were cited by New York Times as “The best folk band to have come out of Scotland in the last twenty years”. The artist has played with a variety of high-profile acts across the world including The Outside Track, Shane Cook, Caroline Keane & Tom Delany and The Treacherous Orchestra.
He has been collaborating with noted poet Rab Wilson since 2017, when he was commissioned to write a piece of music inspired by the legacy of Ayrshire’s mines for Celtic Connections’ New Voices concert series.
Ghaists (Scots for Ghosts) follows on from this creative partnership and sees Seán adapt Rab’s poem of the same name, inspired by the once thriving Ayrshire mining village of Benwhat that has been left derelict since 1952. It is his second solo single, following the release of The Great Stariski – a single also inspired by Ayrshire’s rich mining history.
Seán said: “When I first contacted Rab, he sent me a huge amount of his poems mainly on the subject Ayrshire coal mining and I was immediately drawn to Ghaists. I think it is of great importance that the people who worked and lived in villages such as Benwhat are remembered.
“The song strikes a nostalgic tone, paying tribute to an almost forgotten way of life and I hope are people are transported there when they listen to the track."
lyrics
Ghaists - Rab Wilson
Here, oan this blastit hillside, stuid Benwhat,
Whaur haurdy men aince mined the Ironstane,
Till it ran oot – an then they mined fir coal.
Seen frae the heichts it’s lyk some Machu-Picchu;
Weird plateaus an mounds define the grunnd,
Strange promontory’s grassed ower nou wi green,
As natuir slowly hains back whit’s her ain.
Ower-sheddaed by the mammoth Opencasts,
The spoil-heaps o Benwhat are shilpit things;
Worm-casts beside some giant moudie-hillocks.
That lane brick wa they say wis aince the schuil,
Ah stoop tae lift a waithert block o cley,
‘Dalmellington Iron Company’, it reads;
The faded legend o some lang loast empire.
There’s naethin left o douce, trig miner’s raws,
Whaes cobbles rang wi soun o cleek n’ girr,
Or scrape o tackets, thud o leather club,
The flap an whirr o racin pigeons wings,
White-peenied weemin clashin ower the dyke;
Whaur yae road taen ye in, an taen ye oot.
Thon aiblins wis ‘The Sacred Way’ fir some,
Wha laucht an daffed alang it as they left –
When Ne’erday cam, their friens turnt doun a gless.
There’s naethin here nou, naethin here but ghaists,
Heich oan the hill the stairk memorial stauns,
A souch o back-end wuin blaws snell an keen,
Throu brucken iron railins, whaur it steirs
The tattert remnants o a poppy wreath.
credits
released August 13, 2021
Music - Seán Gray
Lyrics - Rab Wilson
Recording and Mixing - Joe Rattray
Additional Recording - Seán Gray
Mastering - Chris Waite
Seán Gray - Vocals, Guitar, Flute, Whistle
Joe Rattray (Admiral Fallow) - Bass Guitar
Stuart Brown (Blue Rose Code, MNDMTH, Herschel 36) - Drums
Craig McMahon (Fat-Suit) - Trombone
Primarily recognised as session musician, and former member of the Paul McKenna Band, Seán’s ambition to launch a solo
career was first fully harnessed when he began collaborating with Scots poet Rab Wilson who has a shared passion for Ayrshire’s mining history....more
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