‘Queen of Gaelic singers’ inspires video game soundtrack

A Glasgow-born singer appears on the soundtrack of a new horror video game after developers heard her mother singing Gaelic songs on the internet.

Flora MacNeil, mother of Maggie MacInnes, from Barra, was known as the ‘Queen of Gaelic Singers’. She died in 2015 at the age of 86.

Brighton-based games developer The Chinese Room came across clips of MacNeil singing and approached MacInnes about recording Fath Mo Mhulaid a Bhith Ann.

The game – Still Wakes the Deep – is set on a North Sea oil rig and features characters played by Scottish actors Alec Newman, Neve McIntosh and Karen Dunbar.

The game was published by Secret Mode and released on various platforms, including Xbox and PlayStation.

MacInnes can be heard singing in the game’s launch trailer, as well as when playing the game in its Gaelic language option.

The audio director of Still Wakes the Deep initially messaged MacInnes on social media.

Celtic singer and harpist Naidheachdan told the BBC: “At first I thought it was a joke.

“The song isn’t scary per se, but it fits the story of the game.

“The men are trapped on the oil rig and something evil is chasing them.

“One of the characters longs to be home with his family and looks out to sea, longing to cross the water to return home.

“From that point of view, from the atmosphere of that feeling within the game, it’s appropriate. »

MacInnes first recorded Fath Mo Mhulaid a Bhith Ann in the 1980s and has since released a new single of the song, which was recorded at her home in Barra.

She said: “I love the song.

“It’s full of beautiful poetry about the beauties of Barra and the desire to return to Barra.”

MacInnes learned Gaelic songs from his mother, who came from a long line of singers on both sides of her family.

MacNeil learned most of her repertoire from her mother, Ann Gillies, and she was exposed to hundreds of songs during her childhood in the Hebrides.

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