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Due to huge demand Ulster-Scots series ‘Santer’...

22 February 2011

On Sunday 20th February, part one of the six-part Ulster-Scots series ‘Santer’ was repeated on BBC2 at 6.25pm. The remaining five parts of the series will be aired over the coming weeks on a Sunday evening at the same time.

Background to the series:

 

Santer is not about celebrity names, celebrity venues or headline stories. It’s a series about ordinary people who live here; their stories, their past and their passion for their heritage.

 

Hidden history, great music, American journeys, ghost stories, an Olympic champion from Dervock and a particularly touching story from World War 1 in Fermanagh, all go to make up BBC Northern Ireland’s new Ulster-Scots series, ‘Santer’.

 

In the course of these six 30 minute programmes, Anne Morrison Smyth, a speaker of the “hamely tongue” visits every corner of Northern Ireland discovering the huge impact Ulster-Scots has on so many facets of all our lives.

 

Musician Mark Wilson travels The Old Wagon Road to experience the musical heritage left by the “Scotch-Irish” – which includes Bluegrass, Country and Gospel.

 

Producer Karl Walker of Blackthorn Productions explains: “It was a revelation making this series. It really brought it home to me just how the Ulster-Scots heritage and culture is part of us all. Everyone uses the language, everyone knows the music – we just didn’t know it was Ulster-Scots!

 

“However it’s the history which will fascinate the viewers. People in Northern Ireland love local history and this history is filled with heroes and vagabonds alike and most importantly, it’s filled with the tales

of ordinary people who left their native Scotland to come here. Then, many of those same people left here and went to America where their culture has left an imprint on so many of the United States.

 

Santer is not about celebrity names, celebrity venues or headline stories. It’s a series about ordinary people who live here; their stories, their past and their passion for their heritage. It’s also terrific fun!

 

Tune into ‘Santer’ at 6.25pm on BBC Two Northern Ireland Sunday 27th February, 2011.

 

Episode 2 highlights:

  • Anne Morrison-Smyth experiences the Mid-Antrim motorbike races.
  • Mark Wilson continues his musical journey down the Old Wagon Road in America.
  • Also included are Clydesdale horses in Castlerock, hidden history from Comber and music from Stonewall and The Grousebeaters.