Scotland is tartan up its image
JOHN GIBSON, GEMMA
FRASER 21 Feb 2007
It has raised the roof at sports grounds the world over and even been adopted as the country's unofficial national anthem. And now, as the song that is belted out at Scottish football and rugby matches celebrates its 40th anniversary, Flower of Scotland is about to be honoured with a new tartan.
It has been created by Ronnie Browne, one half of Edinburgh-based folk group The Corries, who penned the song back in the 1960s.
Fittingly, The Corries Tartan will be launched in front of more than 50,000 Scotland football fans at Hampden Park next month.
Flower of Scotland was written by The Corries' Roy Williamson, who died from a brain tumour in 1990, and the song was first released in 1967. Since his bandmate's death, Mr Browne has sung the anthemic song on his own, leading football and rugby fans in mass sing-alongs all over the world. He will take to the pitch once again before next month's Scotland vs Georgia Euro 2008 qualifier at Hampden Park to launch his new tartan in front of the sell-out crowd - accompanied by another rousing rendition of Flower of Scotland.
Mr Browne, 69, who created The Corries Tartan
along with his son,
Gavin, said: "The public at large
will see it for the first time on March 24. "I'll be wearing a kilt made of
it at Hampden Park for Scotland's televised Euro 2008 qualifying match
with Georgia. "I'll be on the park, with the crowd following my lead as we sing the song prior to the kick-off. "I can't think of a more appropriate setting to launch the tartan. In fact, you could say the occasion is tailor-made for it.
"We couldn't ask for a better showcase.
"Gavin and I are convinced the design will be a hit. The predominating colour is blue-black and dark blue with thin red and white lines running through it."
The tartan is currently on sale on The Corries dedicated website, www.corries.com, but will soon be on sale in kilt shops throughout Scotland.
Denise Bald, owner of e-Kilts in Edinburgh's Causewayside, has already received a sample of the tartan and is impressed by the design.
The 36-year-old said: "I think it's nice and would be interested in selling it, especially as The Corries are well known. "I was a bit surprised that it was called The Corries Tartan, but I suppose that must be because there's already a tartan called Flower of Scotland.
"Anyone can have a tartan designed. They just choose colours that are applicable to them and they give them to a designer who will come up with three or four different print-outs. Once they decide which one they want, it gets registered with the Scottish Tartans Authority."
The Corries Tartan is being manufactured in Scotland's oldest woollen mill on the island of Islay. Over the next few months, travel rugs, gents' caps and ties will be available in the tartan. The original Flower of Scotland Tartan, designed by House of Edgar, was registered in 1990.
The bandmates first met at Edinburgh College of Art in the 1950s. A few years later, a member of Mr Williamson's band, the Corrie Folk Trio, dropped out shortly before an Edinburgh Festival concertand Mr Browne was drafted in.
Legend has it that the audience for the first night was only eight people but by the end of the festival it was a full house at every performance. The band went on to star in their own television show and had several top 50 albums.
Written by Roy Williamson of
"The Corries"
Although "Flower of Scotland" is not a traditional song, it has been adopted as Scotland's de facto national anthem, along with "Scotland the Brave"
O Flower of Scotland,
When will we see
Your like again,
That fought and died for,
Your wee bit Hill and Glen,
And stood against him,
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
Tae think again.
The Hills are bare now,
And Autumn leaves
lie thick and still,
O'er land that is lost now,
Which those so dearly held,
That stood against him,
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
Tae think again.
Those days are past now,
And in the past
they must remain,
But we can still rise now,
And be the nation again,
That stood against him,
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
Tae think again.
0 Flower of Scotland,
When will we see
your like again,
That fought and died for,
Your wee bit Hill and Glen,
And stood against him,
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
Tae think again.
When will we see
Your like again,
That fought and died for,
Your wee bit Hill and Glen,
And stood against him,
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
Tae think again.
The Hills are bare now,
And Autumn leaves
lie thick and still,
O'er land that is lost now,
Which those so dearly held,
That stood against him,
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
Tae think again.
Those days are past now,
And in the past
they must remain,
But we can still rise now,
And be the nation again,
That stood against him,
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
Tae think again.
0 Flower of Scotland,
When will we see
your like again,
That fought and died for,
Your wee bit Hill and Glen,
And stood against him,
Proud Edward's Army,
And sent him homeward,
Tae think again.
BBC 02 July 2006
Flower of Scotland has been named as the "people's choice" as an official national anthem after an online poll. The Royal Scottish National Orchestra asked users of its website to vote for one of five choices.
The other four contenders were Highland Cathedral, Scots Wha Hae, Scotland the Brave and A Man's a Man.
The orchestra's chairman, Tom Thomson, said: "It is the choice of the people. "We had an enormous response to this online vote."
The majority of the votes were cast from people in the UK, but there were also responses from people in the US, Canada and more remote locations like Mongolia, New Caledonia and Christmas Island.
People voted after listening to recordings of the songs being played at the Last Night of the Scottish Power Proms in Edinburgh last month.
The results of the poll were announced at the Last Night of the RSNO Proms at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall. RSNO chief executive Simon Woods said: "I am thrilled that the RSNO has been able to use its position as Scotland's national orchestra to propel forward the debate on a new national anthem for Scotland."
National debate
- First Minister Jack McConnell acknowledged earlier this year that the question of which song represents Scotland at sporting and other events may need to be resolved.
- Scots medal winners ascended the rostrum to Scotland the Brave at the Commonwealth Games, while Flower of Scotland is played at rugby and football games.
- The Scottish National Party has also called for a decision to be made on a national anthem.
- However, a Holyrood committee has dismissed the idea that the Scottish Parliament should launch a national debate.
Soaring high 01-11-06
Vettriano's Fife love song 05-12-06 Central / Fife news
Famous Scots 29-11-06