Carrbridge Village Hall, 5 September 2007

The Hendersons (l-r: Megan, Ewan, Ingrid, Allan) .

YOU MIGHT be forgiven for thinking that a mid-week evening concert in early September in the midgie ridden Highlands might not be the most attractive option for many, but this concert proved a great attraction to both locals and visitors alike, and the beautiful old village hall was packed to the gunnels.

This was a celebration of Cross-Atlantic Common Culture, illustrating the true meaning of the Gaelic word ‘Clan’ – children, family and community. The first half of the evening was led by the Clan MacNeil from Barra Glen near Iona, on Cape Breton. Rod C. MacNeil is one of Cape Breton’s greatest tradition bearers and a truer Highland Gentleman you never did meet.

Now in his 83rd year, Rod kicked off the set with a gentle Gaelic song, one which we know well here, ‘Eirich ‘s tiugainn leam’. Yes, there are more “beautiful” Gaelic singers around, but there are not so many who sing the songs with the genuine feeling that comes from the heart. You know when you listen to such singers as Rod C Macneil that you are getting ‘the real thing’.

Rod then gave the stage to his son Paul who is one of Nova Scotia’s best-known pipers. Again Paul has good honest genuine musicianship in his fingers, tunes played with feeling, learned at his fathers’ knee. Paul’s wife Tracy Dares is one of Nova Scotia’s’ finest Cape Breton-style pianists, and together the couple gave us some fine sets of tunes on piano and fiddle, a combination not so often heard here.

Paul then joined his father in some old Gaelic love songs, relating them to the audience with stories of trees and birds and ships going aground – not so different from Scottish Gaelic love songs! Tracy also gave a fine demonstration of Cape Breton step dancing to the pipes.

The Macneils gave us a genuine, fine set of very traditional Cape Breton music, music which has the sense of family and community imbued in it.

This sense of clan or kin was only strengthened by the following performance by the Clan ‘ic Eanruig – or the well known Henderson Family from Fort William. Brought up in the heart of traditional music since they were all babies, this ensemble featured the two youngest (of seven) Hendersons, Ewan and Megan, and the two eldest, Allan and Ingrid.

They gave us sparkling sets of tunes and songs on clarsach, fiddle, piano, pipes, whistle and box, with each member playing at least 3 instruments or singing during the course of the set [Ewan modestly restrained himself to all two instruments – Ed.].

Stories from Allan kept the audience amused whilst technical problems were fixed, in that familiar, easy manner which can only come from someone who was born to perform, with the complete absence of arrogance found in many such talented performers.

All four possess fine voices, and Megan in particular gave us some lovely Gaelic songs including the traditional Skye song ‘Oran do Iain Bhreac MacLeoid’. The four musicians all totally complemented each other, not one over shadowing the others, while beautiful fiddle playing from Allan demonstrated why he is deservedly regarded as one of Scotland’s finest young fiddlers.

When we are shown what true musicianship such as this is like, we are left feeling totally satisfied and happy that the future of Gaelic and Highland music and song is very safe in the hands of such young people as the Hendersons.

As Ingrid rightly pointed out, Allan and herself have not yet allowed Ewan and Megan to produce CDs – they are too worried that the youngsters would outsell their better-known older professional siblings!

The Macneils and the Hendersons joined together in a ceilidh-style finale, with songs, step dance and tunes. A truer image of Clan could not be found – separated by the ocean these two clans may be, but they maintain a unified and true spirit of Clan culture and kinship.

Fiona MacKenzie is the Mhairi Mhor Gaelic Song Fellow

© Fiona MacKenzie, 2007

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