… Read Full Bio ↴Kenneth McKellar (23 June 1927 – 9 April 2010) was a Scottish tenor
Kenneth McKellar is a Scottish singer who was born in Paisley in 1927. He originally studied Forestry at Aberdeen University, after graduation working for the Scottish Forestry Commission. He later trained at the Royal College of Music as an opera singer. He did not enjoy his time with the Carl Rosa Opera Company and left them to pursue a career singing traditional Scottish songs and other works. His albums of the songs of Robert Burns (now digitised) are considered by musicologists to be definitive interpretations. In 1964 he did a tour of New Zealand. On many occasions in the 60s and 70s he appeared on the BBC TV hogmanay celebration program, alongside Jimmy Shand and Andy Stewart (musician). In 1966 BBC Television selected Kenneth to represent the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest. He sang five titles from which viewers selected A Man Without Love as the Eurovision entry. Unfortunately it was not to everyone's taste and was placed ninth in Luxembourg. On December 31st 1973, the first Scottish commercial radio station "Radio Clyde" began broadcasting to Glasgow.The first record they played was "The Song of the Clyde" by Kenneth McKellar.
McKellar died of pancreatic cancer, at the age of 82, at his daughter's home near Lake Tahoe in the United States, on 9 April 2010
Scotland The Brave
Kenneth McKellar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hear! Hear the pipes are calling,
Loudly and proudly calling,
Down thro' the glen.
There where the hills are sleeping,
Now feel the blood a-leaping,
High as the spirits of the old Highland men.
Towering in gallant fame,
Scotland my mountain hame,
High may your proud standards gloriously wave,
Land of my high endeavour,
Land of the shining river,
Land of my heart for ever,
Scotland the brave.
High in the misty Highlands,
Out by the purple islands,
Brave are the hearts that beat
Beneath Scottish skies.
Wild are the winds to meet you,
Staunch are the friends that greet you,
Kind as the love that shines from fair maiden's eyes.
Towering in gallant fame,
Scotland my mountain hame,
High may your proud standards gloriously wave,
Land of my high endeavour,
Land of the shining river,
Land of my heart for ever,
Scotland the brave.
Far off in sunlit places,
Sad are the Scottish faces,
Of sweet Scottish rain.
Where tropic skies are beaming,
Love sets the heart a-dreaming,
Longing and dreaming for the homeland again.
Towering in gallant fame,
Scotland my mountain hame,
High may your proud standards gloriously wave,
Land of my high endeavour,
Land of the shining river,
Land of my heart for ever,
Scotland the brave.
The song "Scotland the Brave" by Kenneth McKellar is a tribute to Scotland and its most iconic symbols. The lyrics are full of vivid imagery that connects the listener to the beauty of the Scottish landscape, the soul of its people, and the pride of its heritage. The first stanza sets the tone of the song by calling out to the listener to hear the bagpipes playing and the drums beating. The highlands are described as sleeping hills that come alive as the blood of the old Highland men awakens. The second stanza highlights the bravery of the Scots, who face wild winds and treacherous seas in their quest to defend their land. The lyrics speak of the loyalty of the Scottish people, who always stand by their friends and are kind to their loved ones. The third stanza is a bittersweet tribute to those Scots who have left their homeland and miss it dearly. The words describe the yearning of those who live far away from Scotland's rain and long for the homeland.
Line by Line Meaning
Hark when the night is falling
Listen for the sound as night falls
Hear! Hear the pipes are calling,
Listen! Listen to the sound of the bagpipes
Loudly and proudly calling,
The sound of the pipes is proud and loud
Down thro' the glen.
Echoing through the narrow valley
There where the hills are sleeping,
In the quiet of the sleeping hills
Now feel the blood a-leaping,
Feel your spirit stir with excitement
High as the spirits of the old Highland men.
As high as the spirits of the brave men of the Highlands in times past
Towering in gallant fame,
Standing tall and proud in glorious fame
Scotland my mountain hame,
Scotland, my home among the mountains
High may your proud standards gloriously wave,
May your flags wave with glorious pride and honor
Land of my high endeavour,
The land where I strive for greatness
Land of the shining river,
The land where the rivers sparkle and shine
Land of my heart for ever,
The land that holds my heart forever
Scotland the brave.
Scotland, the proud and courageous land.
High in the misty Highlands,
High up in the mist-covered mountains of Scotland
Out by the purple islands,
Out near the islands with their purple hues
Brave are the hearts that beat
The people of Scotland are brave and courageous
Beneath Scottish skies.
Under the skies of Scotland
Wild are the winds to meet you,
The winds of Scotland are fierce and untamed
Staunch are the friends that greet you,
The people of Scotland are loyal and true friends
Kind as the love that shines from fair maiden's eyes.
Their kindness is as sweet as the love that shines from a fair maiden's eyes.
Far off in sunlit places,
Far away in sunny lands
Sad are the Scottish faces,
The Scottish people far from home are longing and sad
Yearning to feel the kiss
Longing for the touch
Of sweet Scottish rain.
Of the sweet rain of Scotland
Where tropic skies are beaming,
Under the bright skies of the tropics
Love sets the heart a-dreaming,
Love fills the heart with dreams
Longing and dreaming for the homeland again.
Longing and dreaming to return to their Scottish homeland.
Contributed by Caden O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.