A north-east singer, who is in contention for a prestigious national honour, has recorded a new Scots language version of a classic carol.
Iona Fyfe, from Huntly, has released In the Bleak Midwinter, which she has translated into Scots and added an extra verse, as the country gears up for the festive period at the end of an unprecedented year.
The song features Michael Biggins on piano and both of these musicians are finalists in the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year.
The 22-year-old was poised for a busy 2020 and had made plans to tour the UK, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Australia and America, but all of her live performances were cancelled due to the pandemic.
Since then, she has participated in online livestreams, developed a Patreon and worked voluntarily as communications officer for Oor Vyce, an organisation which is currently
campaigning for a Scots Language Act.
Iona, who grew up speaking Doric, has released most of her music in Scots and studied for a degree in Scots Song at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
She said: “If you hear Scots being sung, it’s most likely a folksong. In Wales, there are pop, indie, funk and rock bands all singing in the Welsh language, but the Scots Language tends to be most often tied with folk.
“In translating and recording a Scots version of the Christmas carol, In The Bleak Midwinter, I hope to promote Scots as a living breathing language that can be sung in any genre and not just a language that is attached to our folksongs.
“Michael is a brilliant musician and I’m looking forward to taking part in the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year final with him in January.”
The single is now on Bandcamp and will be available to stream and download on all platforms including iTunes and Spotify from December 24.
For more information, visit www.ionafyfe.com
