Mackenzie at the Mod

FIONA MACKENZIE is the Mairi Mhor Gaelic Song Fellow, so the 100th Royal National Mod in Oban was sure to loom large in her life in October. Fiona takes a wry look at the highs and lows of a visitor-cum-competitor at the centenary celebrations.

Saturday 11 October 2003

11am. Have packed: 1 large suitcase (mine) and 1 small (his); 2 large backpacks (the boys); 1 large teenage girl’s bag (the bag that is, not the girl); 3 bags of food of the “we’re not going to take any, we’ll just get it there” variety; 1 clarsach, 1 complete kilt outfit, 3 female evening outfits ‘just in case'; 1 box of my new CD (more on that later), posters, etc; mobile phone chargers x 5, all different networks; 1 bewildered hairy dog; CD player, 1 potty, 1 toy pregnant sheep – more on that later too – and one Granny. The question is, is that dodgy exhaust going to last to Oban?

1pm. McDonalds in Fort William, required stopping place for two boys. While gesturing to him to hurry up, manage to hit myself on the nose and pour blood all over restaurant floor. That will look good on all the press photos later this week.

4 pm. Visit supermarket in Oban which is bedecked in ‘Failte dhan Obain’ banners and get all that food that we were going to get anyway. Check into rustic chalet, half way up a “romantic glen, enshrouded in soft Highland mist” which soaked us before we got to the door. Unpack, eat and collapse in front of that essential Mod viewing, Pop Idol, with a bottle of best South African restorative.

Sunday 12 October

Glen still a “haven of Highland tranquility and dewy splendour” – ie, it’s pouring. Dog has discovered the delights of chasing the resident ducks, who respond by leaving deposits all over the doorstep out side chalet. All chalet residents now have to sing, not just me, due to faulty lock on toilet door. Spend afternoon rehearsing for evening concert with recalcitrant teenage daughter who is missing shopping trip in Inverness, and taking boys tenpin bowling. Granny wanted to try it but couldn’t get the shoes on over her bunions. Evening concert of Celtic Praise sang to a somewhat larger audience than expected – actually, precisely 1000 more than expected. Gold medallists galore. Nice mix of traditonal and contemporary Celtic music with a praise element somewhere. Felt suitably uplifted and optimistic for success during the succeeding days.

Monday 13 October

Monday dawns gloriously – blue skies and no wind. Is this Oban? Check out my Mairi Mhor stand at the Trade Fair (a grand title for 4 portakabins). Stuffed with all sorts of Gaelic paraphernalia, CDs , books, T-shirts, drama groups etc. I have approximately 6 sq. feet of floor space. Daughter sings in new Traditional Competiton sponsored by Mairi Mhor Fellowship – she was wonderful of course, didn’t win but well placed. Have to round up a posse of Highland Council representatives – and Arthur Cormack – to make the presentations and have their mugshots taken. Felt like a sheepdog, keeping the flock in order. Took them to lunch (which had to be sent back as the Scampi contained no Scampi) while Granny took boys to casualty – one boy with raging fever and one with a poisoned ingrowing toe nail. Well, it wouldn’t be a Mod without a visit to the Doctor, hospital or vet. Attended childrens’ prizewinners concert in evening – Cathy Crombie resplendant in her red mini kilt and thigh length leather waders. Three posterior numbing hours later we are still there. Standard of prizewinners very high – all learners of Gaelic, but still excellent, solos, choirs, bardachd (poetry), and clarsachs – much credit to the Feis movement, I’m sure.

Tuesday 14 October

Sky still a glorious cerulean blue. Definitely not Oban in October. Daughter and son competing today – son, barely able to talk but insistent on telling his story which he wrote himself – a very traditional Gaelic tale from outermost Flodda, about a wee Swahili boy who fought a lion and killed it and became a Masai warrior. Daughter spent afternoon sussing out competition in Corran Halls, and who had the trendiest white blouse.

Launch of my new teaching resource Seinn o ho ro Seinn, a double CD set of 40 popular songs, including the spoken word (by the omnipresent Arthur Cormack) and a book of lyrics and translations, including all the Junior prescribed songs for Mod 2004 in Perth. Delighted when so many people attended. Gaelic Books Council immediately begin selling it – a lot of work went into this, hope it will be useful to teachers and competitors all over Scotland.

Caught, mid checkout, by Oban FM broadcasting live in Tesco’s – never let it be said I only perform in the biggest halls. Sang a South Uist song and watched as it was broadcast live to Lochboisdale by two Mod-goers and their mobile phones.

