Village Hall, Rogart, 8 September 2005

Rona Lightfoot.

‘AN TOBAR’ is the Gaelic for ‘spring’ or ‘well’ and this concert, part of the Blas Festival, showcased just how deep the well of Gaelic Culture is.

In marked contrast to most of the other Blas events, the line-up for the evening did not include any of the young and up-and-coming traditional music performers in Scotland today.

Fiddle legend Angus Grant, Glenuig master of pipes Allan Macdonald, Fergie Macdonald, the ‘wee man of the red socks’, Rona Lightfoot ‘of the Stories’, and exiled Gaelic singer Cathy Ann Macphee combined to present a programme of music, song and stories in the traditional fashion of a ‘taigh cèilidh’ (house cèilidh).

The almost capacity audience of mainly local people certainly warmly appreciated the traditional flavour of the entertainment, singing along with many of the Gaelic songs on offer. From this aspect, the programme was very well tailored to the potential audience.

No place tonight for fast and furious fiddle tunes, footstompin’ guitar and box music, or skirling contemporary pipe sets. Rather, we heard gentler and more exposed solos on button box and fiddle, haunting songs from Allan Macdonald, self accompanied on small pipes, hypnotic waulking songs from Rona Lightfoot, and great puirt sets from Cathy Ann.

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It is great to see programmes such as this being taken to the more remote parts of the Highlands through Blas

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Stories abounded from Fergie and Rona, each in their own inimitable style – indeed we began to wonder where some of these stories were going to lead, just as they would in a real taigh cèilidh. Rona Lightfoot acted as Bean an Taighe for the evening, dispensing with the modern technology of PowerPoint presentations (as in the other Blas events) in favour of good old notes on paper.

In terms of slickness and tight musical sets, a presentation such as An Tobar might perhaps have been lost in a venue such as Eden Court, but was put together perfectly for Rogart Village Hall.

It is great to see programmes such as this being taken to the more remote parts of the Highlands through Blas – the performers seemed to enjoy the chance to relax and perform in an informal manner as much as the audience enjoyed their music and story.

Fiona Mackenzie is the Mairi Mhor Gaelic Song Fellow.

© Fiona Mackenzie, 2005