Fèisean nan Gàidheal champions new online resource

Fèisean nan Gàidheal

To celebrate the Year of Coasts & Waters, Gaelic arts organisation, Fèisean nan Gàidheal, is championing the rich collection of Gaelic songs connected to coasts and waters, with a new song resource which features a weekly series of online content for people to use to learn and enjoy songs, all sung by some of the country’s top Gaelic singers.

Cladaichean is Uisgeachan (Gaelic for Coasts and Waters) is a Gaelic song resource featuring new recordings of songs and archive recordings along with the history and background information of each song and the links to local Fèisean. A fascinating resource, it provides people with an opportunity to delve into Scotland’s rich Gaelic heritage and culture. Each song is accompanied with an image celebrating Scotland’s beautiful coasts and waters, taken by Cailean Maclean.

Fèisean nan Gàidheal, one of Scotland’s top arts organisations, is working with Gaelic song expert, Jo Macdonald, to compile the resource which includes interesting historical and local information whilst the singers involved include Royal National Mod gold medallists Cristin Mackenzie, Ruairidh Cormack and Jenna Cumming, all members of female trio, Sian (Eilidh Cormack, Ceitlin Lilidh and Ellen Macdonald) and Trail West’s Ian Smith.  So far, the existing videos and recordings have reached over 40,000 people on Facebook and YouTube and the project is only at the halfway mark.

The resource, which has received support from Scottish Government, is an extension of Fèisean nan Gàidheal’s ‘Fuaran’ Gaelic song resource which was established 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. In total 52 songs will be added to this expanding resource, 51 from our rich Gaelic song heritage and there will also be a commission awarded to a Gaelic songwriter to compose a new song to celebrate the theme of Coasts and Waters.

Deputy First Minister, John Swinney, commented: “Scotland’s languages and culture have invariably been linked to the land and sea and I am pleased to welcome this resource from Fèisean nan Gàidheal in support of the Year of Coasts and Waters.  I am sure that this rich resource will not only bring benefits to our young people who are in Gaelic education but also to those at home as well as overseas who are interested in our culture.”

Calum Alex Macmillian, Development Manager, Fèisean nan Gàidheal, said: “We’re now halfway through our Cladaichean is Uisgeachan project, with 26 songs, complete with new recordings of each one, links to archive recordings, the words, history, background information on the area from where the songs originate and a link to the Fèisean in those areas.

“We are so fortunate to be working with Jo MacDonald on this project, her knowledge and expertise has given us an invaluable new collection of Gaelic songs that will be an invaluable resource for singers and teachers. It has also been fantastic to hear the various singers who have been involved with this project and I hope that this will encourage them, and others, to be singing more.”

Jo Macdonald commented: “It’s both a pleasure and a privilege to work with Fèisean nan Gàidheal on this project. We have such a wonderful heritage of songs in Gaelic but it’s not always easily accessible especially to young people.  It’s so rewarding to be able to help make more of this rich corpus of song easily available and the Coasts and Waters theme provides a fantastic focus for exploring some classic songs and unearthing new treasures.”

For more information about the resource and to access the weekly content please visit https://www.feisean.org/fuaran or www.facebook.com/feisean

A’ comharrachadh Bliadhna Cladaichean Uisgeachan na h-Alba tro òrain Ghàidhlig 

Tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba a’ cumail taic ri goireas ùr a bhrosnaicheas dualchas na Gàidhlig

Gus Bliadhna nan Cladaichean is nan Uisgeachan a chomharrachadh, tha buidheann na h-ealain Ghàidhlig, Fèisean nan Gàidheal, a’ cur an cèill co-chruinneachadh mòr de dh’òrain Ghàidhlig co-cheangailte ris a’ chuspair, le goireas ùr òran a chuireas an tairgse an t-sluaigh sreath seachdaineail de stuth air loidhne a ghabhas cleachdadh gus òrain ionnsachadh agus a mhealtainn is iad uile air an gabhail le sàr-sheinneadairean na dùthcha.

‘S e a tha ann an ‘Cladaichean is Uisgeachan’ goireas òran Ghàidhlig sam faighear clàraidhean de dh’òrain Ghàidhlig eadar sean is ùr is cuideachd eachdraidh is fiosrachadh gach òrain agus a bhuinteanas do dh’fhèisean ionadail. Goireas iongantach a bheir cothrom do dhaoine rùrach ann an dualchas is cultar saidhbhir Gàidhlig na h-Alba. An cois gach òrain gheibhear ìomhaigh a’ comharrachadh chladaichean is uisgeachan brèagha na h-Alba.

