Having got Blas 2011 off to the best-ever opening weekend in terms of attendance numbers and range of performances, the festival’s continued success through an packed week has left audiences throughout the Highlands and Islands clamouring for more.

From the hugely successful first weekend which was marked by a string of sell-out performances delivered to critical acclaim right through to Saturday night’s finale in Eden Court Theatre, the audience response to the seventh festival’s programme of events has been described by festival organisers as “magnificent”.

Speaking after the Grand Finale, which he hosted, Arthur Cormack of Fèisean nan Gàidheal, who organise the festival said: “There have been a number of notable achievements throughout this week from the opening night with Julie Fowlis’ new commission Heisgeir, right through to today and tonight with the dramatic scenes at the shinty cup final where Fèis Cèilidh Trailers were part of the entertainment, Blas 2011 has been a tremendous success. These are challenging times for arts organisations throughout the Highlands but Blas 2011 has proved that with appropriate levels of support from key organisations such as The Highland Council and Creative Scotland, it is possible to produce a series of events which will command the audience’s attention. We hope we can do it all again in 2012.”

Donna MacRae, Director of Blas 2011 added: “This year’s festival has been innovative, imaginative and inspiring. We have involved local suppliers and their food and drink produce at events; provided local talent with a platform to showcase their skills alongside some of the most popular traditional musicians in the world and built new relationships with organisers and 400 volunteers which has seen us stage events selling out at numerous venues from Lochaber to the top of the Cairngorms, from Wick to the waters of Loch Ness. Our opening Friday night in particular was unprecedented with four out of six shows sold out. This is all a great tribute to theartistes themselves, the volunteers who have helped stage everything behind the scenes and indeed to the audiences who have continued to back Blas as a concept which delivers the high quality events across a wide range of venues involving a stellar lists of performers. We are very proud of the fact that we attracted sell-out audiences. It might be difficult to top this but we are up for the challenge of surpassing what we have achieved when we deliver Blas 2012.”

This year’s Blas festival staged nearly 100 cultural events between 9 and 17 September throughout the Highlands and Islands including a comprehensive schools programme organised by Lynn Johnston of The Highland Council. Traditional music as well as Gaelic language and song are the bedrock of the festival and, for the first time, Blas also featured Gaelic writers, in collaboration with Comhairle nan Leabhraichean (the Gaelic Books Council) and Acair.  Early online responses show that the way in which Gaelic is used at Blas enhances the experience for audience members.

Blas 2011 celebrated the Year of Scotland’s Islands with a series of “Island Cèilidhs” and the Julie Fowlis “Heisgeir” commission, showcasing some of the best known Gaelic singers from the islands along with great traditional accompaniment.

Thòisich Blas 2011 le brag is chìochnaich an seachdamh fèis air an deireadh sheachdain le othail is ròlaist aig cuairt dheireannach cupa na camanachd agus cuirm-criochnachaidh na fèise ann an Ionad na h-Ìompaireachd ann an Eden Court an Inbhir Nis, agus gu leòr a bharrachd air feadh na Gàidhealtachd oidhche Shathairne.

Eadar dà cheann na seachdain, eadar coimiseans ùra agus luchd-ciùil eadar-nàiseanta a’ cluich no a’ seinn bho mhullach nam beann gu meadhan Loch Nis, chuir Blas 2011 dreach ùr air ealain na Gàidhealtachd is nan Eilean agus fiamh a’ ghàire air luchd-tadhail, cha mhòr gun àireamh   Agus tha stiùirichean na fèise ag ràdh gu bheil an teachdaireachd a thathas air a bhith a’ faotainn bho thall sa bhos a’ dearbhadh gur ann bho neart gu neart a tha Blas a’ dol.

