An extravaganza of piping and much more besides is guaranteed when Blas 2011 takes over Eden Court Empire on Saturday, September 10 on the opening weekend of the festival.

Blas 2011 organisers have assembled a huge a huge variety of top-class performers, enabling them to further enhance the reputation  of what has become a notable fixture in every festival-goers’ calendar.

In “Celebrating the Regal pipe”, Blas 2011 has assembled a stellar cast of top-class pipers with two of the MacDonald brothers of Glenuig, Allan and Dr Angus, in their own inimitable style, leading the charge with panache.  Their supporting cast features Mairearad Green, Seudan and the prodigious talents of Oban High School Pipe Band, who were crowned World Junior Champions in 2011.

No surprise there then as their tutor is none other than one of the world’s best himself, Angus McColl, Silver Chanter winner and no stranger to Eden Court and championship piping having yet again annexed the prestigious Clasp at the most recent Northern Meetings at the start of the month.

Blas 2011 is a key part of the Year of Scotland’s Islands initiative and on the opening evening, Friday, September 9, will feature a new commission – Heisgeir – from Gaelic singing sensation Julie Fowlis in the Phipps Hall, Beauly, as well as a series of Islands Cèilidhs featuring some of our best-loved Gaelic singers performing in village halls across the Highlands.

“Heisgeir” will open Blas 2011 in the Phipps Hall, Beauly, on Friday 9 September.  Thereafter Julie and Co will move to Torridon Community Hall on Saturday 10th, Dornoch Cathedral on Sunday 11th and St Mary & St Finnan’s Church in Glenfinnan on Monday 11th.

Lochaber’s opening Friday night will feature a real Highland Cèilidh in Roybridge with the Glenfinnan Cèilidh Band  – Iain MacFarlane, Ingrid Henderson, Dougie Hunter and Colm Ó Rua – along with young Gaelic singer Robert Roberston and a group from the local Fèis Lochabair.

The Seedboat will sail into Strontian on Saturday 10th. “Bàta an t-Sìl” will feature Gaelic singer Maggie MacInnes from Barra and Colum Sands from Ireland in a show recounting the amazing story of a vessel that used to ply between Ireland and Scotland.  Joining them at Àrainn Shuaineirt will be the Glenfinnan Cèilidh Band and Fèis Lochabair.

The Blas “House Band”, The Outside Track, will kick off in Ullapool on Friday 9th where Fèis Rois will join them. Featuring Mairi Rankin from Mabou in Cape Breton on fiddle, vocals and step-dance; Canadian Traditional Singer of the Year nominee Norah Rendell on vocals, flute and whistle; BBC Young Trad Finalist Ailie Robertson on harp and step-dance; BBC Fame Academy Winner Fiona Black on accordion; and Cillian Ó Dalaigh of Trazz on guitar, vocals and step-dance, the band will be busy throughout the time of Blas.  They will also be appearing in Portree, Invergarry, Ballachulish, Portmahomack and Poolewe.

Increased ticket sales are setting organisers up for one of the busiest festivals ever and one of the festival’s annual success stories where a limited number of tickets are still available is “The Highland Voyage”, set on the famous Jacobite Queen, which has as its regular route the dramatic setting of Loch Ness and Urquhart Castle.

The voyage and monstrous party which ensues is a wonderful evening’s entertainment with a Para Handy theme. Devised and performed by Allan MacDonald from Glenuig with guests Ian Macleod and Russell Hunter, the annual cruise down Loch Ness on Friday September 9, with an appropriate level of culinary excellence provided by The Red Poppy, is always a must-have ticket for Blas aficionados.

Only 40 tickets are available for the cruise in total and should be purchased as soon as possible.  Allan has written a new piece of music especially for the evening entitled “The Jacobite Queen” which will have its first airing on the cruise.

This year’s Blas festival will deliver nearly 100 cultural events between 9 and 17 September in venues across the Highlands ranging from community halls to Inverness Airport, The Jacobite Queen cruise boat and Eden Court Theatre.

Traditional music as well as Gaelic language and song are the bedrock of the festival and, for the first time, Blas will also have a strand featuring Gaelic writers, organised in collaboration with Comhairle nan Leabhraichean – the Gaelic Books Council.

