Am Paipear

Local news from Uist

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Home
  • News
  • About Us
  • What’s On
  • Subscribe
  • Vacancy
  • Local news from Uist

Ceòlas in full swing!

July 7, 2015

Griogair Labhruidh leading a singing class.

Griogair Labhruidh leading a singing class.

Ceòlas, this year celebrating its twentieth anniversary, is now well and truly underway.

105 students are enrolled for the summer school, currently taking place in Daliburgh, South Uist.

Although the bulk of participants have travelled from different parts of the UK, they are joined by several students from Germany and Switzerland, along with budding musicians, dancers and linguists from places like Japan and Romania.

Fiddle students at Ceòlas.

Throughout the week, tuition is offered in fiddle, pipes, singing, dance and Gàidhlig in venues across Daliburgh.

Tutors this year include Mairi MacInnes, Paul McCallum, Margaret MacLellan, Howie MacDonald, Dwayne Cote, Fin Moore, Griogair Labhruidh, Leanne Aucoin, Jayne MacLeod, Patsy Seddon, Angus Nicolson and Alasdair White.

Attendance figures this year are roughly the same as last year, said Ceòlas organiser Mary Schmoller.

She added that while a core group of students return to the summer school year-on-year, the majority are first time attendees.

“A lot of our students are the same people returning each year,” said Mary.

“About 20 or 30% are year-on-year regulars, meaning that the rest are new to Ceòlas.”

IMG_5928

Mary added that a particularly encouraging area of growth for Ceòlas is the increasing number of young people taking part.

“What we are also seeing now is a group of teenagers, many of whom have island links though they are based on the mainland, coming along to take part, which is good to see.”

This year, for the first time, Ceòlas is offering people the opportunity to drop-in for a single class or more on an informal basis.

According to Pauline MacDonald, vice-chair of Ceòlas, the uptake for drop-in classes has so far proven promising.

“We had three people along on Monday,” she said, “two of them have now signed up for the whole week. Including them, we had eight come along to drop-in today.”

Angela MacKinnon and Cathy MacDonald from BBC Radio nan Gàidheal interviewing Griogair Labhruidh. Their programme on Ceòlas will be broadcast in October.

Angela MacKinnon and Cathy MacDonald from BBC Radio nan Gàidheal interviewing Griogair Labhruidh. Their programme on Ceòlas will be broadcast in October.

Another new development for Ceòlas this year is the offering of Continued Professional Development (CPD) for teachers at the summer school.

Ceòlas’ Gàidhlig Development Officer Liam Crouse is leading on the programme, through which teachers attend classroom-based courses in the morning and activities in the community each afternoon, working on language skills.

Ceòlas is working with Strathclyde University and University of the Highlands and Islands on the CPD programme, which will also be offered during the symposium planned later in the month. Nine teachers are enrolled to undertake CPD training during ‘’S e ur beatha’.

IMG_5877

Last night Ceòlas hosted a Piping Concert attended by some 200 members of the community. Its public programme continues this evening with the ever popular ‘house ceilidhs’ taking place across South Uist tonight.

Filed Under: Art, Heritage, Music, News

Mmm Hmmm…experimental play coming to South Uist

April 8, 2015

MMM Hmmm-4

A brand new theatre show is coming to South Uist this weekend.

‘Mmm Hmmm’ is a brand new experimental play, a mix of theatre and a-capella song.

The company have been performing in the South Bank Centre in London, and are making their way up to tour the isles this week. The show will be performed in Stoneybridge Hall on Saturday 11th April, on an evening where the Ythan Fiddlers will also perform.

‘Mmm Hmmm’ is a playful, poignant musical journey shaped by three exceptional female voices jumping between sound worlds and lyrical styles.

Using intricate vocal techniques and rich harmony, ‘Mmm Hmmm’ holds a magnifying glass up to snapshots of everyday life.  Verity Standen’s original a-cappella songs evoke the awkward, heart-breaking and hilarious moments that characterise what it means to be human.

Check out a trailer for the show here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XI4l1XjCzPg&app=desktop

The Ythan Fiddlers from Ellon in Aberdeenshire are a registered charitable organisation, which aims to promote Scottish Traditional Music, whilst raising funds for local charities.

‘Mmm Hmmm’

Stoneybridge Village Hall

South Uist

Saturday 11th April – 7:30pm

supported by a concert from the ‘Ythan Fiddlers’

(also Clan Macquarrie Community Centre, Lewis, Thursday 9th April – 7:30pm
Leverburgh Village Hall, Harris, Friday 10th April – 7:30pm)

Tickets: £8 / £5 (conc) at the door
Ticket Offer: Group of 4 – £22
To book tickets in advance call the Arts nan Eilean Box Office on 01851 700475 or Ceolas on 01851 770 516.

Filed Under: Art, Music, News Tagged With: Arts nan Eilean, Mmm Hmmm, Theatre, Ythan Fiddlers

Award-winning writers’ comedy theatre tour coming to Uist

March 11, 2015

Seasaidh Lexy.

Seasaidh Lexy.

Comedy writers Seonag Monk and Calum MacKinnon are quietly thrilled with the news that their latest comedy written for BBC ALBA, The Woven Thread’s ‘Gaol@Gael’, has been nominated at this year’s Celtic Media Festival to be held in Inverness.

