MARGO MACLENNAN explains why you should be following this year’s CALEDONIAN CANAL CEILIDH TRAIL.

WELCOME to this year’s ceilidh trail! To give you an insight into what happens on the Ceilidh Trail, here are some interesting snippets of news on this year’s trail.  I hope this might entice you to come along and join in with the music song and dance on the road from Inverness down to Fort Augustus, and from Whitebridge to Dores.

The Caledonian Canal Ceilidh Trail came out of an idea from Beatrice Clark at British Waterways Board.  Beatrice is their Business Development Co-ordinator, and when we had a meeting in February 2002 she suggested trying to organise a ceilidh using an old boat called “The Muriel” which she had hoped would be berthed on the Locks at Fort Augustus.

Adrian Clark, the Highland Council’s Arts Officer, and I had been aware of the huge success of the Fèis Rois ceilidh trail.  This trail had been working for two years so we had a concept to start from, with a great deal of help and advice from Rita Hunter and her team.  From this idea of a ceilidh on board a boat it grew into a four -week ceilidh trail.

The team this year is made up of seven young musicians.  The leaders are Susan MacFayden, our music organiser, who plays the box and bagpipes, and the road manager, David Armit (who by chance is learning to play the whistle!).  The team is completed by the two main fiddlers, Rhuariadh Macmillan and Sarah Barbour, Matthew Maclennan on the accordion, Alasdair Macleod on congas & djembe drums, and Mary Sommerville on clarsach.

All of the talented musicians play two or more instruments and some can step dance and sing traditional Scots songs. Another first timer on the trail is Vincent Viblanc a young French student who enjoys playing Scottish Music (on flute, whistle and guitar) more than his own country’s traditional music. Not forgetting, Mark Thow — although he is blind, Mark has managed to learn to play 13 different instruments very skilfully (but not all at the same time!)

On the trail he plays bagpipes, keyboard and a mean tenor saxophone.  His rendition of Scott Skinner’s “Hector the Hero” on the sax makes the hair on the back of my neck stand up. The tour starts with their first gig in Hootanannys in Inverness on 15 July.

It is the 200th anniversary of the Caledonian Canal, and to help celebrate this special occasion the Clyde Cruising Club is having a Muster of 135 small craft at Fort Augustus on 16 July 2003, and the ceilidh band have been invited to perform at this auspicious occasion.  Talking about boats, the barge “Fingal” will be hosting an onboard ceilidh for their guests, and Vincent Savonna’s “Lord of the Glens” has invited the full team back again to perform for his guests.

The team is to go onboard at Laggan Locks and sail up to Fort Augustus on Thursday 14 August 2003.  If you are in that area it will be a wonderful sight watching the “Lord of the Glens” coming down the locks and listening to the traditional music coming from on board.

Finally, on Friday afternoons catch the 2pm sailing of the Jacobite Queen, from Tomnahurich Locks to Urquhart Castle and enjoy listening to some traditional music.

Back on dry land on Monday afternoons at 4pm for one hour, you can hear the team playing in Falcon Square. They will split up into trios and quartets depending on the size of the venue that they are working in.  If you enjoy Ceilidh Dancing then the full team will be playing at the Clansman Hotel on Monday 22 July, 4 August and 11 August 2003.

Inchnacardoch Hotel is putting on another “Scottish evening” for their residents and any guests that would like to come along and join in.  They are offering an evening of “Scottish Fare” at an extremely reasonable rate for a three course dinner.   Informal sessions were a great success at Whitebridge Hotel, the venue was small and the full team performed there last year, catch them again on 30 July and 13 August 2003.
One little gem that we have found to work in this year is the small 150-seat theatre in Loch Ness Lodge Hotel.  This auditorium has theatre style seating, lighting and an “open stage area”.  Two of the events will be a performance ceilidh/concert style offering the young musicians an opportunity to perform to an appreciative audience.

The local radio station “Loch Ness FM” has moved out of the old primary schools’ broom cupboard, and Neil Ferguson (the organiser) has promised the team a slightly larger classroom to broadcast from this year!

The Caledonian Canal Ceilidh Trail runs from 15 July to 15 August 2003. Come along and join in the fun and take part in the exciting experience of the Caledonian Canal Ceilidh Trail.

The Caledonian Canal Ceilidh Team will also launch proceedings after the official opening of the Tulloch’s Traditonal Music Tent by Provost Bill Smith at the Inverness Highland Games on Saturday 19 July 2003.

This is the third year of sponsorship from local builders, Tulloch Homes, for the Traditional Music Tent.  Thanks to Gerry Reynolds for organising sponsorship. Andy Ross of Moray Firth Radio hosts the music tent, which runs from 1pm-4pm.

This year’s international guests will be The Tam O’Shanter Dancers from White Rock, British Columbia, Canada, and young Swedish duo Nina Andberg and Mattias Perez.

Margo Maclennan is the Traditional Music Co-ordinator in Highland Council’s Community Learning & Leisure Service (01463 724314).

© Margo Maclennan, 2003