The full programme and information about several ways in which to buy tickets is available from the festival website http://www.blas-festival.com

Fèis Bhlas air a dhol gu ròlaist le ceòl na pìoba!

Tha oidhche air leth de phìobaireachd – agus na h-uibhir de ròlaist – air a ghealltainn ann an Talla-cluiche na h-Ìompaireachd, Eden Court an Inbhir Nis air a’ chiad dheireadh sheachdain de dh’Fhèis Blas 2011, oidhche Shathairne, Sultain 10. Agus chan eil sin a-nis ach beagan is seachdainn bhuainn.

Bidh Blas a’ cur air adhart faisg air 100 tachartas cultarail air feadh na Gàidhealtachd eadar 9 agus 17 Sultain ann an àiteachan cho eadar-dhealaichte ri tallaichean coimhearsnachd gu Port-adhar Inbhir Nis, air a’ bhàta Jacobite Queen agus ann an Eden Court fhèin.

Tha an Fhèis, a tha a’ comharrachadh na pìoba rìoghail, air cuireadh a thoirt do ghrunn shàr phìobairean agus luchd-ciùil na dùthcha, agus air an ceann, dithis de  na Dòmhnallaich à Gleann Ùige, Ailean agus an Dotair Aonghas. A’ cumail taic riutha bidh an sàr-phìobaire Aonghas MacColla and dèidh duaisean eile a chruinneachadh aig na Co-Chruinneachaidhean mu Thuath air a’ mhìos seo fhèin, Mairearad Green agus an còmhlan Seudan, agus pìobairean òga an Òbain, a chuir saoghal na pìobaireachd fon casan nuair ghlèidh iad an duais mar chòmhlan as fheàrr air an t-saoghal aig an ìre aig a bheil iad a’ cluich.

Tha an fhèis am bliadhna na pàirt deatamach de Bhliadhna nan Eilean agus na teis-mheadhain a’ fosgladh na Fèise am bliadhna anns a’ Mhanachainn, bidh a’ chiad choimisean ùr – Heisgeir – bhon bhana-sheinneadair chliùiteach Gàidhlig Julie Fowlis.

Chaidh Julie fhastadh airson cuirm shònraichte a dhealbh stèidhichte air eilean. Chan eil e na iongnadh seach gu bheil dlùth cheangal aice ri Eilean Heisgeir gun d’fhuair i a misneachd agus a togail ann an eachdraidh, àrainneachd agus dualchas an eilein, far nach eil duine beò an diugh, cleas iomadh eilean Gàidhealach eile. Tha Julie air innleachdan ùra agus cleachdaidhean ciùil fìor àraid a thoinneamh agus a shnìomh airson “Heisgeir” a thoirt gu buil agus thèid a lìbhrigeadh le taic bho dithis shàr neach-ciùil eile, Éamon Doorley agus Dunnchadh Siosal.

Fosglaidh cuirm “Heisgeir” Blas 2011 ann an Talla Phipps anns a’ Mhanachain, Dihaoine 9 Sultain. An uairsin bidh cothroman ann fhaicinn ann an Talla Choimhearsnachd Thoirbheartain (Disathairne 10mh), Àrd-Eaglais Dhòrnaich (Didòmhnaich 11mh) agus Eaglais Mòire agus Fhìonain ann an Gleann Fhionghain (Diluain 12mh).

Bidh cuirm an Lochabar cuideachd air a’ chiad oidhche de Bhlas 2011 agus Hooley MhicFàrlain gu bhith ann anns an Talla anns an Drochaid Ruadh.  A-measg na bhios an làthair bidh Còmhlan Ghlinn Fhionghain, an seinneadair Robert MacDhonnchaidh agus luchd-ciùil bho Fhèis Lochabair.

Bidh Bàta an t-Sìl fo sheòl oidhche Shathairne (10mh), ann an Sròn an t-Sìthein.  Air an gluasad leis an sgeulachd iongantach mun eathar a bhiodh uair a’ seòladh eadar an dachannan sinnsireil, tha Magaidh NicAonghais à Barraigh agus Colum Sands às an Dùn an Èirinn air seann òrain is òrain ùra san dà chànan fhighe còmhla, a’ sìneadh tarsainn air Sruth na Maoile, a’ toirt an dachannan gu chèile.

