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Record Breaking Strip the Willow
Iain Ferguson
With an attempt to dance the world’s biggest Strip the Willow in aid of charity planned this month, we take a look back to previous events in Fort William High Street, including the Millennium dance with music by ‘Ceilidh King’, Fergie MacDonald.
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If you haven’t heard that true, but irritating, statement this year yet - read it here: “The nights are drawing in”. Time to reminisce about holidays and summer days.
Years ago, the congregation of MacIntosh Memorial Church sent their minister to the USA on a sabbatical. It was my privilege to accompany him. One memorable occasion involved First (Scots) Presbyterian Church in Charleston, South Carolina. He was invited to preach on their ‘Scottish Sunday’, which co-ordinated with Grandfather Mountain Highland Games. Americans do ‘Scottish’ things their own way. A tradition called ‘Kirkin o‘ the Tartans’ meant parading tartan banners down the aisles before the service.
That event came to mind when, in July, Summerville Sacred Voices, a choir from a church North of Charleston, came to Lochaber. They were touring Scotland and offered to perform a concert at Duncansburgh for Fort William Kilmallie Parish funds. With typical American generosity, they not only sang to a good turnout of supporters, but made their own donation to church funds. Beginning with a processional hymn, they included a wide variety of sacred music from classical to spirituals, ably accompanied by a local pianist. Well-rehearsed pieces were sung beautifully and sincerely. However, most moving to me were brief solo parts by two elderly men.
One had a special light attached to his musical score, presumably due to failing eyesight. Like me, as my mother would have put it, “they were showing their age”. That didn’t stop them praising God in a foreign land, like the Israelites in Babylon, as recorded in Psalm 137.8 and celebrated in song by Boney M.
By the rivers of Babylon…. ‘May I never be able to sing again if I do not remember you (Lord God) if I do not think of you as my greatest ‘joy!”(GNB)
The challenge for those “drawing in” nights- keep singing, joyfully.
