KENNY MATHIESON reports on a multimedia project aimed at bringing together the music, history, characters and scenery of the Highlands and Islands.

TWO FAMILIAR figures on the Highland music scene have teamed up to launch a multilayered initiative intended to showcase not only the wealth of traditional music in the Highlands and Islands, but also the people and places that lie behind the music.
Singer and broadcaster Mary Ann Kennedy and Nick Turner, who runs the Watercolour recording studio in Ardgour and manages Inverness band The Lush Rollers, formed Miraculous Productions to see through the first installment of an idea born on a sailing trip on Loch Shiel.

“The whole thing started when Nick and I went on a cruise on the MV Sileas,” Mary Ann explained, “the boat skippered by Jim Michie that plies Loch Shiel. We were both bowled over with the enthusiasm and the love and the genuine in-depth knowledge that we got from Jim.
 “It dawned on us that it all fitted with the spirit of the place and the people and the musicians there. Glenfinnan is one of those places with an amazing concentration of musicians, both professionals and those just playing for the love of it.”

 That initial enthusiasm translated itself into an ambitious project which involved an audio CD (released in March), a pair of associated radio programmes broadcast on Radio Scotland, and a web site.

 “At first it was just going to be something to pass the time,” Mary Ann laughed, “a nice wee project to do in between other jobs. The more we talked about it to people, the more excited they got as well, and it mushroomed from that! We realised it could be a wee project just for fun, or it could be a way to make a big noise about something we really cared about. There is something special going on here, and this seemed an appropriate way to celebrate both the music and the place in one project.”

 Appropriately, Loch Shiel is the subject of the first CD in the series. The audio CD, “Highlands and Islands Vol 1: Loch Shiel”, contains music by artists like Cliar, Iain MacFarlane and Iain MacDonald, Blazin’ Fiddles, and Jim Hunter, interspersed with anecdotes, stories and recitations recorded on board the Sileas. The radio programme featured a similar mix, but with shorter clips from the music and an expanded narrative, including contributions from local characters like Charlie MacFarlane and Jim Michie.

 The web site contains text, images and audio samples relevant to the project, while the CD also contains an enhanced CD-ROM section which can be played on your computer.
 
Although they opted for Loch Shiel as the first subject, they are determined that there is more to come.  

“We would like to develop this into a series,” Mary Ann acknowledged. “We had a great response to the first album, and we are currently planning the next one, which will be in Skye, principally based in the North-west. The plan for that one is to celebrate the legend of MacLeod’s Tables, getting into the food, the music and craic. The orginal story is on the website, and we aim to re-create it in 21st century style! 

“If that goes well, we hope to go on to places like Shetland, Uist and Tiree. These are all places where the music is central. In the longer term we would like to put together a live touring show reflecting all of this activity.”

I asked Mary Ann what made this project different from any other compilation of Highland music, or from the run-of-the-mill tourist-oriented videos already available?

“It’s real,” she replied. “It’s that simple, I think, but I also think that what makes this project different is the context of place we provide for the music. We were very lucky in finding the people we did in Glenfinnan. They were so generous with their stories and expertise. The challenge will be to find a similar trigger in each place. It will be there somewhere, though, and when we find it, that will be the key to how we do that particular project.

“There is no doubt that these projects are a lot of work,” Mary Ann admitted, “but unlike many of the things I’ve been involved in, we had the luxury of being able to plan it properly precisely because it has been a long term project.

“It has been a big learning curve for everybody involved. We had a lot of support from funders like Scottish National Heritage and HAIL (Highlands and Island Labels), and HAIL are also involved in the distribution deal which will get us into the shops, and we hope the major record shop chains.”