An dèidh cuirm-criochnachaidh na fèise, thuirt Art MacCarmaig bho Fhèisean nan Gàidheal, a tha a’ stiùireadh na fèise, agus a bha na Fhear an Taighe: “Tha grunn thachartasan aig fèis na bliadhna seo a bha os cionn chàich airson iomadh adhbhar agus chan eil sin an dòigh sam bith a’ cur sìos air gnothach sam bith eile. Bhon dh’fhosgail Julie Fowlis an fhèis anns a’ Mhanachain oidhche h-Aoine seo chaidh le “Heisgeir”, tron t-seachdain air fad, tha daoine air a bhith a’ comharrachadh cuirmean agus tachartasan a bha nan tarraing mhòr, leithid camanachd an deireadh sheachdain seo le na Ceilidh Trailers a’ cumail ceòl ri na camain, a’ dearbhadh dhuinn gun do shoirbhich leinn fad dheich latha, agus chan ann dìreach le aon thachartas a bha os cionn chàich.”

Thuirt stiùiriche nas fèise, Donna NicRath: “Bha an fhèis am bliadhna ùr na dreach is na dòigh. Bha Blas 2011 adhartach agusmisneachail anns a h-uile dòigh. Chaidh sinn an co-bhuinn ri luchd a’ bhidhe agus stuth eile airson fàilte a chur air luchd-amhairc is èisteachd le deagh bhiadh is blas na Gàidhealtachd; thug sinn an cothrom do dh’òigridh na sgìre gu h-àraidh an tàlantan fhoillseachadh air àrd-ùrlar ùr còmhla ri cuid dhen luchd-ciùil as fheàrr air an an t-saoghal, agus thog sin ceanglan ùra le buidhnean agus tro cho-oibreachadh le suas gu 400 neach gar cuideachadh gu saor-thoileach, rud a bha ionmholta. Thug sin an cothrom dhuinn tachartasan a chur air adhart bho mhullach nam beann gu talaichean coimhearsnachd; bho mheadhan Loch Nis gu Inbhir Ùige agus tallaichean air feadh na Gàidhealtachd làn chun nan tobhtaichean. Airt a’ chiad oidhche dhen fhèis bha ceithir a-mach às na sia tachartasan luma-làn agus cha do thachair sin riamh roimhe.  Tha seo na theisteanas air an rinneadh a’ deisealachadh agus a’ lìbhirgeadh a’ phrògraim agus tha an luchd-amhairc is èisteachd air dearbhadh dhuinn gu bheil sinn a’ cur biadh air a bhòrd a tha a’ còrdadh riutha agus gu bheil na fhuair iad air am fàgail acrach son tuilleadh.  Tha sinn  moiteil gun urrainn dhuinntallaichean a lìonadh. ‘S dòcha nach bi e furasta an aon mhullach a ruighinn a-rithist gun spàirn, ach tha sinne deiseil son feuchainn, chionn ‘s e anail a’ Ghàidheil agus luchd-obrach Blas, am mullach.”

Chaidh faisg air 100 tachartas a lìbhrigeadh tron fhèis uile gu lèir eadar 9 agus 17 Sultain air feadh na Gàidhealtachd is nan Eilean. le prògram sgoiltean air a chruthachadh le Lynn NicIain bho Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd.  ‘S ann air ceòl traidiseanta a tha an fhèis stèidhichte taobh ri taobh leis a’ Ghàidhlig agus, airson a chiad uair, bha Blas 2011 a’ co-oibreachadh còmhla ri Comhairle nan Leabh aichean agus am foillsichear Acair airson inbhe ùr a thoirt do litreachas.  Tha teisteanas a fhuaras mar tha air-loidhne bho dhaoine a bha an làthair aig an fhèis a’ daingneachadh mar a bha beachd a’ nochdadh gu bheil an dòigh anns am bheil Blas a’ cleachdadh na Gàidhlig a cur gu mòr ris an fhèis.

Bha Blas 2011 cuideachd a’ comharrachadh Bliadhna nan Eilean tro shreath de Chèilidhean Eileannach agus an coimisean ùr a lìbhrig Julie Fowlis, “Heisgeir”, le sàr sheinneadairean bho sgaoth de dh’eileannan a’ cur an cèill saibhreas is dualchas na sgìre, an co-bhuinn ri sàr luchd-ciùil.

Source: Fèisean nan Gàidheal