Eilean Dorcha - Dark Island
Faclan le David Silver

The island of Benbecula was the inspiration for the emotive song The Dark Island. Written by David Silver of Inverness, the musician - journalist, who wrote the words, and was asked to write a song for a BBC Thriller called "The Dark Island", filmed here in Benbecula. He reveals how the quiet, lonely place was in mind for the number, and the words were set to music by the accomplished accordionist Ian Maclachlan from Creagorry. The tune has become a classic since it was first sung in 1963. There are more than 50 different recordings by Scot's, among them; Ann-Lorne Gillis, Peter Morrison and Kenneth Mackellar although fittingly the recording which gets most airing on radio is by Silver/Maclachlan on accordion.

The Dark Island Hotel opened on June 30th, 1981 originally for many years a small restaurant. This transformation developed through the years to its present 4 crown, Taste of Scotland, Les Routier status.

Why not read through the Dark Island words and reflect on the writers lyrics as follows:

1	Away to the west ward I'm longing to be,
	Where the beauties of heaven unfold by the sea
	Where the sweet purple heather blooms fragrant and free
	On a hilltop high above  - The Dark Island

Chorus	Oh, isle of my childhood, I'm dreaming of thee,
	As the steamer leaves Oban and passes Tiree
	Soon I'll capture the magic that lingers for me
	When I'm back once more upon  - The Dark Island

2	So Gentle the sea breeze that ripples the bay
	Where the stream joins the ocean and young children play
	On the strand of pure silver I'll welcome each day
	And I'll roam forever more  - The Dark Island

3	True Gems of the Hebrides bathed in the light
	Of the mid-summer dawning that follows the night
	How I yearn for the cries of the seagull in flight
	As they circle high above  - The Dark Island

In Gaelic:

1	Air mo thùrus do'n iar 's ann bu mhiannach a bhi
	Far bheil àilleachd nan Néimh dol fo sgéith 'sa chuan sios
	Fraoch dearg 's e fo bhlàth fàile cùbhraidh cho saor
	Air a' bheinn ud is àird 'san Eilean Dorcha

1-alt	An mo thùras don iar 's leam bu mhiannach a bhi
	Far bheil àilleachd nan eathar dol fo sgéith sa chuan sios,
	Creag Dhearg 's e fo bhlàth faileadh cùbhraidh cho saor
	Air a' bheinn ud as àird 'san Eilean Dorcha.


Séist	Eilean òige mo ghràidh 's tu tha tàladh mo chridh'
	Is mi seòladh bhon Obain 's a dol seachad Tiridh,
	Bi mi glacadh a dh'aithghearr gach mais a tha 'gam dhith
	'S bi mi fhìn air ais a-rithist 'san Eilean Dorcha.

Alt	Eilean òige mo ghràidh 's tu tha tàladh mo chridh'
	'S mi seòladh bhon Obain gu eilean bòidheach Thiridh,
	Bi mi glacadh air oidhche gach mais a tha 'gam dhith
	'S bi mi fhìn air ais a-rithist 'san Eilean Dorcha.

2	Gaoth na mara cho séimh séideach reidh staigh don bhaigh
	Far bheil sruth dol don chuan clann suaimhneach le'n gàir',
	Air an traigh gheal mar airgead bi mi falbh oirr' gach là
	'S bi mi fhìn air ais a-rithist 'san Eilean Dorcha.

3	Fior àilleagan e measg gach cearn 'san taobh siar
	Anns a mhoch mhaduinn thràth 's e ri dearrsadh 'sa ghrian:
	Eòin na mara ri seinn 'sa toirt sòlas dom' chridh'
	'S iad ag itealachd gu h-àrd 'san Eilean Dorcha.

Date:         Sat, 9 Mar 91 12:30:15 EST
From:         Craig Cockburn
Subject:      An t-Eilean Dorcha / The Dark Island


Here are the Gaelic words to 'The Dark Island', this translation done
by Iain Aonghas MacLeòid (John Angus Macleod). John Angus won the bardic
crown at the Mod in Stirling in 1971 and this is taken from his book:
Na Freumhan Thug Dhomh Cothrom Fàs. The book also contains Gaelic versions
of Flower of Scotland, The first time I ever saw your face, A red red
rose, Bridge over Troubled water, Mull of Kintyre, Isle of Arran
as well as many others he has written himself. He's said it's OK for
me to post this here.


