Sheila, Belle and Jane Turriff. Photo: Alistair Chafer “…Where would Sheila Stewart the ballad singing Scottish Traveller, Traditional Singer and Storyteller tradition in Scotland 1935 - 2014 be today without the unbroken continuity by Pete Shepheard of tradition passed on to us by Sheila and other members of Scotland’s ancient Traveller community…” “…one of Scotland’s finest traditional singers, inheriting The family was first brought to When berry time comes roond look for the Stewarts who rented Traveller lore and balladry from all light by Blairgowrie journalist each year, Blair’s population’s berry fields at the Standing Stones sides of her family, and learning a rich oral culture Maurice Fleming in 1954 following swellin, at Essendy. So he cycled up to songs from her mother, some of a chance meeting with folklorist There’s every kind o picker there Essendy and it was Sheila Stewart the most interesting, and oldest, of songs, ballads Hamish Henderson in Edinburgh. and every kind o dwellin; he met (just 18 years old at the songs in her repertoire came from Discovering that Hamish had There’s tents and huts and time) who immediately said she Belle’s brother, her uncle, Donald caravans, there’s bothies and and folk tales that recently been appointed as a knew the song and told Maurice MacGregor, who carefully taught there’s bivvies, research fellow at the School it had been written by her mother her the ballads. Donald could had survived as And shelters made wi tattie-bags Belle. Maurice reported the of Scottish Studies, Maurice neither read nor write, but was an and dug-outs made wi divvies. news back to Hamish and, with enthused about the weekly BBC exacting teacher when it came to a living tradition recording equipment brought from Radio Programme, As I Roved songs and he would not let her There’s travellers fae the Western Edinburgh, the rich repertoire of Out, presented by Peter Kennedy sing a ballad in front of the family among the Scottish Isles, fae Arran, Mull and Skye, songs was soon filling up the reels with field recordings of English until she had it the way he wanted. Fae Harris, Lewis and Kyles o of tape. The recordings made that What became Sheila’s most traditional singers, and wondered Bute, they come their luck to try; Travellers…” June and July and the following famous ballad was one of those whether a similar programme Fae Inverness and Aberdeen, fae summer of 1955 were then issued taught her by Donald – The Twa could be produced in Scotland. Stornoway and Wick, on an LP, Songs And Music From Brothers: Hamish had already discovered Aa flock to Blair at the berry time, The Berryfields Of Blair (Prestige the wealth of traditional balladry the straws and rasps to pick. International 25016) produced by Two pretty boys were going tae the held by the Scottish Traveller Kenneth Goldstein in the USA. In school, community and, a year earlier in The full song can be heard as the sleeve notes Hamish makes And one evening comin home; 1953, Hamish had been led to sung by Belle at the Kinross what has become a famous quote Photo courtesy of Topic Records Photo courtesy of Topic Said William tae John, “Can you the door of Jeannie Robertson Festival in 1972 (recorded by about the rich tradition of the throw a stone, in Aberdeen to discover a singer Peter R Cooke for the School of Scottish Travellers that “recording Or can you play at a ball, who exceeded all his expectations Scottish Studies) on the Tobar an in the berryfields was like holding Or can you play at a ball?” and who he considered as the Dualchais / Kist O Riches website. a tin-can under the Niagara Falls.” Sheila Stewart, who died in on the folk scene in Scotland and her songs and Scottish ballads. most outstanding discovery of Said William tae John, “I cannot December aged 79, was one England, in Europe and the United In 1982, Sheila was chosen the century. For Hamish, who When Hamish and Maurice met Sheila was five when she learnt in Edinburgh, it was already throw a stone, of Scotland’s finest traditional States. to represent underprivileged had been brought up in the her first song and her singing June and the Travellers would Or little can I play at a ball; singers, inheriting a rich oral communities in Scotland and Perthshire glens, Blairgowrie was became a regular feature of be gathering in Blairgowrie so, family gatherings. When Maurice But if you come tae yon merry culture of songs, ballads and In 1976, Sheila was invited to sing for Pope John Paul II in home territory. He had recently folk tales that had survived as a discovering Maurice Fleming’s Fleming first visited the family he green woods perform at the United States front of more than 350,000 recorded a song, The Berryfields