The West Lothian Traditional Song Group
What is Sangschule?
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The West Lothian Traditional Song Group |
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What is Sangschule? |
Sangschule has over 30 members who come from all around West Lothian and the surrounding area to learn new songs and learn more about old favourites.
Anyone can start coming any time. All you need is an interest in traditional song and the desire to sing. We believe that singing is something that everyone can do - we certainly don't see any need for auditions, and there is no need at all to be able to read music. Read a historical view about the benefits of singing.
Sangschule sings songs from all over the world, some brought along by our tutors,
and many brought in by our members. Our only rule is ‘No solo songs - everyone joins in!’
Since August 2004, ten years after the group first met (originally as an group run by the then West Lothian District Council Arts Unit), Sangschule relocated back to the centre of Linlithgow - to the Burgh Halls at Linlithgow Cross (access from the Kirkgate). We have spent much of our past in various meeting rooms around the Kirkgate, down the hill from St Michael's Kirk. The original Sangschule (Song School), consisting of young church choristers from St Michael's, attended "schule" somewhere on the Kirkgate about 500 years ago.
We welcome anybody who enjoys singing with others and who is interested in learning more songs. Many of these are in the Scottish musical tradition, other come froma wide range of countries. Our sessions are a mixture, some tutored by a range of established singers, others by group members who have built up skill in teaching songs over the past few years. Our current regular tutor is Gordeanna McCulloch, and we are also enjoying working with Elaine Wallace and Sylvia McGowan of Stairheaid Gossip.
As an examle of the sort of songs we sing, here is Sangschule singing a song by Scott Murray of the Sangsters, who with his wife Anne is one of our other frequent tutors - "A Dyker's compliments to her neebors", which includes some of the insults formerly hurled by the young women of Cellardykes at the residents of neighbouring villages in the East Neuk. More songs available here.
Find out more about what sort of songs we sing by coming along.
2006 Scots Trad Music Awards
Sangschule was delighted to be nominated as one of the four finalists in the 2006 Scots Trad Music Awards “Community Project of the Year” category. (Award for the traditional music project that best serves its community.) Read more about this.