Tha Fèisean nan Gàidheal, tè de shàr-bhuidhnean ealain na h-Alba, ag obair còmhla ri eòlaiche òran Gàidhlig, Jo NicDhòmhnaill, airson an goireas a chur ri chèile, anns am bi fiosrachadh inntinneach eachdraidheil ionadail, agus am measg nan seinneadairean a tha na lùib, tha feadhainn a ghlèidh buinn òir a’ Mhòid Nàiseanta, Cristin NicCoinnich, Ruairidh MacCarmaig agus Jenna Chuimeanach, gach ball den triùir seinn, Sian, (Eilidh NicCarmaig, Ceitlin Lilidh agus Ellen Dhòmhnallach) agus Iain Mac a’ Ghobhainn bho Thrail West. Gu ruige seo, tha còrr is 40,000 duine air coimhead air na tha ann de bhidioan is de chlàraidhean air Facebook is Youtube agus chan eil am pròiseict ach letheach slighe troimhe fhathast.

‘S e a tha sa ghoireas, a fhuair taic bho Riaghaltas na h-Alba, ach leudachadh air goireas nan òran ‘Fuaran’ aig Fèisean nan Gàidheal a chuireadh air chois gus ginealach ùr de luchd-labhairt is luchd–seinn na Gàidhlig a bhrosnachadh a bhith a’ rannsachadh is a’ cruinneachadh òrain Ghàidhlig sa cheàrnaidh aca fhèin. Uile gu lèir thèid 52 òran a chur ris a’ ghoireas a tha seo a tha sìor-fhàs, 51 bho ar dualchas saidhbhir fhèin de dh’òrain Ghàidhlig agus cuideachd thèid coimisean a bhuileachadh air òranaiche Gàidhlig oran ùr a dhèanamh airson cuspair nan Cladaichean is nan Uisgeachan a chomharrachadh.

Thuirt an Leas-Phrìomh-Mhinistear, Iain MacSuibhne BPA: “Tha cànainean is cultar na h-Alba riamh air a bhith ceangailte ri muir is tìr agus tha mi a’ dèanamh fiughair ris a’ ghoireas seo bho Fhèisean nan Gàidheal mar thaic do Bhliadhna nan Cladaichean is nan Uisgeachan.  Tha mi cinnteach nach ann a-mhàin gu leas ar n-òigridh a tha ann am foghlam tron Ghàidhlig a bhios e ach cuideachd  do dhaoine aig baile is thall thairis aig a bheil suim nar cultar.”

Thuirt Calum Ailig MacMhaoilein, Manaidsear Leasachaidh Fèisean nan Gàidheal, “Tha sinn letheach slighe tro ar pròiseict Cladaichean is Uisgeachan a-nis, le clàradh ùr de gach òran, ceangal gu seann chlàraidhean, faclan, eachdraidh is fiosrachadh air an àite às a bheil na h-òrain bho thùs agus ceangal chun nam Fèisean anns na h-àiteachan sin.

Tha sinn cho fortanach gu bheil sinn ag obair còmhla ri Jo NicDhòmhnaill air a’ phròiseict seo, leis cho fiosrach eòlach ‘s a tha i, leig sin leatha co-chruinneachadh luachmhor ùr de dh’òrain a thoirt dhuinn a bhios na ghoireas air leth do sheinneadairean is do luchd-teagaisg mar aon. Bha e sgoinneil fhèin na seinneadairean eadar-dhealaichte a bha an lùib a’ phròiseict seo a chluinntinn agus tha mi an dòchas  gum brosnaich seo iadsan is feadhainn eile am barrachd a sheinn.”

Thuirt Jo NicDhòmhnaill: “ ‘S e toileachas is urram a tha ann dhomh a bhith ag obair còmhla ri Fèisean nan Gàidheal air a’ phròiseict seo. Tha dìleab mhìorbhaileach de dh’òrain againn ann an Gàidhlig ach chan eil e daonnan furasta lorg fhaighinn orra, gu h-àraidh do dh’òganaich. Thug e toil-inntinn dhomh cuideachadh le bhith a’ cur tuilleadh den stòras shaidhbhir òran seo nan tairgse agus b’ e cothrom sgoinneil a bha anns a’ chuspair, Cladaichean is Uisgeachan, airson cuid de na sàr-òrain a chur an cèill agus ulaidhean ùra a thoirt am bàrr.”

Airson tuilleadh fiosrachaidh mun ghoireas agus airson òrain na seachdain a chluinntinn, feuch gun tadhail sibh air https://www.feisean.or/fuaran no www.facebook.com/feisean


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