Upfront - I post this as a Scotsman.
Why cant we sing? Before you jump in, think about it.
I was at Edinburgh v Munster on Friday and the only singing being done was by our friends from Munster - several stirring renditions of The Fields of Athenry. Wonderful! And the Edinburgh support? Nothing. A few half hearted chants of "ED-IN-BURGH; ED-IN-BURGH" (whith much acoustic support from the PA system)! Hardly Fields of Athenry!
Then there is Murrayfield. Now Flower of Scotland is a great folk song, but its a slightly melancholic song, and whilst I do love it, I can't honestly place my hand on heart and say that its in the same league as Ireland's Call, or La Marseillaise, or Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.
So is the reason we cant sing because we have no great stirring songs? I don't believe that. So is it just a case we haven't chosen an appropriate song?
Or is it something else? Is it the rugby watching class in Scotland? Are we just too stayed; too boring; too conservative, too dour?
Last year I was fortunate to be at the Scotland v England match at Murrayfield and I can honestly say if it wasn't for the PA system, there would have been no discernible Scottish singing (I think the SRU are also worried about this lack of atmosphere that's why the PA system is turned up to 100dB!). The English fans were in full voice with Swing Low (the origins of which we will gloss over for the purpose of this topic). They sounded great!
So come on fellow Scots men and women, lets find a song that inspires and can hold itself against our fellow nations, lets sing!
Lets stop getting the singing wooden spoon.
So the challenge:
Song suggestions for 70,000 people please, that will enthuse, stir, uplift and fire!
Scotland can sing!
Why cant we sing? Before you jump in, think about it.
I was at Edinburgh v Munster on Friday and the only singing being done was by our friends from Munster - several stirring renditions of The Fields of Athenry. Wonderful! And the Edinburgh support? Nothing. A few half hearted chants of "ED-IN-BURGH; ED-IN-BURGH" (whith much acoustic support from the PA system)! Hardly Fields of Athenry!
Then there is Murrayfield. Now Flower of Scotland is a great folk song, but its a slightly melancholic song, and whilst I do love it, I can't honestly place my hand on heart and say that its in the same league as Ireland's Call, or La Marseillaise, or Hen Wlad Fy Nhadau.
So is the reason we cant sing because we have no great stirring songs? I don't believe that. So is it just a case we haven't chosen an appropriate song?
Or is it something else? Is it the rugby watching class in Scotland? Are we just too stayed; too boring; too conservative, too dour?
Last year I was fortunate to be at the Scotland v England match at Murrayfield and I can honestly say if it wasn't for the PA system, there would have been no discernible Scottish singing (I think the SRU are also worried about this lack of atmosphere that's why the PA system is turned up to 100dB!). The English fans were in full voice with Swing Low (the origins of which we will gloss over for the purpose of this topic). They sounded great!
So come on fellow Scots men and women, lets find a song that inspires and can hold itself against our fellow nations, lets sing!
Lets stop getting the singing wooden spoon.
So the challenge:
Song suggestions for 70,000 people please, that will enthuse, stir, uplift and fire!
Scotland can sing!