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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ก.พ. 2025
- From 1959 onwards, MacRae's recitation of "The Wee Coak Sparrah" was a core ingredient of Scotland's televised New Year celebrations.
Duncan MacRae was born on 20 August 1905 at 118 Kirkland Street, Maryhill, Glasgow. He grew up in a strict Presbyterian background, rooted in the highland traditions of his grandparents, but in his later years religion only figured peripherally. MacRae's strikingly tall, lean figure, angular face, and voice bearing traces of his Gaelic ancestry matched a singular if eccentric personality. He figured significantly in the history of Scottish theatre, championing the national drama cause, improving the profession's working conditions, and fearlessly challenging the establishment. He was appointed first chairman of Scottish Equity in 1953, a position he held until his death. He wrote many articles and was in constant demand as a speaker. Although lacking in technical training, his instinctive acting, coupled with an acknowledged genius for comedy, produced a provocative but mesmeric style that influenced a generation of actors.
Duncan MacRae - Scottish Archive Network
catalogue.nrsco...
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How wonderful. Such wonderful people must never fade away.
I remember Duncan singing that on Ner'day, I was 11 years old and laughed that much I was literally Sick.
I sing that song to my Grandchildren still.
Brilliant. I remember my old Grampa singing this to me when I was a wee boy!
Aw haven't heard this in many years. My Daddy used to sing this to me when I was a baby. Brought tears to my eyes hearing it again.
🤯 grandma always sung this... and I couldn’t understand it... she told me I’d understand it when I’m older.
She gone for years now... and I finally heard this and understood the story
Just pure brilliance and never fails to make me smile.
I remember Duncan MacRae singing this at New Year on TV when I was a child and thinking it was great ,I'm in my sixties now and still think it'swonderful,
Pure Brilliance! I remember this on tele when I lived in West Graham St, C4.
Also my Grandparents took me to an exhibition (during the ‘60’s) depicting the story, ‘ Who shot cock robin’. Must admit that was a bit weird.
Merry Christmas all you Glaswegians, everywhere (as well as everyone else, of course),
JaneR
...my Dad used to sing this to me, but he was from Larkhall, so he was much harder to understand... but Mum was from Wishaw, so i understood!... ;)
A wis a wee boy again, fur a wee while. brilliant.
One word for this
MAGNIFICENT !!!
Old nostalgia unmeasurable. I remember him performing this at hogmanay, I think in the late 50's.
Brilliant great post
Thankyou Such a fantastic rarity
My auld granda sang this to me 🏴❤️
This is just epic ! Enjoyed the memories !
Brilliant
thank for putting this on .magic
Brilliant.
I loved that Song I saw it on the Empire Theatre Glasgow with the Cubs
Never gets old, always a snile!
Ooh, I really enjoyed that.
Aye, Tam. Thanks for subscribing.
Duncan MacRae - The best video on TH-cam.
Maybe they'll play it on telly tomorrow night after the 'bells'.
this is the song my papa used to sing every hogmanay but unfortunately he died on the 5 of april 2016
Sorry for your loss, Sinead. Precious to have this memory of your papa.
Amazing.... i'm 12 years old again...
I've corrected the link to the Scottish Archive Network, given in the description above, which gives further details of Duncan's life.
He was so amusing in Whiskey Galore.
Whisky Galore!
Yes, I think he was the only actor to use a Western Isles accent, the others just had a generic Scots accent. "Motherrr, wherrre iss my helle-met? You were ussing it the otherr day to feed the heyns."
Aye, yih'r right again, Palwanzo.
Don't yih jist love Duncan's rolling 'R's - a fine Scottish trill indeed!
Is he related to the Bagpipe maker Duncan MacRae I wonder??
@@adamwiggins9865 I don't think so. I haven't come across a cross reference.
spekkyguy actually I think he is the grandson... I can show you what I found if I could show ya pics...
The Bagpipe maker had a son named James who took over for him when he died... and that son was with the Glasgow Police and this “Duncan MacRae” the actor’s father was named James and in the Glasgow police...
I think it’s him...
spekkyguy I’m a piper I went into bagpipe history and found out about who took over the Bagpipe shop ... his son James...!i imaging there aren’t too many James MacRae’s in the Glasgow police in that time period
His wife was a teacher at Millport Primary School in the 60s I think.
Long time no see
Brill!
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣😂😂😂😂😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣😂🤣
In my fifties noo but its the first time I've heard this, although I've always kent about "The wee cock sparra. Cheers fur the fun.
it was always on at hogmanay. we always watched it
❤❤❤🎉🐦🎶🎶🎶
Regarding the comment re his religion being "peripheral"; it sounds like his religion , because of his support for the underdog, was central and not peripheral and following in the footsteps of One who championed the underdog 2000 years ago and lost His life because of it. In other words, Duncan did not wear his religion peripherally (on his sleeve), unlike some who profess to be religious.
On screen, Duncan always came across as a genuine and compassionate individual. Perhaps the biographical claim that religion became ‘peripheral’ in his life is meant to imply that his attendance at church on Sunday became less and less of an occurrence, which might surprise some, given his strict religious upbringing.
Anyone know how many years this was played on hogmanay celebrations? Trying to do research on my grandmothers first cousin :)
This is Scottish culture !😂😂😂😂😂
It's a funny poem narrated by a funny guy in a fine North British dialect.
I'll get ye, yer git ye, and if I don't get ye, some other git'll get ye, yer git, ye.
If you understand that, you know Ulster Scots I think..
Atrocious spelling there, Channel 3!
It should, of course, be written, as follows :
Ah'll get ye, yah git ye
An if ah don't get ye
Some other git'll get ye
Yah git ye!
I think the sparrah or the man hit by the arrah thumbed this down. 🤣
The wee coak sparrah was totally unaffected by the incident and therefore unlikely to give a ‘thumbs down’. But the man wae the barrah, that wis hit wae the arrah, and the wee boey, that wis hurt tae the marrah, well I’m quite sure both of them gave a ‘thumbs down’.
hehehe that was funny
Was he ever a school teacher
I don't think so.
I've corrected the link to the Scottish Archive Network given in the description above.
My mistake - he was indeed a school teacher, as the entry from the Scottish Archive Network states :
"Educated at Allan Glen's School, he matriculated in the engineering faculty at Glasgow University in 1923/4, but did not graduate.
He trained as a teacher at Jordanhill College of Education from 1925 to 1927, and taught until 1943."
The link to the Scottish Archive Network entry is given above.
His wife was a teacher at Millport Primary School in the 60s I think.
Not wanting to be pedantic, but his surname was Macrae, not MacRae... 😅
Sorry, but I have to disagree with you on this. MacRae is a Scottish name and the first letter following the Mc or Mac in a Scottish name is always capitalised. It's just laziness, or ignorance, on the part of some who choose to neglect, the rules of Scottish grammar.
…braw!
braw