Innovation, imagination and inspiration, the hallmarks of any Blas Festival, will once again be to the fore as the eighth Highlands and islands Gaelic arts extravaganza is launched.

A number of new supporters have lined up to back the event which has established itself as the premier event celebrating all that is good about the Gaelic language and culture of the Highlands.

Details of a packed programme of events, featuring top performers and a major new commission, have been revealed at the launch held (Thursday, June 21) in Eden Court, Inverness, which will again be a key venue for the festival.

Blas organisers, building on the outstanding success of last year’s events, have attracted new sponsorship from RBS and Business Gateway to enable them to build the platform for this year’s festival. The event will also be supported by The Highland Council, Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Bòrd na Gàidhlig and Creative Scotland.

Among the events that will feature at Blas 2012, taking place between September 7 and 15, are a new commission from Gaelic singer Margaret Stewart, a tribute to the late, great Calum Kennedy, a celebration of fiddle fury with Blazin’ Fiddles and Irish trio Fidil, a concert celebrating the voice with Dual, Coisir-G, singer Maeve MacKinnon and Senegalese singer Samba Sene, with further concerts featuring Breabach, Battlefield Band, Kirstan Harvey and the Sanna as well as Linda Macleod – amongst others!

Welcoming the new financial support, Arthur Cormack, Chief Executive of organisers, Fèisean nan Gàidheal, said: “We are delighted that RBS has come on board to support Blas, which takes place in many small Highland communities where they already have a presence and a track record in providing banking services. Business Gateway is also supporting us again and we are very happy to have their support for the festival and to help raise the profile of young musicians getting into self-employment, which is a key benefit of the Fèis movement in Scotland.”

Simon Watson, Head of Group Community Affairs at RBS, said: “The Blas Festival is a great celebration of Gaelic culture reaching many communities across the Highlands and RBS is proud to be supporting this year’s exciting programme of events. We look forward to being part of Blas 2012 in this the Year of Creative Scotland.”

Leader of The Highland Council, Councillor Drew Hendry welcomed the launch of the Blas 2012 programme: “Our partnership with Fèisean nan Gàidheal and others has grown from strength to strength over recent years producing the excellent Highland-wide Blas festival which celebrates our language, music and culture. Blas not only fills the growing demand for live, indigenous music but it also acts as a major economic force in our tourism sector.”

Scottish Government Minister for Learning, Science and Scotland’s languages, Alasdair Allan MSP, welcomed the Blas programme: “The Blas festival has been and remains an important means of recognising creative achievements in the Gaelic community. I am very pleased that this year’s festival will mark the Year of Creative Scotland with a new Gaelic commission ensuring that, along with its use of the language at all events, Blas remains an important part of sustaining the future of Gaelic in Scotland.”

A regular feature of Blas festivals has been new commissions. This year renowned Gaelic singer, Margaret Stewart, has been chosen to explore the theme of ‘The Highland Wedding’, through the ages. Margaret, who is currently the Gaelic Singer in Residence at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and a Gaelic Song specialist for the Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o’ Riches project, will draw on her knowledge of the genre and include songs and music of love, loss and disappointment, flirtation, wooing, night-visiting, humour and dance. The concerts will include the cream of Highland musicians including Iain MacFarlane (fiddle and button box), Ingrid Henderson (clàrsach), Allan Henderson (fiddle and piano) and Angus Nicolson (small pipes and Highland pipes).”

Andrew Dixon, Chief Executive, Creative Scotland commented: “Blas Festival is a highlight of Scotland’s festival calendar and blazes a trail for the very best in Gaelic culture and music. In this, the Year of Creative Scotland, it is simply wonderful to have someone of the calibre of Margaret Stewart working with her great love and knowledge of Gaelic song to bring to life the joy and merriment of the Highland Wedding.”

Donna Macrae, Blas Festival Director said: “We are delighted that Blas will once again feature a range of great quality events across the Highlands and, in addition to the main festival concerts, we have been working with partners to expand the Schools and Community Programme to include Gaelic films, Gaelic conversation circles, forest walks, traditional house cèilidhs, school performances and a variety of other attractions.”

Bòrd na Gàidhlig Ceannard (CEO) John Angus MacKay said: “We are once again happy to support the Blas festival, in particular the Schools Programme which involves children and young people in the Festival. The arts have an important role in increasing the visibility of Gaelic, strengthening its appeal and maintaining loyalty to the language, not only in Scotland but worldwide.”