An t-Eilean Dorcha

Air taobh thall a' chuain seo bu mhiann leam bhith 'n dràsd',
far eil smuaintean an àit' ud gham tharraing gach là,
far eil fraoch cùbhraidh àlainn air beanntan a' fàs
tha dìreadh àrd, àrd os cionn an Eilean Dhorcha.

Sèisd (chorus)

  O Eilein bhig m'òige, 's ann riut tha mo mhiann,
  sinn a' fàgail tìr-mòr 's a' cur cùrs' chun an Iar;
  gheibh mi sòlas an anam nach d'fhairich mi riamh
  on a' chiad latha dh'fhàg mi 'n t-Eilean Dorcha.

On chuan thig an oiteag cho socair don òb,
a' cur fàilt' air an allt ruith gu tràigh bhuidhe òir,
far an cluinn mi gach là aighear 's gàir' aig clann òg -
's e mo bhòid a chaoidh nach fhag mi 'n t-Eilean Dorcha.

O sheud Innse Gall, tha thu sealltainn do luach
ri boillsgeadh grèin samhraidh chuir oidhche gu ruaing;
's truagh nach robh mi mar fhaoileig a' saor-shiubhal cuain -
gura luath bhithinn taobh ri m'Eilean Dorcha.

John Angus also runs the Gàidhlig aig deas group - Scottish Gaelic in the south. For more info on GAD or a copy of any of his books, you can contact him at:
 
5 Berkeley Crescent,
Lydney, Gloucestershire,
GL15 5SH.
 
If you do write to him, it would be useful if you could mention my name - I'm trying to persuade John Angus to get onto the computer network and this might be an interesting exercise in showing him the value of being on the network when it comes to spreading Gaelic news.

Jeri Tune Req: The Dark Isle. Anyone know? 27-Oct-99

Lyrics to one version at: http://tubular.net/lyrics/Voyager.html

Or you can buy the CD of the author playing his own tune at http://www.springthyme.co.uk/albums1/22.html From that page:

"Iain never travelled much outside the Highlands, but he achieved worldwide fame as composer of the beautiful melody The Dark Island. Originally composed in 1958 as a pipe lament for a local doctor under the title Dr. Mackay's Farewell to Creagorry, the tune achieved widespread popularity after it was later used by the BBC as the theme music for the TV series 'The Dark Island' filmed on Uist in 1963. Words were added by the writer and producer David Silver and since then the tune has been recorded by more than a 100 different artistes and bands worldwide. No-one played the tune better than Iain himself, first as a pipe lament and then in waltz time."

 UserName      ThreadName            Subject                Posted 

 GUEST,rossey  Lyr Req: Dark Island  DARK ISLAND - Origin   01-Jul-01




     This  is  not the one your looking for but - my late father Stewart
     Ross  (1929-1993)  of  Inverness,Scotland - wrote a very well known
     version  of  the song in 1963, afer being assured that the tune was
     traditional.  It  was published on sheet msuic and record, where he
     was formally registered as the author of the lyric alone.


     There  is  a  very  long  story  involved, the tune had two earlier
     titles  before  becoming  known  as  dark Island for the tv series.
     Disputes  arose  over  the  origin  of the tune, and the two larger
     selling  vocal  versions.  This  situation  has  never  been  fully
     resolved  and  there  are  rights and wrongs on both sides - as the
     publishers exploited both versions of the song at the time, without
     payment and crediited to the wrong author. Catch 22, to be credited
     today  artists and record companies have to know whose version they
     are  using  in  the  first place - and not put it down as the other
     version. Back in the 60's and 70's, the record company, artists,and
     publishers  knew  whose  version  they were using (and I have legal
     papers which prove it).


     My father did win one court case in Scotland against a small record
     company for the use of the lyric. But the whole thing became a mess
     when the larger record company PYE became defunct.


