Tobar an Dualchais

Heritage
Sleat, Teangue, Isle of Skye, GB
FUNDED

Tobar an Dualchais ('Well of Heritage' in Scottish Gaelic) - also known as Kist o Riches in the Scots language - is an exciting project to make available online a vast collection of sound recordings from Scottish folklore and folklife archives, including many from open reels and wax cylinders. By digitising and cataloguing this material, our ultimate aim is to make thousands of hours of audio available to the public for free through our website.

Calum MacLean recordings Charlie Douglas, Kirk Yetholm, early 1950s. © School of Scottish Studies These recordings, some of which were collected as far back as the 1930s, detail the lives of ordinary people across the length and breadth of Scotland, from the Borders in the south, to the northern isles of Orkney and Shetland, and from the fishing and farming communities of the east coast, to the Outer Hebrides in the far west. In addition to being a hugely valuable cultural resource, these recordings are also an important linguistic asset, as they document the many dialects of the Gaelic and Scots languages.

The majority of the recordings come from the Sound Archive of the School of Scottish Studies at the University of Edinburgh, which has been collecting in the field since the early 1950s. Folklorists and scholars from the School have built up one of the world's most important cultural archives, containing many tens of thousands of traditional songs, tunes, tales, rhymes, charms, proverbs, instrumental music on fiddle and bagpipe, as well as important accounts of traditional customs and beliefs, with information on everything from weather lore to second sight, and much more. There are also invaluable descriptions of working life, and important recollections which today would be described as oral history.

Another important audio collection made available through Tobar an Dualchais is the Canna Collection, originally compiled by John Lorne Campbell of Canna from the 1930s to the 1960s, and now administered by the National Trust for Scotland. The Canna Collection focusses on the enormous wealth of folksongs and tales found in the Inner and Outer Hebrides of Scotland - the heartland of Gaelic culture.

Our team at Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches consists of highly-skilled experts, working hard to make these recordings available to the public for the common good. We have already placed thousands of tracks online, and aim to add to that number in months and years to come. However, our main funding came to an end in 2010, and we still have many more thousands of hours of material from the School of Scottish Studies and Canna collections to catalogue and put online.

To this end, we are reaching out to the public to help us make more of this wonderful material available. By donating to our project, you will be helping to secure Scotland's wonderful cultural heritage. Every donation will make a real difference, and if we meet our funding target of £25,000, we will be able to add at least another 500 tracks to our website.

The exclusive rewards on offer for donors (see right) are an excellent opportunity to sample some of the best in Scottish traditional culture. Donors can also nominate another person to receive their chosen reward - which makes them ideal as gifts!

Donations can also be made without selecting a reward - simply click on 'Back this project' at the top-right of the screen, and choose 'No Reward' - you can adjust how much you would like to donate thereafter, with no set liimit on the donation amount.

Donations can also be made directly by sending cheques made out to 'Tobar an Dualchais' to: Tobar an Dualchais, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Sleat, Isle of Skye, IV44 8RQ. Please make sure to include your address and full contact details.

N.B. While donations made by cheque are elgible for the corresponding reward(s) listed on this page, cheques must be received within the duration of the online campaign (or postmarked before the end date). Donors should also be aware that some of the larger donations may no longer be available by the time cheques are received due to the limited numbers of those rewards; in such instances, donors will be offered an alternative reward, or their cheques will be returned, if preferred.

www.tobarandualchais.co.uk / www.kistoriches.co.uk

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Other links:

Canna House Archive
School of Scottish Studies Archives
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
Julie Fowlis / Chris Wright
National Trust for Scotland

Find more info. on our past funders and sponsors here.

Photo credits: School of Scottish Studies
 
Video credits: video production by Alistair MacKay, presented by Julie Fowlis and Chris Wright, funded by Creative Scotland. All audio and images used in the video are courtesy and copyright of the School of Scottish Studies and contributors' families.
 
Tobar an Dualchais would like to thank the following organisations and sponsors for their kind assistance and generosity:
 
National Trust for Scotland
 
 
Birnam CD
 
Creative Scotland
 
Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland
School of Scottish Studies
 
 
Gallery: 
Downloads: 
Campaign Press Release (English)
Campaign Press Release (Gaelic)

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GBP £5,942
24% raised of our GBP £25,000 goal
This project ended on Sunday, Dec 15th - 23:59

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Friend of Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches

£5.00 or more : Become a 'Friend of Tobar an Dualchais' - your name will be acknowledged on our website as a supporter of our project (or omitted as desired). N.B. All higher-value donations also earn this reward.

