Blas Festival 2016, An t-Sultain 2 – 10 September

Air feadh na Gàidhealtachd – Highland-wide

Nuair a thig an t-Sultain dhan Gàidhealtachd, thig còmhla rithe aon de na fèisean Albannach as fheàrr– Blas.  Sgrìobh mi roimhe mu Fhèisean nan Gàidheal agus mun obair luachmhor a bhios iad a’ dèanamh airson ceòl agus cultar na Gàidhealtachd, gu h-àiridh am measg na h-oighridh. Tha sinn glè eòlach air Fèis Rois an seo, le cèilidhean agus cuirmean-ciùil anns an talla againn fhèin ann an iomadh samhradh. ‘S e “Fèis nam Fèisean” a th’ ann am Blas, le rionnagan Gàidhealach sean is òg agus tachartasan air feadh na Gàidhealtachd ann an tallaichean-baile, eaglaisean, taighean-seinnse, taighean-òsda is eile, agus cuideachd ann an Eden Court, Inbhir Nis.

Tha cothroman gu leòr againn ann an Ros an Ear an turas seo a dhol do chuirmean-ciùil no cèilidhean san sgìre seo, agus tachartas no dhà a tha cho inntinneach ‘s gum b’ fhiach e dràibheadh beagan na b’ fhaide.

Tha mi fhìn a‘ dèanamh fiughair, mar eisimpleir, ri consairt le rionnagan òga  ann am Port MoCholmaig Dihaoine 9 den t-Sultain. Cluichidh Kilda, còmhlan ùr aig Norrie MacIomhair (ex-Mànran, a-nis le Skipinnish), Tannara, còmhlan tradiseanta Albannach, agus luchd-ciùil à Fèis Rois fhèin. Tha iad uile a’ cluiche cuideachd ann an Ruigh Sholais, san Eilean Dubh, an oidhche ro sin, mura h-eil ùine agaibh Dihaoine.

Bidh mi a’ dol cuideachd do dà chuirm-chiùil ann an Inbhir Nis –  cuirm-ciùil a’ comharrachadh “Rona Lightfoot aig 80” – ban-phìobaire, seinneadair Gàidhlig agus ban-teagaisg air leth, còmhla ri luchd-ciùil ainmeal mar Mhàighread Stiùbhairt, Màiri NicAonghnais agus Ailean is Iain Domhnallach (2.09.16). Abair line-up!  Agus nach mi bha fòrtanach agus bhuannaich dà thiocaid dhan tachartas mu dheireadh den t-sreath, Blas Grand Finale, 10.09.16, le Sharon Shannon, cluicheadair bogsa à Èirinn, Nuallan, pìobairean à Alba Nuadh, agus Tide Lines, còmlan ùr aig rionnag òg Robert Robertson (ex-Skipinnish), ainmeil mar-thà leis an òran leantalach “On the far side of the world”. (https://youtu.be/uzbzMRyinyE )

Tha liosta gu lèir le barrachd fiosrachaidh air:  http://www.blas-festival.com/

(Tha tàille-bhucaidh aig Ticketline gu math daor – mholainnse na h-àitichean-cluiche fònadh. Seo bileag le àireamhan fòn airson gach tachartais: http://www.feisean.org/wp-content/uploads/Blas16Leaflet.pdf )

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When September comes to the Highlands, along with it comes one of the best of the Scottish festivals – Blas. I’ve written here before about the Fèisean movement, and its valuable work on behalf of Highland music and culture, especially among young people. We’re very familiar with Fèis Rois in this area, with summer ceilidhs and concerts in the Seaboard Hall too. Blas is the “Festival of the Feisean”, with stars of Highland music old and young, and events across the Highlands in village halls, churches, pubs, hotels etc, and also in Eden Court, Inverness.

There are plenty of opportunities for us in Easter Ross this time to get to concerts or ceilidhs in the area, and a few events that would be worth a longer drive.

I’m looking forward myself, for instance, to a concert with young stars in Portmahomack on Friday 9 September. The band Kilda will be playing, featuring Norrie MacIver (ex-Mànran, now Skipinnish), as will Tannara, a Scottish traditional band, and Fèis Rois musicians. They’re also all playing in Resolis (Black Isle) the night before, if Friday doesn’t suit you.

I’m also going to two concerts in Inverness – a concert to celebrate “Rona Lightfoot at 80” – the legendary piper, Gaelic singer and teacher, together with famous Highland musicians such as singers Margaret Stewart and Mairi MacInnes, and top pipers Allan and Iain Macdonald (Glenuig), on 2 September – what a line-up! And I was lucky enough to win 2 tickets to the last concert in the series, the Blas Grand Finale, 10 September, with Sharon Shannon, box-player from Ireland, Nuallan, pipers from Nova Scotia, and the new band Tide Lines with Robert Robertson, the young singing star who was with Skipinnish, already famous with the catchy song “On the far side of the world” (listen here:  https://youtu.be/uzbzMRyinyE ).

Here’s a complete list of events with more information: http://www.blas-festival.com/

(The booking fees with Ticketline are quite steep, so I would recommend phoning the venues. Here’s the Blas leaflet with telephone numbers for all the events. http://www.feisean.org/wp-content/uploads/Blas16Leaflet.pdf )

 

Seo liosta beag leis na tachartasan a tha furasda ri ruigsinn bhon Seaboard:

Here’s a short list of events that are easy to get to from the Seaboard:

 

Dihaoine 2.09 Friday

Inverness St Andrew’s Cathedral 7.30pm, Rona at 80 (0844 888 9991)

Disathairne 3 Saturday

Tain Royal Hotel 2pm, family ceilidh with Liza Mulholland (tickets at door)

Là na Sàbaid 4 Sunday

Inverness St Andrew’s cathedral 8pm, Celtic Praise with Paul McCallum, Inverness Gaelic Choir etc

Diluain 5 Monday

Gairloch (worth the drive if tickets available!) Village Hall 7.30pm, Phil and Aly with Sgoil Chiùil na Gàidhealtachd (01445 712071)

Dimàirt 6 Tuesday

Drumnadrochit Craigmonie centre 7.30pm Blas Commission 2016 Beul na h-Oidhche gu Camhanaich with Mary Ann Kennedy etc (01456 459 224)

Diciadain 7 Wednesday

Ullapool Macphail Centre (same as Drumnadrochit 6 Sept) (01854 613336)

Diardaoin 8 Thursday

Dingwall, The Croft, 12.30pm Lunchtime Theatre ‘Hallaig’, incl. pie+drink (01349 862468)

Resolis Memorial Hall 7.30pm, Tannara, Kilda (with Norrie MacIver) etc (01381 610204)

Dihaoine 9 Friday

Portmahomack Carnegie hall 7.30pm, Tannara, Kilda, Fèis Rois (01862 871452)

Inverness Eden Court 7.30pm, Graham Mackenzie#s ‘Crossing Borders’ + Fuaran project musicians (Tel.01463 234234)

Disathairne 10 Saturday

Inverness Phoenix Ale House 12.30 Lunchtime Theatre ‘Hallaig’ incl. pie+drink (0844 888 9991)

Inverness Eden Court Empire Theatre 7.30pm, Blas Grand Finale, with Sharon Shannon, Nuallan, Tide Lines with Robert Robertson, Angus Peter Campbell. (01463 234234)

And not part of Blas, but also definitely worth going to:

Friday 23 Sept Eden Court: The Shee (with the Seaboard’s Olivia Ross) https://www.eden-court.co.uk/whats-on/shows/the-shee-1

Mànran photo credit : 

By Rs-foto – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=47367124