Various venues, 5-13 September 2008

Julie Fowlis (Peter Urpeth)

THE GAELIC word ‘Blas’ means literally ‘taste’ or ‘flavour’, and so the Blas Festival aims to provide a real showcase of what epitomises Highland Culture and lifestyle. Taking place over eight days in September and covering all areas of the Highlands, the Festival provides a platform for young performers from both sides of the Atlantic alongside their more established role models, in both major Arts venues and smaller community halls, schools, boats and even planes.

In this, its fourth year, the Festival, a partnership between Highland Council, Fèisean nan Gaidheal and PAN (Promoters Arts Network), staged 45 events, most of them suitable for all ages, and many of the musicians involved also visited schools throughout the Highlands to deliver a strong educational programme of workshops and master classes.

This writer ended up in Ullapool on opening night at the Cèilidh Place, in the full to capacity Clubhouse in a traditional and very relaxed evening of Gaelic song, Highland music from the Fèis Rois Cèilidh Trailers, and the complete entertainment package that is Skippinish.

Blas na Fèise at a packed Eden Court on the first Saturday evening provided a suitable ‘taste’ of what would be found throughout the Highlands in the forthcoming days and nights, and comprised a programme of performances by participants of the Feisean, The Peatbog Faeries, Dàimh, Canadian songster and virtuoso guitarist J P Cormier, and piper Fred Morrison.

They were also joined outside the venue by colourful and stirring impromptu performances by the Inverness Gaelic Choir, singing for their supper to raise money to replace their lost Zoom air tickets, on their way to Celtic Colours in Cape Breton in October. [and the Choir will go to the ball – a successful conclusion has now been reached – Ed.]

The Fèis set included the commission from Blair Douglas, ‘Dealbh Dùthcha’, which will be going on to represent the Highlands at the Liverpool City of Culture celebrations later this year. It was no wonder that the packed programme created some fairly major logistical problems for the stage crew and unfortunately, the sound for the Feisean sets in particular was at times severely hampered.

However, the young Fèis professionals did not let these problems dampen their enthusiasm and they held their own amongst their more senior and experienced ‘stage fellows’. Arthur Cormack did a sterling job keeping the audience amused in the lengthy stage re-sets, even managing to teach the chorus for a Gaelic song. The audience was kept more than happy by all the performers and there was a real buzz on exit that if the rest of Blas provided entertainment such as this, then we were in for a fantastic fortnight.

Sunday saw Dornoch Cathedral as the setting for another very relaxed and warm Cèilidh type event, again almost full to capacity, with both visitors and local people filling the pews for the programme of Highland music from the young Fèis Chataibh Trailers, and Gaelic song and clàrsach and driving rhythms from the bows, guitars, keys and many other instruments of Gizzenbriggs, under the guidance of Debbie Ross.

A peaceful and yet exciting set of performances demonstrating all that is good on the scene of young Highland talent to day, in an acoustic setting unparalleled in the area.

All Blas events have Gaelic firmly at their heart and all audience members are provided with a small card of Gaelic words and phrases which are useful and appropriate for Highland music events. At each venue, the MC or Fear (or Bean, the female equivalent) an Tàigh will take the audience through some of the words and encourage them to use (or in some cases, even sing) them. A very useful and non-threatening introduction to Gaelic for many – and this is a key element of what may contribute to the uniqueness of Blas.

Sunday evening saw another capacity audience for Julie Fowlis, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh, and JP Cormier at the Phipps Hall in Beauly. Multi-instrumentalist and singer Cormier, accompanied by his wife Hilda on keys and vocals, again gave a lively, humorous and virtuoso set which had the audience in stitches more than once. It is to be hoped that Blas will be able to bring this artist back across the Atlantic at a future Festival. It is unlikely he will be unfamiliar to audiences here for long.

The afternoon saw the launch of Fowlis’s and Nic Amhlaoibh’s new joint Gaelic/Irish venture on CD, Dual, and their Phipps set showcased material from the album – a carefully researched and meticulously presented set of material from both sides of the Irish Sea. Joined on stage by Eamonn Doorley and Ross Martin, the set was enthusiastically received by the audience, and if the volume of CDs being sold at the door afterwards is anything to go by, then the artists will have no worries about the album reviews.

