Biography

Alistair Ferguson was born in Struparsaig, Harris, on the 14th of March, 1869.

According to Roderick MacDonald, Ruairidh Eòghainn, who was from Cluer, speaking on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal, on 26/08/1986, this was how Alistair Ferguson, Alasdair Iain 'ic Alasdair, The Cluer Bard from the east coast of Harris, answered a man who asked him how he began composing songs.

Fhuair mi mo ghibht on Àrd Rìgh
'S mi nam naoidhean am broinn mo mhàthar
'S rugadh mi le spiorad bàrdachd
Gu bhith geàrrtach air mo theangaidh.

Alistair never married, and he lived in a small thatched house with his sister, the grandmother of Rachel MacLeod, who reminisced about him on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal, on 26/08/1986:

"A tall, dark-haired, tough, man. He had black hair and a big moustache, one of the old-fashioned moustaches that curled up at the mouth. He was a handsome man." She also said this about him: "He was an kind and honorable man. There's no doubt that he was quick-tempered, but he was a just man."

The Cluer Bard was a fisherman, first working on a boat known as the Advance, and when that boat got old, he worked on another one called Maggie Stewart. He must have been good with his hands, as he would make netting and buoys out of sheepskin. He was interested in history and very fond of children. Rachel remembers: "We knew about the Battle of Stirling Bridge before we even went to school. He would tell us all about it. 1297. William Wallace and Robert the Bruce. He was interested in those things.

He began composing poetry when he was very young, according to Rachel:

"The first song he composed was for his mother. She sent him to Tarbert for something. She was making porridge, he left and ran there. He went to Tarbert and at that time he was only twelve years old. And he was so fast returning home that she didn't believe that he'd been to Tarbert, until he showed her the item she'd sent him for, which he had in his pocket. But she slapped him before he showed her. She thought he was telling lies, that he had not been to Tarbert at all. And he started composing a song for her, but there's no record of that song today.

As a young man, Alistair was drafted to the army, and was in Africa during the Boer War.

Là na Sàbaid chiad mhèarrs thug sinn orra
A' dol a forum le òrdan seanaileir
Bha 'n fhuil 's i blàth anns na Gàidheil mhisneachail
Is ceòl na pìoba toirt inntinn cridheil dhaibh.

Thusa Chrùidsear 's tu dhùisg an cogadh seo
Cha chùm Pretoria beò gun chrochadh thu
Gheibh thu tìm ann am prìosan Bhonaparte
'S an St Helena gun teatha gun chofaidh ann.

Bidh sùil ri buaidh nuair a ghluaiseas Kitchener
Le iomadh còirnealair eòlach misneachail
Gum bi na nàimhdean gu teann gan crioslachadh
'S a' ruith gu luath mun tèid uaigh gun chist' orra.

Bha ainm an fhiadh-bheathaich riamh an Afraga
Bha leòmhann beachdach i fhèin ann, 's math-ghamhainn
Chan fhac' a' Bhoer na leòn na fhearann e
Gu 'm fac' e 'n Gàidheal le fhèileadh tartain ann.

Rachel had a story about Alistair in Africa:

"He was on sentry duty in Africa, and he wasn't allowed to let anyone pass. But anyway, this man came along, it was Lord Kitchener. And he wanted to pass. "No!" And, "Halt! Who goes there?" Lord Kitchener wanted through anyway, but Alistair got hold of him and threw him into the river! He didn't know that it was Lord Kitchener. And he put him in the river anyway and one of his fellow soldiers from Berneray, Harris came to him the next day and said to him: 'Well,' he said. 'The one who put Lord Kitchener in the river is to be hanged today.' And the poor bard nearly lost his mind. But he was rewarded for the deed instead!"

Alistair Ferguson composed songs about diverse issues. For example, when the machair was returned to the crofters on the east side of Harris:

Ged tha 'm machair brèagh' gu leòr
'S e cho còmhnard ri làr;
'S iomadh rud tha gann san stòr
A tha pailt anns na Bàigh.

He composed songs on subjects such as toothache and rats in Africa, fishing boats he worked on, problems calving a cow, and a time he underwent surgery in Stornoway. As Rachel said:

"The house would be full every night, so that they could hear him singing. Everyone brought him an ounce of tobacco so they could hear him, and he would ... he would compose a verse in a minute." Roderick MacDonald was often with the bard: "It was extremely difficult to get him to sing a song. He was good at them too. But when he started, he didn’t think about stopping."

Alistair composed hymns and spiritual songs such as Laoidh Aonghais Mhòir Sheonaidh. When his health was failing he likened himself to "a snail on a summer's morning moving weakly through the grass", and he said:

Bha mi uair cho aotrom ris an fhaoileig air a' chuan
'S tric a bha mi smaoineachadh nach tigeadh m' aois cho luath;
Ach tha mi nis air fàillneachadh 's mo chnàmhan air fàs truagh
Le rheumatis nam ghàirdeanan ged bu làidir iad aon uair.

The Cluer Bard composed this verse to be used on his headstone when he died:

Fhir a leughas aig mo cheann
Thug Dia mi leis nuair thàinig m' àm;
'S cuimhnich gum bi thusa mar seo
Dh'aindeoin uaill no neart no moit.
Mur faigh thu Crìosd dha d' anam fèin
'S tu neach as truaighe bhios fon ghrèin;
Bidh Sàtan a' tighinn dhutsa dlùth
Gad tharraing sìos don t-sloc gun ghrunnd
Far nach dèan an teine cnàmh;
Cuir d' earbs' an Dia mun tig am Bàs.

He died in November 1947.

List of compositions

Laoidh Aonghais Mhòir Sheonaidh (Nuair a Chrìochnaich do Thuras)