The Highland Wedding of the year, the special commission which launched the Blas 2012 festival, has captured the imagination of two full houses and led the way in a triumphant weekend of packed audiences.

Gaelic singer Margaret Stewart’s version of one of the Highland’s great traditions, the wedding and all its accompanying events and issues, along with a tribute to the late, great Calum Kennedy, were two of the highlights on the opening weekend of the Highland’s premier Gaelic festival. And that has set the bench-mark for what promises to be a full-on week of engagement and entertainment from the far north to the west and to Badenoch and beyond.

Festival Director Donna MacRae said: “The Highland Wedding has been received with significant acclaim and full audiences at the opening night in Beauly and then at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in Skye. Already people are clamouring to see it again and it is not just the bride who is expecting further action during this week. Their imminent arrival in Polewe on Monday night and then Nairn on Tuesday will be eagerly anticipated. The wedding will also feature in our closing night concert at Eden Court on Saturday night and we expect that to be packed out. It’s no surprise that the Calum Kennedy tribute was also such a success and from Roy Bridge to Ardnamurchan and the Jacobite Cruise on Loch Ness Highland audiences have once again responded in great style to the festival’s line-up.”

That action steps up a gear this week with a toe-tapping range of international artistes and local talent performing the length and breadth of the area. Amongst the star attractions are the Gaelic-speaking, pipe and fiddle wielding Mackenzie brothers from Mabou, Angus, Kenneth and Calum. They started off in Roy Bridge on the opening night of the Festival, have socked it to them in Sunart, and will be making merry in Mallaig in the West Highland Hotel on Tuesday September 11. After that they head for Balblair’s Resolis Memorial Hall on Wednesday.

Amongst the best of Gaelic singers on the move this week is Maeve MacKinnon who is taking her Trio to Lochcarron on Friday evening (September 14). Along with Maeve will be The Elephant Sessions, who are rapidly making a huge impact on the Scottish music scene.

Maeve will also be appearing in a very special event “Guth” (the Voice) at Eden Court Theatre on Thursday evening and this could well be one of the major highlights of the week. Senegalese singer Samba Sene, will be with her, along with Maeve’s own band and Inverness Gaelic Choir under the baton of Mary Ann Kennedy, as well as Còisir G, the pan-Highland Schools Choir led by Eilidh MacKenzie. Topping it all, fresh from her triumph at Hampden leading the massed ranks of the Tartan Army on Saturday, (shame about the result!) will be Julie Fowlis and her band Dual.

Donna MacRae has again highlighted the need for tickets to be booked in advance wherever possible. She said: “We are very pleased with the audience response so far and we know that people are now leaving things until very late before going for tickets. To avoid disappointment however, I would urge everyone to secure tickets as early as possible. Some of the shows this week will attract verylarge audience and we want as many people as possible to be able to enjoy what promises to be a veritable feast of entertainment which should live up to the magnificent opening we have had over the opening weekend.”

For more information about the full programme of events visit www.blas-festival.com

Toiseach-tòiseachaidh air leth airson Blas 2012

Chuir A’ Bhanais Ghàidhealach – ‘s dòcha tachartas cho sònraichte de leithid air a’ bhliadhna seo, Fèis Blas 2012 air adhart le farum is brag a tha air ceum a chur an casan dhaoine son a’ chòrr dhen t-seachdain. Bha tallaichean luma-làn agus fàilte air leth air a chur air luchd na bainnse, an Coimisean sònraichte son fèis 2012.

Chuir a’ bhana-sheinneadair ainmeil Maighread Stiùbhart agus a cuideachd an dreach fhèin air a’ Bhanais Ghàidhealach agus na tha a’ tighinn na cois aig cridhe coimhearsnachdan Gàidhealach. A bharrachd air an oidhche iomraiteach sin sa Mhannachain, bha a’ chuirm a chaidh a chur air dòigh a’ luaidh beatha agus guth a’ Cheanadaich sònraichte cuideachd. Tha am fàilte a chaidh a chur air an dà thachartas agus gnothaichean eile air an deireadh sheachdain a-nis nan slait-tomhais son a’ chòrr dhen Fhèis, fad is farsainn air feadh na Gàidhealtachd.