The Grand Hall in Tulloch Castle was the beautiful setting on Tuesday for an evening of Cape Breton music and fine Highland piping. The Hall was again packed to capacity and could have seated more if room was available. The evening opened with a set from fine traditional singer Lewis Mackinnon, self accompanied on guitar.

Born in Cape Breton, Mackinnon is well known throughout the Canadian Provinces, Scotland and Ireland, and his music covered a wide variety of song topics, filled with a rough passion and power which he hopes will inspire future musicians and singers to take the trouble to learn the song tradition of Cape Breton, which often tends to be in the shadow the stronger fiddle, piano and step dance culture of the Island.

He was followed by the vibrant and stunning fiddle, keyboards and step dancing of two of Cape Bretons’ youngest and brightest stars of the music scene, Andrea Beaton and Kimberley Fraser. Their consummate ease on the concert platform and obvious total mastery of their disciplines belie their age, and the audience were soon foot-tapping and had there been room, would have up joining in the seemingly effortless step dancing.

After the interval the three Macdonald Brothers from Uig, Angus, Iain and Allan, took to the stage for an exhibition of fine piping – small piping, Highland bagpiping and whistle. It is hard to believe that the trio have only been playing together for less than 15 years, their sets dovetailing superbly, incorporating all the intricacies and styles of piping, both traditional and contemporary.

Back to Eden Court on Wednesday night for the varied programme of music from both Ireland and Scotland. In the short first half, the young group of Gaelic singers from Inverness, Canntaireachd, gave some fine examples of Gaelic song, in unison and harmony, and they were followed by the usual fine standard of fiddling we have come to expect from the Kiltearn Fiddlers under the guidance of Alpha Munro.

Headlining after the interval, were the world renowned Chieftains from Ireland, who provided a complete and totally engaging entertainment package, complete with some surprises. The full house were treated to some of the finest Celtic music has to offer and the addition of some high kicking Irish dancing made for a complete experience.

Gaelic singer Alyth joined the group in some of the songs taken from the show they toured with together in the US at the beginning of this year. As Alyth herself put it, they ‘started the tour with ten people who didn’t know each other very well’ and ‘finished it by knowing each other too well’… The Chieftains set ended with most of the audience joining the dancers in a Breton-style dance through the auditorium.

One of the main last events of the festival was the Music Cruise down Loch Ness on the Jacobite Princess, with more than 30 diners being serenaded by the eclectic, evocative and addictive strains of Nuala Kennedy and her band for the evening. A real Cèilidh cruise with excellent dining and some of the best views in the Highlands, this is an experience which is set to become one of the favourite and most relaxing Blas events in future years.

Nuala Kennedy and her band, who were joined by the odd singer guest, entertained the diners on the cruise down to the stunning backdrop of Castle Urquhart, and more than one guest was heard to say that they hadn’t had such fun for many years. Originally from Ireland, Nuala has established herself firmly on the Highland music scene, winning much acclaim with her album The New Shoes, and it easy to see why with her unique blend of fiery Irish reels and jigs, melded with some subtler Scottish airs and all turned out in a passionate ‘cassoulet’ of contemporary yet truly traditional fare which ignites the feet to start dancing.

So ‘Blas’ truly is a Festival of ‘Taste’ in many directions – in music, in Gaelic, in food, in countryside and nature and in Community. Originally following the model of Celtic Colours in Cape Breton, the Festival is now beginning to develop its own very unique character and personality.

Being firmly grounded in the Community, from which the roots of the music itself derive, it can only be hoped that it will be given the chance and support it needs to develop additional branches, providing a much needed boost to both the economy and the Arts scene at what is traditionally a sparse time of the year in the Highlands. Certainly as far as the Youth element is concerned we need have no worries that our future stars will be in short supply- they are already shining.

© Fiona MacKenzie, 2008

Links

• Blas Festival
• Fiona MacKenzie