 

Special Limited Release MP3s by Julie Fowlis and Chris Wright

£10.00 or more : A limited edition set of twin recordings by traditional musicians Julie Fowlis and Chris Wright (our Gaelic and Scots Artists in Residence, respectively), issued as two special release MP3s. These tracks will feature Julie and Chris performing two songs learned from our archival collections. N.B. We aim to issue this reward within three months of the end of the campaign; the MP3s will be sent electronically to the e-mail address specified upon your donation.

 

Limited Edition EP Album (CD) feat. Julie Fowlis and Chris Wright

£25.00 or more : A limited edition EP album featuring Julie Fowlis, Chris Wright and friends performing songs learned from Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o Riches. N.B. This reward will be issued within six months of the end of the campaign.

 

Limited Edition Collection of Essays (+ EP Album)

£50.00 or more : A special collection of essays from some of Scotland's most celebrated folklorists and folk musicians, providing unique insights into the people and traditions contained in our archives. NB: This reward will be issued within six months of the end of the campaign. This reward also includes a copy of the EP album described in the previous category.

 

Limited Edition Wall Calendar (+ EP Album + Essays)

£75.00 or more : A specially released wall calendar for 2014, featuring images from the photographic archives of the School of Scottish Studies. N.B. This reward will be issued shortly after the end of the campaign, and we expect most donors to receive their calendars by the start of January 2014. This reward category also includes a copy of the EP Album and Essay Collection listed in the categories above (issued separately).

 

One Year Membership of the National Trust for Scotland (+ EP Album + Essay Collection + Wall Calendar)

£100.00 or more : An excellent opportunity to support the preservation of Scotland's heritage through a one year membership of the National Trust for Scotland (www.nts.org.uk/). This reward category also includes a copy of the EP Album, Essay Collection and Wall Calendar listed in the categories above (issued separately). N.B. Membership of NTS under this offer will cover the period Jan.-Dec. 2014.

 

Five-Day Short Course at the Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

£150.00 or more : Choose from a range of five-day Easter/Summer/Autumn short courses at the Sabhal Mòr Ostaig college in Sleat, Isle of Skye (tinyurl.com/m4uyc2h). Available courses include Gaelic language (all levels, including beginner), traditional music, Gaelic song, photography, art and other heritage-related subjects (normal cost £200). Terms: Subject to availability. Must be redeemed within one calendar year of the end of the campaign (i.e. in 2014). Does not include travel or accommodation. N.B. This offer cannot be used in connection with the Alasdair Fraser Fiddle Camp.

 

Lifetime Membership of the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland (TMSA) + Selection of five TMSA CD Albums

£300.00 or more : Become a Lifetime Member of the Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland (www.tmsa.org.uk/), which helps foster and promote Scotland's unique musical traditions. In addition, the recipients of this reward will also receive a selection of five CDs from the TMSA's own catalogue.

 

Fantastic Three-Night Break on Skye

£500.00 or more : A fabulous three-night break for two on the Isle of Skye, staying in the Penthouse Suite at the Sabhal Mor Ostaig college, which offers spectacular views over the Sound of Sleat to the remote Knoydart Peninsula and southwards to Ardnamurchan. Included in this package are a number of meals for two at local establishments and hotels. N.B. This reward is to be redeemed within one calendar year of the end of the campaign (i.e. in 2014); dates subject to availability. This reward does not include travel costs. Contact us in advance if you require more info.

 

Exclusive House Concert with Donnie Munro

£1,000.00 or more : An exclusive house concert on the Isle of Skye for up to ten guests, featuring celebrated Gaelic singer Donnie Murno, of Runrig fame (www.donniemunro.co.uk). N.B. This reward is to be redeemed within one calendar year of the end of the campaign (i.e. in 2014); date to be mutually agreed between the parties. This reward does not include travel or accommodation.

 

Private House Concert with Julie Fowlis

£2,000.00 or more : A fantastic and unique opportunity to have your very own personal concert with Gaelic singer and rising star, Julie Fowlis (www.juliefowlis.com). N.B. This reward is to be redeemed within one calendar year of the end of the campaign (i.e. in 2014); concert date and location (within Scotland) to be mutually agreed between the parties. All artist costs included. Please contact us in advance for more info and to agree and confirm details before purchasing this reward.

 

Commission a Special Composition by Renowned Piper Gary West

£3,000.00 or more : The recipient of this reward will commission a special piece of music from Gary West, one of the world's most renowned bagpipers and authorities on bagpipe music (www.garywest.co.uk); in addition to his international reputation as a performer, Gary is also a senior lecturer in Scottish Ethnology at the School of Scottish Studies, as well as an experienced broadcaster and author (tinyurl.com/lry9pmf). The reward recipient will agree a subject or dedication for the composition with Gary, and will receive both a recording and framed copy of the score. These will be issued within six months of the end of the campaign.