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04/29/2013 |
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Farewell to Govan
Phil
Cunningham
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Govan
(Baile a' Ghobhainn in Gaelic) is a district and former
burgh in the southwestern part of the City of Glasgow, Scotland.
It is situated on the south bank of the River Clyde, just across
from Partick. Researchers believe that Govan was the site of
one of the earliest Christian settlements in mainland Scotland, dating
back to before the 9th century. At that time, the area was part
of the
Kingdom of
Strathclyde, with its
capital at Dumbarton on the north side of the river. The
place-name Govan is Bàile Ghobhainn, 'smith's town' in
Scottish Gaelic, but probably derives from an earlier Brythonic
name of disputed meaning. Constantine, a 7th century
King of Strathclyde, founded a monastery at Govan, where he died
and was buried. In 1855, an elaborately carved sandstone
sarcophagus was found during digging in the churchyard. It now
resides inside the church and is thought to have contained the
relics of Constantine.
The younger brother
of Scottish fiddler Johnny Cunningham, Phil Cunningham (above)
has combined a mastery of Celtic music traditions and a
melodically rich style of composition. A member of Silly Wizard
from 1976 to 1988, Cunningham, who began accordion lessons at
the age of three, helped to spark an interest in the traditional
music of his homeland. In addition to recording two memorable
solo albums -- Airs & Graces in 1984 and The Palomino Waltz in
1989 -- Cunningham has contributed to a number of influential
musical projects.
Farewell to Govan was composed by
Phil Cunningham as the theme for Bill Bryden's Glasgow stage
production of "The Big Picnic".
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