living tradition among the Scottish enthusiasm and that he was a remembered Sheila had her own I’ll try you a wrestling fall, bicentennial celebrations in people in Bellahouston Park, Of Blair, from John MacDonald, Travellers. Last of the famous Blairgowrie man, he gave Maurice notebook of songs and that she I’ll try you a wrestling fall.” Washington, DC, where she Glasgow, where her performance the ‘Singing Molecatcher’ of Perthshire Traveller family, The a list of songs to look for and, in was quite clear which songs were met the Queen and the Duke of Ewan MacColl’s song about Pitgaveny in Morayshire – a Stewarts of Blair, her father Alex particular, suggested he try to the ones she sang and which So they come doun tae yon merry of Edinburgh who expressed Travellers, The Moving-On Song, Stewart, piper and storyteller, song that celebrated the annual discover who had composed the were those sung by her mother green woods, disappointment at not hearing her was a triumph. The next day, the matriarch Belle Stewart and her berrypicking when Travellers from Berryfields Of Blair song. and sister Cathie. It was only after Beneath the spreading moon; sing. Several hours later, she was newspaper reported that only two two daughters, Sheila and Cathie, far and wide gathered in the area both her sister and her mother And the little penknife slipped out whisked off to the White House things silenced the crowd – the were welcomed by the folk revival to pick the harvest of strawberries Returning the next day to Blair, Belle had passed on that she of William’s pocket, of the 1960s and the family where President Gerald Ford, the arrival of the Pope and Sheila’s and raspberries. In the words of Maurice asked among the added some of ‘their’ songs to her And gave John his deadly wound, became well-known performers Queen and Prince Philip enjoyed singing. the song: Travellers and was told he should repertoire. Although steeped in And gave John his deadly wound. The Living Tradition - Page 10 The Living Tradition - Page 11 The full ballad can be heard sung by Sheila (as recorded by Peter R Cooke at Blairgowrie Festival in 1970) on the Tobar an Dualchais / Kist O Riches website. A notable characteristic of Sheila’s style was what the “…only two things family described as “having the conyach” (from the Gaelic silenced the crowd caoineach, weeping or keening) – the gift for conveying the – the arrival of the emotional feeling of a ballad that Hamish compared to the Pope and Sheila’s “duende” of Andalucian flamenco song – which was evident in her singing…” execution of many of her songs and notably in the ballad of The Twa Brothers taught by her uncle, Donald. Sheila was born on 7 July 1935 in Subscribe to the leading a stable behind the Angus Hotel at Blairgowrie, Perthshire, after Records Photo courtesy of Topic an argument between her mother and grandmother had rendered her parents homeless. Her mother Traditional Music magazine Belle had been born in a tent musicologists from the USA and festival continuing for a further four without the unbroken continuity of beside the Tay and the family was by young folk singers from far and years before moving to Kinross. tradition passed on to us by Sheila NEWS, REVIEWS AND INFORMATION FROM THE WORLD OF TRADITIONAL MUSIC NEWS, REVIEWS AND INFORMATION FROM THE WORLD OF TRADITIONAL MUSIC accustomed to the Traveller way wide. I remember one occasion and other members of Scotland’s UK £3.25 • EUROPE €5 • USA $7 • CANADA $7 UK £3.25 • EUROPE €5 • USA $7 • CANADA $7 of life, surviving through hawking, NEWS, REVIEWS AND INFORMATION FROM THE WORLD OF TRADITIONAL MUSIC NEWS, REVIEWS AND INFORMATION FROM THE WORLD OF TRADITIONAL MUSIC in 1963 when visiting Alex and Sheila’s mother Belle, who died ancient Traveller community. I UK £3.25 • EUROPE €5 • USA $7 • CANADA $7 UK £3.25 • EUROPE €5 • USA $7 • CANADA $7 besom-making and seasonal Belle’s house we were welcomed in 1997, was awarded the British well remember how she won the farm work. Her father Alex dealt “ben the hoose” and soon there Empire Medal for services to traditional singing cup at the very ISSUE 102 ISSUE 104 in scrap metal and took seasonal was a gathering with Sheila and traditional music and Sheila first TMSA competitions held ISSUE 103 farm work but his great pleasure Cathie and the grandchildren was honoured with an MBE in during the Blairgowrie Festival of ISSUE 105 was fresh-water pearl fishing with songs all around and Alex 2006. The Stewarts of Blair were 1969 – so setting the standard for and piping – often busking at the telling some wonderful ancient, made Honorary Members of other singers to follow – with her Devil’s Elbow in the summer time supernatural folk tales.