Old Fruitmarket, Glasgow, Saturday 22 January 2011

FÈIS ROIS has much to celebrate in this its Silver Jubilee year, and this gigantic gathering of players and Gaelic singers at Celtic Connections proudly showcased the tremendous range and depth of the work it has produced since it began in 1986.

Around 50 young people came to that first weekend, and since then thousands more throughout Scotland have learnt to play a galaxy of traditional instruments, to sing Gaelic songs, to step dance and to write poetry and songs. Many have gone on to successful careers in the music world and the Fèis movement has grown to an all-year round phenomenon which has extended far beyond its native Ross-shire and helped to reinvigorate all aspects of Gaelic culture.

Harpist Corrina Hewat owned up to participating in the first Féis Rois 25 years ago

Four of those who came to that first Fèis were part of the twenty-five strong ensemble who filled  the Old Fruitmarket stage, but they were keeping quiet about who they were and you couldn’t really tell. Only Musical Director Corinna Hewitt (who led from behind in a sparkling phalanx of five women on clarsachs) owned up and the array of prime young talent which she had assembled was reminiscent of her Unusual Suspects band with at various times 5 accordions, 9 fiddles, 3 guitars, 3 pipes and whistles, as well as piano and percussion on stage.

Their playing was spirited and at times rousing in a series of strathspeys, jigs, reels and a waltz, some of which were composed in honour of Fèis Ros founder Kate Martin by Blair Douglas, and of its former Chairman Neil MacKechnie by accordionist John Somerville. Their versatility was also impressive with, amongst others, Rachel Walker moving easily from clarsach to Gaelic song to accordion and Dougie Beck and Alex Urquhart-Taylor excelling on bagpipes, small pipes and whistles.

Guitarist Mike Bryan, who played with considerable flair and obvious enjoyment throughout, introduced the jaunty little tune ‘Rita Hunter of Aultbea’ by saying that as their Manager from 1991 to 2008 she had done an unbelievable amount to develop Fèis Ros and had been very inspirational to many musicians when starting out.

A female quintet that included Rachels Newton and Walker sang the Ross-shire Gaelic song ‘Màiri Lagach’ with real passion, and were later joined by Fèis Ros Ambassador Julie Fowlis for a lively puirt-a-beuil. It was a pity that she was so underused, contributing only one solo performance to the show; another song or two from her and some step dancing would have provided some elements of contrast to the highly proficient ensemble playing.

Fiona Dalgetty, Feis Rois manager and Julie Fowlis, Feis Rois's first ambassador

During the puirt-a-beuil, Aonghas MacNeacail could be seen prowling the long, dark corridor beside the stage like some bardic bear in his lair before emerging with a navy bunnet clamped to his mighty white thatch and read a poem in Gaelic, ‘Òran an Fhèis’ (Song of the Fèis), which came out of a creative writing class he had led at a Fèis in 2007.

The beautiful music by his niece Anna-Wendy Stevenson which accompanied him, and the line in the poem “anns gach oisein dhen sgire bha ceòl: in every corner of the parish there was music” must have gladdened the heart of Culture Minister Fiona Hyslop, who was present.

Another feature of the work of Fèis Ros which has wide political appeal is its work with young people, with additional support needs like those of St Clement’s School in Dingwall who performed in the first half. Led by James Ross on piano, Mairearad Green on fiddle, Alpha Munro on percussion and fiddle, and conducted by Matilda Brown of Drake Music, they played ‘High Five’ and ‘Spring March’, two pieces which emerged from improvisational workshops in their school. Matilda conducted the six teenagers in playing specially designed pitched instruments which were activated by their hand movements and outstretched arms wafting the air to create percussion and electronic sounds.

They were finely accompanied by some of the young musicians from the current Ceilidh Trail, who tour some 20 performances round the Highlands and Islands and Festivals in Ireland, England and Wales each summer over a four week period. Occasional sounds of birds and running water and a recording of a girl (from a special needs project in Dingwall) singing punctuated the music.  Unfortunately some of the performance was uneven, and in my view the Feis’s decision to include it was the wrong one. Nonetheless, this was clearly a very worthwhile project which must have done wonders for the youngsters’ self-esteem and their enjoyment and confidence in making music, but it did raise issues about whether it reached the standard required to showcase it at this level.

That said, there is no doubt that Fèis Rois is in good heart and that all those who have taken it from small beginnings to its current colossal stature in the world of traditional music have every right to feel proud of their achievement. Slàinte to its next 25 years!

© Norman Bissell, 2011

Links

• Fèis Rois
• Celtic Connections