Thuirt Stiùiriche na Fèise Donna NicRath: “Bha an luchd-amharc aig a’ Bhanais Ghàidhealach air am beò-ghlacadh le na thachair, an dà chuid air a’ chiad oidhche agus an uairsin aig Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. Tha othail mhòr mun cuairt son cothrom a bhith aig barrachd dhaoine a dhol chun na bainnse, biodh fiathachadh aca gus nach eil. Bidh iad uile am Poll-iù oidhche Luain agus an uairsin an Inbhir Narann oidhche Mhàirt, agus cò aige tha fhios dè an suidheachadh a bhios aca mas cruinnich luchd na bainnse a-rithist ann an Inbhir Nis aig a’ chuirm-chriochnachaidh oidhche Shathairne. Tha sinn an làn dhùil gum bi Talla na h-Ìompaireachd làn chun nan tobhtaichean son sin. Chan eil e na iongnadh sam bith gun deach cho math le Cuirm a’ Cheanadaich agus eadar na bha a’ dol bho Dhrochaid Ruaidh gu Ardnamurchan agus fo sheòl air Loch Nis, tha an luchd-amharc air dearbhadh dhuinn cho freagarrach agus sònraichte ‘s a tha an clàr againn aig an fhèis a tha seo.”

Tha ceum a’ bharrachd a-nis a’ dol dhan fhèis agus bidh tàlant eadar-nàiseanta agus ionadail a’ tighinn còmhla fad na seachdain air feadh na Gàidhealtachd. A-measg an luchd-ciùil is ainmeile agus as tarraingaiche tha na bràthairean MacChoinnich à Mabou, Aonghas, Coinneach agus Calum a bhios ris an fhidhillagus a’ seinn na pìoba. Thòisich iadsan ann an Drochaid Ruaidh oidhche Haoine agus tha iad a-nis air an slighe a Mhalaig son oidhche Mhàirt (Sultain 11). An dèidh sin tha iad a’ dèanamh air talla Ruigh Sholais son oidhche Chiadain.

Thabana-sheinneadairean Ghàidhlig gu leòr mun cuairt fad na seachdain agus nammeasg tha Maeve NicFhionghain a tha gu bhith an Loch Carran oidhche Haoine còmhla ris an Trio aice fhèin, agus cuideachd na Elephant Sessions, còmhlan a tha air cliù a bhuinnig dhaibh fhèin fad is farsaing.

Bidh Maeve cuideachd a-measg cruinneachadh de shàr luchd-ciùil a bhios a’ cruinneachadh gu Talla na h-Ìompaireachd Inbhir Nis oidhche Dhiardaoin son An Guth. Còmhla rithe bidh an t-seinneadair Senegalese Samba Sene, an còmhlan aig Maeve fhèin, Còisir Ghàidhlig Inbhir Nis fo stiùir Mhairi Ann NicUalraig, agus cuideachd Còisir G, an còisir òg bho air feadh na Gàidhealtachd fo stiùir Eilidh NicChoinnich. Agus mur biodh sin fhèin gu leòr, nan cuideachd a bharrachd air sin tha Julie Fowlis, a bha air ceann an t-seinn aig a’ bhall-coise ann an Hampden an Glaschu air an deireadh sheachdain. Chan e coire Julie chòir a bh’ann nach do rinn Alba cho math ‘s a bha daoine ag iarraidh!

Thuirt Donna NicRath gu bheil e air leth cudromach gun dèan daoine an dìcheall tiocaidean a chomharrachadh agus a cheannach cho tràth ‘s a ghabhas. “Tha sinn air leth toilichte le na tha sinn a’ cluinntinn bhon luchd-amharc mar tha mu na tachartasan agus tha fhios againn gum bi daoine a’ fàgail an tiocaidean chun mhionaid mu dheireadh. Mholainn-sa do dhaoine gluasad gus tiocaidean fhaighinn son cuirmean a tha iad son a bhith a’ frithealadh cho tràth sa ghabhas, gus nach tig an tàmailt le cothrom a chall, seach gu bheil uibhir de dh’fhèill air tòrr de na tachartasan. Tha sinn airson is gum bi cothrom aig nas urrainn a dhol gu na tachartasan againn. Tha sinn air ar misneachadh gu mòr leis an toiseach-tòiseachaidh air an deireadh sheachdain agus tha làn-dhùil againn gur e sin barail a mhaireas chun chuirm chriochnachaidh oidhche Shathairne.”

Airson tuilleadh fiosrachaidh mu chlàr Blas 2012 airson a’ chòrr dhen t-seachdain, faicibh www.blas-festival.com

Source: Blas Festival