For more information about the full programme of events and for the chance to buy earlybird tickets with significant savings up to 31 July, visit www.blas-festival.com

Misneachd is ùrachadh ann am Blas 2012

Tha misneachd, ùrachadh agus meacmeanmna air a bhith nan comharran air Fèisean Blas bhon thòisich iad agus anns an ochdamh iris, tha a’ cheart uidhir de thoileachas agus tarraing air a’ chlàr.

Tha grunn bhuidhnean air taic ùr a thoirt dhan Fhèis airson a’ chiad turas agus tha sin cuideachd na chomharradh air inbhe na Fèise mar phrìomh thachartas Gàidhlig air feadh na Gàidhealtachd.

Chaidh clàr na bliadhna seo fhoillseachadh aig cruinneachadh ann an Inbhir Nis (Diardaoin 21mh) aig Cùirt an Aodainn a thèid a chleachdadh a-rithist mar aon de na prìomh ionadan tachartais. Tha prìomh thàlantan saoghal ciùil is seinn na Gàidhlig a-rithist gu bhith an làthair, agus coimisean ùr.

Tha luchd-stiùiridh na Fèise toilichte innse gu bheil iad air luchd-taic ùra fhaighinn, a’ togail air mar a shoirbhich leis an Fhèis an uiridh. Tha RBS agus Business Gateway le chèile air taic aontachadh airson a’ chiad turas. Agus tha taic ann a-rithist bho Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd, Iomairt na Gàidhealtachd is nan Eilean, Bòrd na Gàidhlig agus Alba Chruthachail.

Bidh Blas 2012 a’ tòiseachadh air Sultain 7 agus a’ dol air adhart gu Sultain 15. A-measg na th’ air a’ chlàr am bliadhna tha coimisean ùr bhon bhana-sheinneadair Maighread Stiùbhart, cuimhneachan air an t-sàr sheinneadair Calum Ceanadach, an ceòl a’ dol feadh na fìdhle còmhla ri Blazin’ Fiddles agus an triùir Eireannach Fidil, cuirm le sàr ghuthan Dual, Maeve NicFhionghain agus a’ bhana-sheinneadair à Senegal Samba Sene, agus a bharrachd air sin cuirmean gun chrìch an cuideachd Breabach, Còmhlan Battlefield, Kristan Harvey agus an Sanna, agus Linda NicLeòid, agus gu leòr eile a bharrachd orra-san.

Chuir Stiùiriche Fèisean nan Gàidheal, a tha a’ frithealadh na Fèise, Art MacCarmaig fàilte air an taic ùr a fhuaras am bliadhna. Thuirt e: “Tha sinn air leth toilichte gu bheil RBS nar cuideachd a’ cumail taic ri Blas, a tha ga chur air adhart ann an coimhearsnachdan beaga na Gàidhealtachd far a bheil làthaireachd aig a’ bhanca agus far a bheil iad a’ cumail seirbheisean airgid ri daoine. Tha an taic a chaidh ùrachadh le Business Gateway air leth cuideachail agus tha sinn air ar misneachadh gu mòr le mar a tha cothrom againn inbhe luchd-ciùil òga a thogail agus am brosnachadh gu bhith a’ gabhail cothroman-cosnaidh làn-ùine, rud a tha gu math cudromach agus feumail do dh’iomairt nam Fèisean air feadh Alba.”

Thuirt Sìm Watson, a tha na Cheannard air Gnothaichean Coimhearsnachd aig RBS: “Tha Fèis Blas na dheagh chomharradh air mar a ghabhas cultar na Gàidhlig a chleachdadh airson a bhith a’ fighe a-steach do choimhearsnachdan na Gàidhealtachd. Tha sinn gu math moiteil gu bheil sinn a’ cumail taic ri clàr na bliadhna seo. Tha sinn a’ coimhead air adhart gu mòr ri bhith a’ cuideachadh na Fèise ann am Bliadhna Cruthachail na h-Alba.”

