An gaidheal - National Library of Scotland

October, 1873. THE GAEL. 251successiou to the throue of Alban.Tlie Columbian clergy are said tohave assisted him ou couditioii thathe woukl remstate them in lona,from which they Avere driven byNectan, king of the Picts. But aslona was desthied to close its wallsfor ever against its ancient saints,Kenneth, in fulfilment of his promiseto the ecclesiastics of lona, removedthe i^rimacy to Dunkeld, where itremained for several years. Itwas afterwards transfen-ed to St.Andrews, and became identified withtiie Scottish nation. In the life ofSt. Cadroe there is a legend of thewandering of the Scots whichillustrates this identification of St.Andrews with the Scottish kingdom.Here they are said to have comefrom Chorischon, in Lydia, and tohave landed in Ireland, which findingitto have been a fertile country, theyoccupy. After obtaining possessionof the chief towns, such as Cloyne,Armagh, Kiklare, Munster, and Bangor,they cross o\'er to lona, thencethey invade the district of Ross bythe river Rosis (or Blackwater), andthen they proceed southward andpossess St. Andrews. Dr Skeneshows that all these cities werecelebrated ecclesiastical centres, andfrom this concludes that the legendrefers to the spread of an ecclesiasticalparty. He also states that " thetermination of the wanderings of thecolony of Scots connect them at oncewith the invasion of Kenneth MacxVlpin,and the settlement of theScots in his time at St. Andrews."However this may be, it says muchfor the clergy of the time that theygot their name connected with whatis one of the greatest events inPictish or Scottish history.After the conquest Kenneth extendedhis kingdom to the Tweed,expelling the Britons and Saxons,without much opposition, and callsit Scotland. In 960 he dies at hiscastle of Forteviot, and is buried atlona—the burj'ing place of the kingsof Scotland.R. Mac-an-Rothaich.(To be contiiiutd.)MUSIC IN HIGHLANDCHURCHES.Knowing the strong attachmentwhich subsists between Highlandersand their congregations, I presume afew remarks on the subject of"Music in Highland Churches," willnot be uninteresting to the readersof the Gael.It will be readily granted by allwho have given the matter any attentionthat Music, both as a scienceand an art, has received more attentionduring the past ten years thanit has done for the previous halfcentury.While this is true ofmusic in general it is doubly so ofSacred or Congregational Music.During the last few years a thoroughrevolution has been taking place inthe musical arrangements of ourLowland congregations, and I amglad to observe that there are somesigns of animation apparent in referenceto this matter in Highlandchurches also. It is to be hopedthat those Avho have begun this goodwork of reformation will not ceasetill they have succeeded in bringingoar people to bestow that attentionupon the subject which it so urgentlydemands; for in the matter of psalmodyour Gaelic churches are far behindthe age. True, it may be saidthat Lowland congregations havegreater facilities for musical cultivationthan their Highland brethren ;but this is very much because theyhave created those facilities by instituting classes in connection withtheir congi'egations for the improve-