Sailm nan Daoine (Psalms of the People) is a new documentary which explores one of the most emotionally resonant and culturally significant musical traditions: Gaelic psalm singing. Directed by Jack Archer, the film will be released in cinemas across the UK from 15 May 2026. Taking the form of a road trip, the film approaches psalm singing not as an artefact or historical curiosity, but as something communal and fiercely alive.
Spoken part in English, part in Gaelic, Sailm nan Daoine sees musician and sound designer Rob MacNeacail embark on a personal and communal road trip as both documentary participant and narrator across Scotland and Ireland. The journey brings up many questions in Rob’s mind about identity, culture and community as he immerses the audience in a new perspective through his music and portable sound recorder. Rob also composes the soundtrack to the film, incorporating melodies, field recordings and musical encounters he makes along the way.
The film’s release comes at a time that sees a surge of interest in Gaelic vocal traditions. In November, Radiohead played a recording of Psalm 9 sung in Gaelic during the interval of their sold‑out show at London’s O2 Arena, introducing tens of thousands of fans to the sound. Sailm nan Daoine is an entertaining and heart-warming film about the power of community, family and the resilience needed to keep a language alive.
Gaelic psalm singing, Salmadaireachd, is a tradition of psalmody in the (Scottish) Gaelic language found in Presbyterian churches in the Western Isles of Scotland. The psalms are sung unaccompanied, in a style known as “lining out” in which the leader of the performance sings a line, after which the rest of the congregation follows, with each member allowed to embellish the melody as they wish, in a free heterophonic fashion. The style is influenced by piobaireachd (pibroch) music native to the Scottish Highlands.
The practice of lining out psalms was common in England and lowland Scotland in the 17th century. In 1659, the book of psalms was translated into Gaelic for the first time, and it is believed that the Highlanders began to sing the psalms at this point.
Sailm Nan Daoine had its World Premiere at this year’s Glasgow Film Festival. The film will be released in UK cinemas on 15 May 2026.
Further details from Hopscotch Films,
