I AM rather surprised that Allan C Steele (Letters, October 16) sees fit to chastise our already much-maligned Scottish international footballers for “singing dumb” when they are faced with having to sing that woeful dirge Flower of Scotland in front of the cameras prior to matches, given the excruciatingly high vocal pitch which we are all now being expected to perform this deeply depressing song.
By choosing to provide us with a suitably stirring and authentic accompaniment, occasionally played “live” but more often now merely a recording of the noble Highland bagpipes which are tuned to the high key (particularly for vocalists) of B flat, the match organisers in their musical wisdom are now forcing our team and supporters to somehow negotiate the stratospheric vocal heights of high E flats and Fs – indeed no fewer than seven times in the space of one verse. Notes around that pitch are up there in the vocal realms that are challenging enough for an agile, classically trained and often tightly-trousered operatic tenor, however they are somewhat out of the realistic range of your average footballer or soldier in the Tartan Army, notwithstanding the level of their pre-match liquid fortification.
If we really must employ this blatantly negative “downer” as a so-called national anthem, maybe it is time for all concerned to call a general amnesty by way of introducing a revised recording - retaining the uplifting skirl of the bagpipes but digitally lowering their pitch to the more vocally appropriate key of either F or G, so that this particular element of pre-match torture can be greatly reduced – after all, there is always plenty more torture to look forward to during the actual match itself.
Until this happens, Mr Steele can expect to see, though not necessarily hear, plenty more “singing dumb” from our intrepid international squads, in all sports, as they endeavour to avoid serious strains and rupture injuries, even before the game has started.
Ian MacDonald (music teacher, retired),
Laggary Park, Rhu.
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