Link to FnG website available here.
Tha Fèisean nan Gàidheal air crìoch a chur air samhradh trang le Fèisean agus tachartasan air feadh Alba. Tha a’ bhuidheann a-nise a’ coimhead air adhart ri obair a bharrachd a thoirt gu buil sna mìosan a tha romhainn ann an coimhearsnachdan agus sgoiltean na dùthcha.
Fèisean
Fèisean nan Gàidheal is delighted to have had a very busy summer with Fèisean and community events happening across Scotland including Fèis Chataibh (Sutherland), Fèis Eilean na Hearadh (Harris), Fèis na h-Òige (Inverness), Fèis Thiriodh (Tiree), Fèis Tìr an Eòrna (North Uist) Fèis Eige (Eigg) Fèis Bharraigh (Barra), Fèis nan Garbh Chrìochan (Ardnamurchan) Fèis Tìr a’ Mhurain (South Uist), Fèis air an Oir (Bettyhill), Fèis Phàislig (Paisley), Fèis Eilean an Fhraoich (Stornoway), Fèis Thròndairnis (Trotternish), Fèis Arainn (Arran), Fèis an Rubha (Point), Fèis Lannraig a Tuath (Cumbernauld) and Fèis Lochabair (Fort William).
After a couple of years of years of disruption due to Covid regulations, we are really happy to see the Fèisean growing again with healthy numbers of participants. We are delighted Fèis an Iar Thuath will hold their first event in a number of years on Saturday 2nd September in Achiltibuie Hall. In October, we look forward to Fèis Spè (Badenoch & Strathspey) and Fèis a’ Bhaile (Inverness) and Fèis Thatha (Aberfeldy) will be holding an event in November.
The Fuaran project is also running at the moment with a group of six singers, aged 16-25, recording in Cromarty at the end of August. Fuaran is a heritage initiative established by Fèisean nan Gàidheal to encourage a new generation of Gaelic speakers and singers to actively engage in the research and collection of Gaelic songs in their local area. The singers will have the opportunity to record with a professional team and will also attend workshops with Julie Fowlis, Eamon Doorley and Ewen Henderson.
With support from Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s Colmcille fund we will be working with partners in Ireland to arrange an exchange visit for Gaelic-speaking children aged 14-18. The cultural exchange will involve various musical and language workshops as well as informal music sessions and performances.
Fèisgoil
Fèisgoil is the formal education service from Fèisean nan Gàidheal and delivers projects related to language development, drama and, of course, music. Most projects take place in collaboration with individual schools although we also work at local authority level supporting councils and other public bodies in their delivery of Gaelic Language Plans.
The summer months are traditionally quieter within Fèisgoil as schools enjoy their summer break and Fèisgoil staff plan and prepare new resources for the year ahead, as well as delivering Sgoil Shamhraidh Dràma, the drama summer school.
As part of the YMI (Youth Music Initiative) and Sporan (support for schools learning Gaelic as an additional language through drama) 2023-24 initiatives, Fèisgoil is keen to promote the work of Gaelic bàrd, Duncan Bàn Macintyre (1724-1812), best known for his songs concerned with the natural environment. All children in Highland schools (P5/6) will be offered the chance to learn one of his songs to celebrate 300 years of his compositions with opportunities to cover many other aspects of the Curriculum for Excellence opening up discussion on outdoor pursuits and re-wilding among many other topics.
Seinn, our support for Gaelic singing among all nursery and primary age children in Uist and Barra schools is underway once more and song resources gathered from last year’s provision, along with all our other song and tune resources, are available through our website by visiting Fèisgoil’s music pages, YMI in particular and clicking on the any of the resources available there.
Tabhaich is a new initiative funded by the Scottish Government through Argyll and Bute Council where local residents and visitors to the isles of Coll, Tiree and Bute, along with schoolchildren, will be given the opportunity to learn some Gaelic and broaden their own background knowledge of the connections between language, place and culture in those three islands. Music, and particularly Gaelic song, will play a central role in the delivery of this project.
Blas Festival
Blas means ‘taste’ or ‘sample’ and is organised by Fèisean nan Gàidheal in partnership with The Highland Council. The festival will support 25 concerts and cèilidhs in early September as well as an online offering which will include workshops, Gaelic song sessions and livestreamed concerts.
Homegrown talent is always at the forefront of the festival, which celebrates Gaelic music and culture during its nine-day event across the Highlands, and another important aspect of the festival, which has been running since 2004, is providing exciting performing opportunities for the next generation of young traditional musicians.
The festival will open with a special concert in Inverness Cathedral on 1st September featuring two young brother and sister duos; one from the Black Isle, Donaidh and Peigi Barker, and the other, Séamus and Caoimhe Uí Fhlatharta, from the west coast of Ireland. For the opening night concert they will be joined by Binneas, a Gaelic harmony collective featuring Gaelic and folk singers from across Scotland, led by Gaelic singer John Joe MacNeil, and Jenna Cumming, Inverness-born award-winning Gaelic singer.
Young musicians from Fèisean across the Highlands and Islands will make appearances at concerts and cèilidhs throughout the festival, including youngsters from a number of Fèisean. The festival will finish with a Ceòl nam Fèis concert, to be held in Lochaber to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the local Fèis, and will see young people from Fèisean come together from across the country to celebrate the movement which has, for over 40 years, provided tuition in traditional music to young people.
Other young musicians performing during the festival include double Royal National Mòd Gold medallist, Ruairidh Gray; harpist, singer, composer and Mòd Gold medallist, Màiri Callan; Highland composer, flute, whistle and piano player, James Bauld; and piper, fiddler, composer and instrument maker, Malin Lewis.
The full programme of events can be found at www.blas.scot along with details of how to purchase tickets.