Blas 2005: Daimh, Rachel Walker, Melanie Simpson, Fèis Rois Cèilidh Trailers

5 Sep 2005 in Festival, Gaelic, Highland, Music

Pavilion, Strathpeffer, 3 September 2005

Daimh.

THE BLAS FESTIVAL is described as ‘Celebrating Highland Music’, and the concert in the Strathpeffer Pavilion on Saturday night definitely lived up to that description. With BBC Radio nan Gaidheal presenter Morag Dòmhnallach keeping the programme flowing as Bean an Taighe , we were also assured from the first minute that Gaelic would indeed be ‘at the heart of the festival’.

Blas is Gaelic for ‘taste’ or ‘flavour’, as the small tent cards placed at each table informed us, and the entertainment provided did indeed give the audience a broad spectrum of Highland music styles.

The program began with a short presentation from Morag about the Gaelic language, illustrated by PowerPoint. Each concert in the Blas Festival will be preceded by this presentation, designed to increase the awareness of Gaelic to all those in the audience, and as much as possible of the introductions are to be bi-lingual.

The first group to take the floor were the Fèis Rois Cèilidh Trailers, fresh from their summer programme of events throughout Ross-shire. It was particularly refreshing to see these young people start their set with an a capella waulking song in horseshoe formation in front of the stage.

Young musicians are often much maligned these days for only wanting to play fast, faster and even faster tunes, and their traditional interpretations of Gaelic song, including the popular ‘An t-Alltan Dubh’ from Ross-shire itself, with Katie Mackenzie on lead vocals, were a delight to hear.

The group continued with tight sets of tunes from Eilean Green and Angus Binnie on pipes, guitar from Chris Rasdale and Ruaraidh Campbell (also on piano), clàrsach from Katie Mackenzie, fiddle from Fiona Dalgetty, Eilean Green and Catriona Ramsay, and accordion from Roya Maclean.

Many of these young people are destined to have successful musical careers, and it was particularly heartening to hear the amount of Gaelic which they used in their introductions.

If the rest of Blas is as enjoyable as this concert, then the organisers and funders should have nothing to fear for its future

The programme continued with beautiful Gaelic singing from Rachel Walker, freshly back in business after taking a break to have a baby at the end of last year. She was joined in several of her songs by her sister Abigail and Katie Mackenzie, supporting with effective harmony singing.

Rachel performed several of her songs from her successful album ‘Braigh Loch Iall’, including the haunting ‘Caluim Sgaire’. She was very sympathetically accompanied by guitarist Ross Martin. We look forward to the new album which she is working on at present.

Melanie Simpson of Evanton performed several sparkling sets on box together with fiddler Graeme Scott and Brian Ó hEadhra on guitar. Melanie has a very relaxed style of performing and the audience warmed to her music instantly. Although Melanie is not a singer, Brian sang a Gaelic song accompanied by the two musicians.

This set was followed by the high energy performances from Dàimh (Gaelic for ‘kinship’). This popular group, consisting of musicians from Scotland, Cape Breton, California and Ireland, had the Pavilion rocking on its rafters by the end of the evening, both with laughter and music.

From beautiful old forgotten Gaelic slow airs, rollicking ‘slow reels’ from Cork, and bubbling fast reel after reel, we were treated to the whole gamut of their repertoire. Dàimh are not just a band – they are an ‘experience’, and one not to be missed wherever they are performing as part of Blas or anywhere else.

If the rest of Blas is as enjoyable as this concert, then the organisers and funders should have nothing to fear for its future – the feeling of a ‘Pan’ festival, on the model of Celtic Colours in Cape Breton, was beginning to be very much part of the atmosphere and many of the audience were discussing the next concerts they were going to.

One excited audience member was heard to say “That’s the best £11 I have ever spent”. Testimony indeed . Gu math thèid leibh uile, Blas!

Fiona MacKenzie is the Mairi Mhor Gaelic Song Fellow.