Forward Movement for the Gaelic Choral Tradition

FIONA MACKENZIE outlines exciting plans for a new National Gaelic Choir of Scotland

THE YEAR OF Highland Culture in Scotland in 2007 will see the emergence of many exciting arts projects and performances throughout Scotland, and one of the most exciting will be the establishment of Scotland’s first National Gaelic Choir.

In my job as the Mairi Mhor Gaelic Song Fellow for Highland Council, it is part of my remit to promote and develop interest and participation in Gaelic Singing throughout the country.

I first really thought of the idea of a National Choir when I was at the Royal National Mod in Perth in October 2004. There is now an established tradition for all the Gaelic Choirs participating at the Mod to assemble on the last morning and have a Massed Choir sing. This is always a truly memorable event and there are now many people who attend the Mod on the last day, just to hear the massed choirs.

Perth proved to be a particularly memorable example. The choirs – and we are talking of about 400 singers – assembled outside the St Johns Kirk in the middle of the city, and the acoustics proved so superb that as I stood amongst them, I thought “This sound is fantastic – its such  a  shame that we only hear it once a year. There should be some sort of National Choir”.

On my return I contacted Bruce Robertson, Director of Education, Culture and Sport and asked him what he thought of the idea.  He replied saying that he thought it was a fantastic idea and to speak to the Director of Highland 2007, Fiona Hampton. Fiona has been exceptionally supportive of the idea, and we are now working very closely together on initial plans for the establishment of the choir in the next few months.

“… it will not merely be an extension of a traditional Mod choir but a choir with its own personality.”

In the meetings we have had to date, the idea has been welcomed by the organisers of Highland 2007, which aims to showcase the best of Highland Culture to Scotland and the rest of the world, and also leave cultural and economic legacies which will benefit the area in the future.

It is envisaged that the Choir will be the focus for a whole series of all kinds of Gaelic-related events marking the event in 2007. We have identified a future conductor in Gaelic singer, musician and broadcaster, Mary Ann Kennedy. Mary Ann already has the success of the massed choir project “Lasair Dhe” under her belt as well as other extensive musical and conducting experience.

Mary Ann and myself are both keen to work on locating composers and arrangers who will create new works, perhaps new arrangements of old songs as well as entirely new works, which will remain sensitive to Gaelic and the Gaelic Culture. I see this aspect of the Choir’s birth as playing a very important part in establishing a Gaelic legacy for the culture.

We are also both keen to establish the Choir’s OWN identity, in that it will not merely be an extension of a traditional Mod choir but a choir with its own personality. Mary Ann is also keen to give the Choir its own very visible identity-without too much use of the traditional ‘tartan and white blouse’ image of Mod choirs. The Gaelic Choir has had a very traditional, almost Victorian image for too long, and this is an opportunity for us to show people that Gaelic Choral singing can be forward and positive thinking as well as having a culture rooted firmly in the past.

“This is a very exciting project which has many potential benefits for Scotland”

My job is to make Gaelic singing as accessible as possible to as many people as possible and I believe that this is one way of helping to achieve this. This is to  be a choir without geographical or social limitations. I will be looking for representatives from all the Gaelic choirs in Scotland and there are about 40 choirs in Scotland, so we are aiming to have a choir of about 200 strong.

It will not be an easy project to achieve and there will be many difficult logistical challenges to overcome, mainly due to the geography. We will aim to have regional rehearsals, reinforced by CDs of repertoire and then intensive periodic central rehearsals before performances. Nobody said it would be easy!

However, I believe that we cannot let these difficulties stop us. It is envisaged that the Choir will act as musical and Gaelic ambassadors for Scotland, particularly in 2007, but also in the run up to the Year of Highland Culture itself. There will be opportunities for the Choir to represent Scotland abroad as well as at home, perhaps at events such as Tartan Day and Celtic Colours. However, we will also be having showcase events for the Choir itself, at home, both in the Highlands but also at a national level, in Edinburgh and Glasgow.

This is a very exciting project which has many potential benefits for Scotland – economically, socially, for tourism and sponsorship, as well as for the culture itself. There are many practical details which have to be ironed out over the next few months, but I believe that this is too good an opportunity to pass up on – to have a new Gaelic tradition taking centre stage, alongside older Gaelic traditions, in a feast of Highland Culture throughout 2007.

Suas leis a’Ghàidhlig!

© Fiona MacKenzie, 2005