Mark Pentleton

There’s really only one song a Scot could play on Hogmanay: Auld Lang Syne. Our national poet Robert Burns wrote the poem in 1788 and along with the traditional tune known as Roud, it has become the traditional song of the New Year. Many versions of the song exist in many languages. Last year students [...]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Today is St Andrew’s day, a day of celebration here in Scotland, although the weather is somewhat curtailing the celebrations with snow covering most of the country! Flower of Scotland has become something of an unofficial national anthem since it was written in 1967 by Roy Williamson of the Corries. When the Scottish National Orchestra [...]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

I’ve always really liked this song. This may explain the extended version I’ve recorded in which I lost count of the number of modulations! It was recorded by Paul McCartney/Wings in 1977 and was the Christmas no.1 that year. McCartney had a recording studio situation on the Mull of Kintyre in Argyll & Bute and [...]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

This morning Pope Benedict XVI will arrive in Scotland to begin a historic visit to the UK. I was trying to think of something appropriately Scottish to play and I’ve just seen Siân Williams from the BBC reporting from Edinburgh’s Princes Street where the Papal procession will take place later. In the background the pipe [...]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

Today’s song is the traditional Scottish song The Skye Boat Song dating from the 1870s. It recalls the escape of Bonnie Prince Charlie from Uist to the Isle of Skye after his defeat at the Battle of Culloden in 1746. I’ve done something a bit different with the song, building on the pentatonic verse, and [...]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

This final entry in January’s 365song collection is the beautiful Dougie MacLean song, Caledonia, and it’s dedicated to Andy Murray who will take on Roger Federer in the Australian Open starting at 8:30 GMT tomorrow morning. I’m publishing this a few hours early to help inspire Andy, although I guess he’ll have other things on [...]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

On this, our national poet’s day, I’ve decided to play my favourite Burns song, Ae Fond Kiss. When Burns settled down to married life with Jean Armour, he still had a strong affection for the woman he called Clarinda, Agnes M’Lehose. As she was about to set sail for Jamaica, Burns sent her this song. [...]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

It had to happen sooner or later… today marks the debut of my accordion on 365 Songs! I bought myself an accordion last April and have been enjoying teaching myself to play it. When I was recording some Scottish songs for this week I decided that it may be nice to do an arrangement of [...]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.

On Monday here in Scotland we celebrate Burns’ Day, 251 years after his birth. All across Scotland people will be attending Burns Suppers and celebrating ‘Scottishness’. Tonight we’re off to a ceilidh so I thought I’d make this weekend a bit of a “Scottish special”, starting today with one of my favourite Scottish songs, Wild [...]

Audio clip: Adobe Flash Player (version 9 or above) is required to play this audio clip. Download the latest version here. You also need to have JavaScript enabled in your browser.