Cuimhneachan/Remembrance - Season 2
Season 2
Episodes
Episode 1
The first episode looks at the songs composed about the Highland and Island lads or 'heroes' who fought in the war. Included in this episode is The Gaels around the British Flag by John MacLennan, who was born in Inverasdale, Wester Ross, but spent most of his life near Brisbane, Australia. From there he composed The Gaels around the British Flag, urging Gaels from all parts of the Highlands to rise up against the German forces. In The Fine Lads have Gone, Donald Macdonald from Corunna, North Uist, gives a vivid description of the ferocity of battle.
Episode 2
Separation is the theme of the second programme and the many forms of separation that resulted from the war. Death is the ultimate separation and in the song In Memory of Murdo MacLennan, Catherine MacLeod's grief at the death of her fiancé, Murdo MacLennan, from Stornoway, at the Battle of Loos, is poignantly expressed. The separation of Hugh MacKinnon from Eigg from his childhood friends who died in the Great War is the subject of I am Today Sad and Mournful. Looking around Eigg he sees reminders everywhere of the times they spent together in their youth.
Episode 3
The war at sea is the subject of this programme, and amongst the songs featured is 'Song of the Navy' by Murdo Macleod, which touches on the difficult conditions encountered by sailors at sea. Angus MacKenzie from North Uist was a gunner on one of the fishing boats which were tasked with clearing German mines at sea during the war. It was a life of constant danger and in 'O How Melancholy I Am', he addresses this as well as expressing his longing for his native North Uist.
Episode 4
This programme looks at how the world of the Gael changed in the years following World War I and also how writers have responded to the war 100 years on. In 'Song for the Pupils of Carinish School-2014', writer Norman Maclean uses a tragic incident from his family history to question whether it is ever worth going to war. A photograph of John McDiarmid's great grandfather, also called John McDiarmid, provided him with the inspiration to write the poem 'Hands Like Shovels'.
Recently Updated Shows
President Curtis
President Curtis follows the Commander-in-Chief and his eccentric staff as they tackle the kind of crises that Rick Sanchez could never be bothered with - from interdimensional diplomacy to paranormal investigations and unexplained phenomena.
Dark Matter
Hailed as one of the best sci-fi novels of the decade, Dark Matter is a story about the road not taken. The series follows Jason Dessen, a physicist, professor, and family man who – one night while walking home on the streets of Chicago – is abducted into an alternate version of his life. Wonder quickly turns to nightmare when he tries to return to his reality amid the multiverse of lives he could have lived. In this labyrinth of mind-bending realities, he embarks on a harrowing journey to get back to his true family and save them from the most terrifying, unbeatable foe imaginable: himself.
Murdoch Mysteries
Set in Toronto at the dawn of the 20th century, Murdoch Mysteries is a one-hour drama series that explores the intriguing world of William Murdoch, a methodical and dashing detective who pioneers innovative forensic techniques to solve some of the city's most gruesome murders. Murdoch's colleagues include the love of his life, coroner and psychiatrist Dr. Julia Ogden, a staunch ally who shares the detective's fascination for science; Constable George Crabtree, Murdoch's eager but sometimes naïve right-hand man; Inspector Brackenreid, Murdoch's skeptical yet reluctantly supportive boss; and coroner Dr. Emily Grace, Dr. Ogden's protégé.