Have you ever been wandering around the town and stopped in your tracks to listen to a busker?
It might be a singer, a piper or Fast Eddie on his harmonica.
But, as I mentioned briefly last week, one encounter I had was pretty special.
Granted, the bottle of fizz I’d shared with mum at a local hostelry beforehand may have aided our party spirit, but hearing Eric Gudmunsen perform from a bench on the pedestrian road between Reform Street and City Square was as good as many an entertainer you’d pay to see play in concert.
Before we knew it, a crowd had gathered to sing Danny Boy followed by Wild Rover, a few jokes and 500 Miles and it took me hurtling back to childhood.
To the days when kids were allowed to stay up late if they entertained the adults with a party piece – standing on a table while the adults’ cheers got louder as the drink went down.
Having fun was easy.
People would bring a bottle to a house and when spirits had risen, songs were sung all night.
Eric, who is from Dundee but now lives in Ireland, encapsulates for me Dundee’s rich culture and history.
For as well as our Scots heritage and accompanying music, Irish genes run fast and many through our bloodstream.
I won’t be alone in having an Irish lineage (I give you my gran’s maiden name of Reilly) as well as the Scots, “Maxwell”.
It’s a mix of genes that ensures we are never first to leave a party.
Read more by Martel Maxwell here
All those songs came flooding back and I realised I want my boys to know every word too, to instinctively and effortlessly fill their hearts with a common bond of Celticness – and a wee singsong makes any party.
If ever they find themselves in another part of the world, not least America, Canada or Australia, where everyone claims to have Celtic ancestors, they can show them how it’s done – to sing and to have pride in a nation that has the quirks of kilts and ceilidhs that no one else does.
I found Eric on the internet at ericgudmunsen.com and saw his songs can be downloaded for just £1 each.
I gladly made a small contribution for every song I heard – for we pay a small fortune to see stars perform in stadiums and our street performers are every bit as valuable.
Given the dearth of performances – from theatre to stadiums as the pandemic plays out – they are to be cherished, if only to put a smile on our face. Or, in current times, perhaps especially to put a smile on our face.
This article originally appeared on the Evening Telegraph website. For more information, read about our new combined website.