Airson a’ chiad turas, bidh còmhla-ciùil fa-leth a’ riochdachadh fèis Blas 2011 fad na Fèise a bho 9 Sultain.  Tha an còmhlan The Outside Track a’ cluich measgachadh de cheòl is òrain Albannach, à Canada agus an Èireann agus ri dannsa cuideachd agus tha iad air cliù a chosnadh air feadh an t-saoghail airson an làthaireachd. ‘S e meas air ceòl traidiseanta agus sannd a bhith ag ùrachadh agus a’ toirt air adhart stuth air a bhonntachadh air an dualchas a tha ceangal buill a’ chòmhlain, a bhoinneas do dh’Alba, Èireann, Ceap Breatann (le taobh ri Uidhist a Tuath) agus Vancouver. Bheir iad am blas is dreach fhèin air an fhèis agus bidh hòro-gheallaidh dha-rìreabh nan cois.

Tha còignear anns a’ chòmhlan: Mairi Rankin à Mabou ann an Ceap Breatann a bhios a’ cluich anns an t-sàr-bhuidhinn Beòlach air an fhidhill, a’ seinn agus ri dannsa; a bhana-sheinneadair Norah Rendell a chaidh a chur air adhart ann am farpais Seinneadair Traidiseanta na Bliadhna ann an Canada air duiseal, fìdeag agus a’ seinn; Ailie Robertson a bha anns a’ chuairt dheireannach de dh’Fharpais Traidiseanta a’ BhBC airson Òigridh air a’ chlàrsaich agus a’ dannsa; Fiona Black, a bhuinnig farpais Fame Academy a’ BhBC air a’ bhocsa; agus Cillian Ó Dalaigh bho Trazz le guitar, a’ seinn agus a’ dannsa.

Bidh The Outside Track a’ nochdadh aig an fhèis air feadh na Gàidhdealtachd bho Ulapul (air a’ chiad oidhche dhen Fhèis, Dihaoine 9mh) gu Port-Rìgh, Inbhir Garaidh, Baile a’ Chaolais, Port MoCholmaig agus Poll Iùbh.

Le barrachd thiogaidean gan reic airson fèis Blas 2011 na chaidh a reic an uiridh, tha a h-uile coltas ann gum bi cùisean nas beòthail na bha iad riamh. Tha cothroman ann fhathast ged tha tiogaidean a cheannach airson cuid de na tachartasan as ainmeil aig an fhèis. Chan eil cus de thachartasan Fèis Blas bliadhna sam bith a tha a’ tarraing uibhir de dh’aire agus de dh’fhèill air tiogaidean ris a’ Bhòidse Ghàidhealach, am-bliadhna air Dihaoine 9mh Sultain, far a bheil Ailean Dòmhnallach à Gleann Ùige a’ cur a stamp fhèin air turas cho eireachdail sa tha air a’ Ghàidhealtachd, sìos Loch Nis, seachad air Caisteal agus Gleann Urchadain air a’ bhàta Jacobite Queen.

Tha Ailean air turas na bliadhna seo a dhealbh a’ leantainn cuid de ne h-eisimpleirean agus feallsanachd a bh’ aig an sgiobair ainmeil Para Handy, agus ‘s ann dhà a thigeadh. Tha e air seata a chur air dòigh airson an turais agus a’ cumail taic ris bidh Iain MacLeòid agus Russell Mac an t-Sealgair. Agus a bharrachd air sin, tha Ailean air ceòl ùr a chruthachadh a dh-aona-ghnothach airson an turais – “The Jacobite Queen” – a bhios e a’ cluich gu poblach airson a’ chiad uair oidhche Haoine.

Gheibhear fiosrachadh mu phrògram na fèise gu lèir agus diofar dhòighean air tiocaidean a cheannach bho làrach-lìn na fèise http://www.blas-festival.com

Source: Fèisean nan Gàidheal