Thuirt ceannbhair Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd Drew Hendry gu robh e air leth toilichte leis a’ cho-obrachadh eadar Fèisean nan Gàidheal agus Blas. Thuirt e: “Tha sinn air a bhith a’ dol bho neart gu neart thairis air na bliadhnaichean agus tha Blas air sgaoileadh air feadh na Gàidhealtachd, ag àrdachadh inbhe is cliù ar cultar, ar cànan agus ar ceòl. Tha Blas a’ frithealadh an iarrtais a th’ann airson ceòl ann an suidheachaidhean beò a bhoinneas dhan dualchas agus cuideachd a’ cur gu mòr ri suidheachadh eaconamach raon gnìomhachais an luchd-turais.”

Chuir Ministear Ionnsachadh, Saidheans agus Cànain na h-Alba, Alasdair Allan BPA, fàilte air dreach a’ chlàir. Thuirt e: “’S e meadhan agus innleachd fìor chudromach a th’ ann am Fèis Blas airson a bhith ag aithneachadh agus a’ misneachadh gnothaichean cruthachail a-measg choimhearsnachdan na Gàidhlig. Tha mi air leth toilichte gu bheil Fèis na bliadhna seo a’ comharrachadh Bliadhna Cruthachail na h-Alba le bhith a’ fastadh coimisean ùr, agus tha sin fhèin a’ dearbhadh gu bheil Blas gu bhith gu math cudromach ann a bhith a’ cumail seasmhachd ri Gàidhlig san àm ri teachd air feadh Alba.”

Tha e na chleachdadh aig Fèisean Blas gum bi coimisean ùr ann gach bliadhna. An turas seo, tha a’ bhana-sheinneadair ainmeil Maighread Stiùibhart, gu bhith a’ rannsachadh “A Bhanais Ghàidhealach” thar linntean. Tha Maighread an dràsta air a fastadh aig Sabhal Mòr Ostaig mar Cheòladair agus na h-eòlaiche air òrain Ghàidhlig aig a’ phròiseact Tobar an Dualchais/Kist o’ Riches, agus bidh i a’ tarraing air a cuid eòlais anns gach raon sin eadar òrain, ceòl, cleachdaidhean, suirghe, dannsa agus briseadh cridhe. A-measg na bhios an làthair aig na cuirmean bidh cuid de shàr-luchd-ciùil na Gàidhealtachd eadar Iain MacPhàrlain (fidheall agus bocsa), Ingrid MacEanruig (clàrsach), Ailean MacEanruig (fidheall is piano) agus Aonghas MacNeacail air a’ phìob (beag is mòr!).

Thuirt Stiùiriche Alba Chruthachail Anndra Dixon: “Tha Fèis Blas na ghnothach cho cudromach is tarraingeach is a th’againn air clàr nan tachartas, na lasair anns na speuran, a’ soillseachadh cultar is ceòl na Gàidhlig. Anns a’ bhliadhna iomraiteach seo, Bliadhna Chruthachail na h-Alba, tha e na thlachd agus tarraing air leth gu bheil leithid Mhaighread Stiùbhart, le a h-eòlas agus meas air leth air òrain Ghàidhlig, gu bhith a’ cur ri cùisean tro bhuidheachas agus aoibhneas a’ Bhanais Ghàidhealaich.”

‘S i Donna NicRath a tha a’ stiùireadh na Fèise. Thuirt ise: “Tha Blas a-rithist gu bhith a’ tairgse clàr de thachartas aig sàr-ìre air feadh na Gàidhealtachd agus a bharrachd air na cuirmean mòra, tha sinn air a bhith ag obair còmhla ri buidhnean eile airson Prògram nan Sgoiltean agus Coimhearsnachdan a leudachadh. Bidh sin a’ gabhail a-staigh fiolmaichean Gàidhlig, cearcaill còmhraidh Gàidhlig, cuairtean coille, cèilidhean taighe, tachartasan sgoile agus gu leòr a bharrachd.”

Tha Bòrd na Gàidhlig cuideachd nan taic dhan Fhèis. Thuirt an Ceannard Iain A MacAoidh: “Tha prògram nan sgoiltean air leth misneachail airson daoine òga a thàladh chun na Fèise agus chun na Gàidhlig. Than a h-ealain air leth cudromach ann a bhith a’ togail ìomhaigh agus a’ tarraing aire chun na Gàidhlig, ga neartachadh an iomadach dòigh agus a’ dearbhadh dìlseachd dhan chànan, chan ann a-mhàin ann an Alba ach air feadh an t-saoghail.”

Source: Blas Festival