     The  Ross  version  has  appeared  on  over  40 albums, singles, Tv
     advertised  samplers etc. The Silver version is now the most widely
     used  and  recorded - but the ghost versions always come back. Both
     of  these lyrics were written within one month each other. the Ross
     version was the first set to be published. The Mudcat site however,
     has  planted  a  bit of a timebomb for my family by including it on
     their  Digi  site without credit, or permission - and with misheard
     lyrics which do not scan, and don't do it any justice.
 


     There  were at least 4 English lyrics that I know of written in the
     60's  to  versions  of the tune, each have different properties and
     suit singers in various ways. The Ross words were written to a very
     different  version  of  the  tune and are not a straight fit to the
     accordian tune.
 

     My  father  went on to write other less probelmatic copyright works
     where he wrote both words and music. Mostly he wrote in the country
     music  vein  -  and  Scottish/Irish  emigration  songs. "'My Bonnie
     Maureen'  is  one really nice song recorded by Daniel o' Donnell on
     platinum  selling  'from  the  Heart'. Another, 'Here's to Scottish
     Whisky'  has  become  very  big on Scottish samplers, - but nothing
     eclipses  the  sales of his version of 'dark island' at its peak in
     the 60's and 70's.

The above comes from :

Dark Island Origins

[1]The Mudcat Cafeé UserName ThreadName Subject Posted GUEST Lyr Req:Dark Island Dark Island - Origin Followup 02-Jul-01 I've been trying to avoid getting dragged into debates about quality of lyrics etc. The whole subject is very painful to my family as my father was very systemtatically ripped off by various parties when it became apparent that his lyrios and arrangment were proving popular. Points to note. There were no other words to the tune before my father's were written. David silver wrote a set of lyrics in response to my father's appearing first - and has been paid and very usually credited for both lyrical versions. It was written as a Scottish song, for his use in bandwork. It was a highland song, written by a highlander in that style, back in 1963 - without any thought of it escaping to foreign terriories (England and Irelamd) It was his first attempt at songwriting and not high art. The tune had been played on the Scottish music circuit before being formally copyrighted and had earlier titles including Dr. Mackay's Farewell To Creagorry and Dr. Mcinnes's farewell to South Uist. Then words were copyrighted separately to the music. There was no knowledge of any copyright in the music - and no computerised registration system to cross-reference. Stewart Ross was not a direct member of organsiations until later. He left checking the tune copyright in the hands of his publisher, who had assured him of the trad. story and who registered the lyrics with the prs. They were the first ever to be registered (one month before Silver's) . When it became clear that the tune's traditional origins were being disputed it was agreed to withdraw it as long as the words would not be used again. This agreement was broken and the publishers and Silver exploited both versions under the one registration as it had become very popular and considerable record sales, performance and tv fees were made - and paid out to the other parties. When put under pressure by newspaper stories, the publishers agreed to send a contract - so that the msuic and words could be united. They went back on this agreement. After more pressure when my father won a legal case they issued a contract, whih should have united words and music officaily. They breached the agreement, but obtained the right of payment. The right to be identified as author is still there - but very difficult to establish. The MCPS need the publishers to fill in a form so that they can unite the words and music on their registration system. David Silver refuses to allow the forms to be filled in. He is understandably and rightly proud of his own version. He still is getting payement from both versions. The late Ian maclachlan who was something of a fall guy in all this`, was never actually involved in the dispute. The contract we have with Westminster Music states Silver to be the party reposnisble for copyright in both writing music arrangement and words of his version. Silver may well have bought out Maclachlan's share. Either that or something peculiar has gone on with the publishers own contract drawing dept The performing rights were never transferred, and remain registered to Stewart Ross, but cannot be paid out until another agreement is reached over the music. They will not do so - as the Prs/MCPS have a clause which states that there is a minimum writers share on the work if they fill in the forms. So why bother? The words still constitute a separate legal copyright work and should be morally acknowledged under 1988 statutes as it is an asserted historical fact they were written by my father - and registered by PRS though inactive in their payment system. Due to the music problem. The costs in all parties going to the high court are far too great. And so its all a mess.

Above Text is from:

Followup

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