Meet up with our Gaelic pals from Seattle – one pregnant former Whistlebinkie (Judith Peacock) and spouse, both competing. Have rehearsal with Judith for our Humerous Dialogue sketch, written for us by Angus Peter Campbell – including prop of pregnant sheep(!). Spice (is that the plural of spouse?) find it all very amusing.

Sister arrives from Gaelic Hotbed of Mosstodloch, complete with crutches – broken ankle – to find B&B on 3rd floor.

Wednesday 15 October

My day. Feel remarkably calm. He has the nervous bowel disorders for me. Songs are well learnt, Gaelic as honed as I could make it – why does the Mod have a Gaelic adjudicator anyway for fluent competitions? If you sing in English, you don’t get marked on your pronounciation…. [mmm, controversial – ed] Observe some of the Men’s Gold competition, with some very fine knobbly knees on view. Dale from Seattle goes on to take men’s Silver Pendant – Premier Learners Competition.

Everyone all smiles and “Lovely to see you again, ciamar a tha thu?” Underneath it’s ” B****r – I was hoping she wouldn’t compete. She’s good.”

Not placed in first competition but Hurrah! Win the one I’ve wanted for years – the Oban Times Gold Medal – a veritable gong if there ever was one, but worth considerable £s. If I can’t get THE Gold Medal, the Oban Times is the next one to get. Have to perform in the street for radio for audience of 200 and the odd poodle. Decide I won’t get through to Final so don’t go back for results of Oran Mor (the Big Song) – find out later I was second to Jenna Cumming of Inverness. Fantastic! Might scrape through on aggregate??  Yes, yes, add it up, oh yes, going to get there…. Yes, yes, ……Noooooh! Miss out on a place in the final by one mark. Oh well, there’s always next year. Enjoy a lively bit of puirt a beul and away for well deserved G&T to celebrate – my winnings just paid for a round. Will the Mod ever catch up with Wimbledon-style £? [No – ed] Can relax now.

Thursday 16 October

Observe duet competition – some nice, some … unusual. Nice to see particpants from Australia and Canada as well as Seattle.  Pop in on Gold Medal Final – should have been up there…. Jenna lovely – I knew she would win, so natural. Lovely to have two Highland younsters winning together, Darren Maclean from Skye and Jenna from Inverness. Well, at least it means, she won’t be competing next year…! Halls crowded. Catering crowded and, even worse, no beer tent! But skies still blue. Humerous dialogue is successful. The adjudicator laughed all the way through – me in my tea pot hat and wrinkly stocainnean. Win first prize of £10 – buys another round. Quartet rehearsal – complex, contemporary arrangement of a new song by Beauly musician Willie Gilmour – we like a challenge…. Choir rehearsal with Inverness Gaelic Choir lasts till 11.30pm and nerves are somewhat fraught by the end. But what’s a Mod without a few tears. Hotel bars all crowded with rural choirs now celebrating after their competitions today – the Mod is definitely in town.

Friday 17 October

Lovat day – beautiful weather again. Inverness Gaelic Choir Quartet perform first thing – we got through it! Later find out we got top marks in Gaelic – didn’t win, but we enjoyed it. Haven’t seen daughter for two days – living it up with the Sabhal Mor Ostaig crew, in Mactavishes Kitchen, I think. Ladies choir perform creditably and puirt too – come second in that to Dingwall Gaelic Choir who also win ladies and men’s choirs – are they going to make it an unheard of double by winning Lovat again for 2nd year running?!  Come on – Go Sneckers go!! Nip along to Mactavishes to sing for Radio nan Gaidheals live ceilidh – great audience, and squeeze in a plug for Seinn o ho ro Seinn. Choir rehearse in sun on the front and sing well – I think we get extra marks for having a 6ft 7″ Australian conductor from Wogga Wogga. Placed 5th, just behind Dingwall in 4th place – oh dear! Honours go to Glasgow Islay Choir – lovely. Yippee that’s the work over! I have to sing at concert – maybe the Beeb will put me on this year. Late night/early morning celebrations ensue with a few gentle libations.

Saturday 18 October

Massed choirs on pier in sunshine. 500 choristers join in singing Canan nan Gaidheal – wonderful. Kenny Thomson and Hamish Menzies in fine form despite the black glasses. All ajourn for soup and sandwiches in local hotels and a final dram. There’s nothing so forlorn as a town the day the Mod finishes – a few hangers on not wanting to go home and tartan bunnets and other more unmentionable items strewing the streets. Oban has done the Mod proud, the weather’s been even better, and we survived! Roll on Perth 2004, only 51 weeks to go – we’ve got our accomodation sorted already!