Norma Munro sings .... Scotia's Gold Raise a glass to the stillman's skill, alone in the night, he tends his still. Charges the wash, brings to the boil, dewy beads form in a copper coil. Starts at a trickle, then a flow, cloudy foreshots the first to show. Checks for strength, clear of mist, Crystal spirit o' coarse milled grist. Spirit safe cranks, sounding the hour, seizes the essence o' barley flower, Clear flows the run, pulses the heart, cuts the middle wi' his stillman's art. Draught o' his craft, now bares its soul, character's formed in a tulip bowl. Then raise your glass, my kindred host, wi' Scotia's Gold, our worthy toast.   Please note that the soundtrack is in MP3 format (1.2MB) and may take a little time to start Complete downloading Scotia's Gold and you'll be able to play it again later offline.

Scotia's Gold was written by David Wishart and first published in his book "Whisky Classified: Choosing Single Malts by Flavour".  It was set to music and recorded by the singer Norma Munro of Islay (pictured left). 

Scotia's Gold and Norma Munro were featured in Whisky Magazine, May 2003, and Norma has included it in her next CD, co-incidentally titled "Scotia's Gold", which was released in 2006. It contains the following mix of 17 traditional Scottish, Irish, Geordie and Beatles ballads:

1.  Scotia's Gold
2.  Come by the Hills
3.  The Sound of the Sea
4.  Gabriel and Me
5.  The Rigs o' Rye
6.  Dance to your Shadow
7.  Geordie
8.  Let it Be
9.  Skye Boat Song
10.  The Summer of '46
11.  Tiree Love Song
12.  Eriskay Love Lilt
13.  The Ballad of Mattie
14.  The Dark Island
15.  The Water is Wide
16.  Catch the Wind (in memory of Wendy Miller)
17.  The Conemara Cradle Song

Credits
Norma Munro - Vocals and Acoustic Guitar.
Eddie Pollard - Backing vocals, Acoustic Guitar and Harmonica.
Branwen Sykes - Flute and Piccolo.
Jackie Adams - Viola, Mandolin and Djembe.
Archie McAllister - Fiddle.
George Campbell - Bass.
Brian Palmer - Percussion.
Dylan - Bark.

Co-produced by Norma Munro and Hamish Campbell.
Recorded by Arctic Star Productions.
Photograph by Jim Boyd, Islay.
 

Norma's CD compilation "A Song In The Air", released in 2001, contains the following 16 traditional Scottish ballads:

1.  The Road and the Miles to Dundee
2.  Mairi's Wedding
3.  Hishie Ba
4.  The Rose of Allandale
5.  Westering Home
6.  Jock o' Hazeldean
7.  Hush Hush
8.  Highland Widow's Lament
9.  Rantin' Robin
10.  Lassie wi' the Yellow Coatie
11.  The Jute Mill Song
12.  Mary Hamilton
13.  The Loch Tay Boat Song
14.  The Wild Mountain Thyme
15.  I Once Loved a Lad
16.  Dumbarton's Drums

Credits
Norma Munro - Vocals and Guitar.
Grahame Wylie - Backing vocals, Spanish and Acoustic Guitar, Mandolin, Keyboard, Bodhran, Recorder, Tenor Recorder, Congas, Djembe.
Mike McKay - Mandolin (The Jute Mill Song).
All song arrangements by Graham Wylie.
Co-produced by Norma Munro & Grahame Wylie.
Recorded at Earthworking Recording Studio, South Lodge, Auchterhouse, Dundee.
Photograph by Lachie MacLean, Islay.

Norma Munro's CD "A Song In The Air" is available by post by telephoning +44 (0)1496 840218 or e-mail to brian@ileach.co.uk price £12.00

If you enjoyed Scotia's Gold, you can hear Norma sing Westering Home, off the coast of Bunnahabhain, here

You can also visit Norma's official website, here