Nominated for the second year running, the writers are still fresh with the heady success of having last year scooped the highly prized and fiercely contested Celtic Media Entertainment Award for the fledgling channel BBC ALBA, with their Comedy ‘Dà La San Dàmhair – Two Days In October’.

“To win the festival’s prestigious Torc for excellence was such a delight,’’ said Seonag.

“To have again secured another nomination at this years festival for ‘Gaol@Gael’ is a bit surreal.”

The writers feel that this recognition for their work could not have happened at a better time.  At the end of March, they will fulfil their long held ambition to tour the Western Isles with their smash hit Gaelic theatre comedy show ‘Gaol ’s Gàire – Love and Laughter’.  At the moment their home on the outskirts of Stornoway is awash with various costumes, wigs, props and scripts with new ideas constantly being written on memos and post-it notes.

“I sometimes feel as if there are not just two people in this marriage but five,” quips Seonag, as she sits at her computer sharpening up a piece of dialogue.

“I can walk into the kitchen hearing a voice and wonder who it is that has popped in only to realise it is Calum rehearsing one of the characters from the ‘Love and Laughter’ show.”

Calum, from South Uist and Benbecula born Seonag have been writing together for twenty years and their writing credits run across film, radio, television and stage.

“Acting on stage is where I feel most as ease,” Calum explains, “and it’s great to be back with a new comedy show.  I love the freedom the stage gives you, the energy you can get from the audience and how you can channel that into your performance.”

At the heart of the ‘Gaol ’s Gàire – Love and Laughter’ show is the Hebridean housewife and comedy character Seasaidh Lexy, brought brilliantly to life by Calum.

Her absurd take on life captured the hearts of the young and old among Gaelic audiences long ago, and the new show takes the audience through the life and times of the character and some of the events that have helped shape her.

“For me as an actor it’s a very interesting experience,” explained Calum. “Because I’m not only playing one Seasaidh Lexy I’m playing several different versions of her.  We all change as we grow up, events push us in different directions and that’s what we as writers wanted to explore. We wanted to get under the skin of this character and present that to the audience.”

Seasaidh Lexy is only one element in this delightful and fast paced show which when staged in An Lanntair theatre in Stornoway last year sold out for both of its nights.  Another of Calum’s comedy creations also graces the stage with his interpretation of a hapless MC in the guise of cringe inducing Murdo Louis.

The show also allows the writers to appear on stage together in roles which seem to suit them perfectly, as Calum takes on the role of a butler and Seonag an upper class lady in a slapstick homage to an old music hall sketch from the 1920s.

Joining the cast is gifted actor David Walker, whose list of credits runs from Para Handy to MacBeth. Walker is equally at home in drama or in comedy, always the bench mark of the gifted thespian. Completing the line up is up an coming musician Calum MacInnes. Singer-songwriter Calum is the brother of renowned singer Kathleen MacInnes.

“Calum has come to the production full of ideas of how better to use music to enhance the text,” says Seonag. “He has pushed us into being more adventurous with its use, his input has given a different feel to the show, with music playing a larger part.”

The writers have set themselves the task of creating an evening’s entertainment not just to equal any comedy that you would see in any of the finest theatres in Scotland but to better it and the hefty pile of audience feedback forms from previous shows seems to suggest that they are hitting the mark.

Both writers feel that this kind of reaction has been a resounding vote of confidence for their work and all the more reason that they repay their loyal following by organising this island tour.

“We have been asked many times to bring the show to the wider community of Lewis and to come to Harris, Uist, Benbecula and Barra, so we are really pleased that this is now going to happen,” says Calum.

“To hear the sound of raucous laughter from an audience and to know that you have had a part in making that happen is very magical wonderful thing,” enthuses Seonag. “We both hold in our hearts a particular reaction from a woman who had been very ill having undergone many months of chemotherapy, she came to see the show and laughed till tears rolled down her face, she told us she went home that night and slept soundly for the first time in many, many weeks. Calum and I both had a warm glow when we heard that and thought, yes we’re doing ok.”
 
Gaol ‘s Gàire / Love and Laughter tours in March 2015.

Show Dates:        
Clan MacQuarrie Hall, Borve                       25th March                          
Balivanich Hall, Benbecula                           26th March                                                 
St Peter’s Hall, South Uist                             27th March                          
Castlebay Community School, Barra        28th March                          
Tarbert Community Hall, Harris                 30th March

The show has received funding from Bòrd Na Gàidhlig, Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar,  MG Alba and environmental service company MSIS.

Filed Under: Art, Music, News Tagged With: Calum MacKinnon, Comedy, Gaol 's Gaire, Seasaidh Lexy, Seonag Monk, Theatre, Tour

Preparations for Mòd Uibhist 2015 underway

March 6, 2015

mod

Two performers from the Iochdar School play at Mòd Uibhist 2014.

Preparations are getting well underway for Mòd Uibhist 2015, which is scheduled to take place in May.

Mòd Uibhist committee writes:

“The committee is gearing up once again for the local Mòd which will be held in Sgoil an Ìochdair on Friday 29th May and Saturday 30th May.

“We look forward to a successful event following on from the last mods.

Balivanich School took the highest tally of points at last year's mòd.

Balivanich School took the highest tally of points at last year’s mòd.

“A fundraising ceilidh is planned for Friday 13th March in St Mary’s Hall, Griminish. Donations of homebaking and raffle prizes would be gratefully accepted.

“We would also appreciate it if trophy winners from last year’s Mòd could return the trophies to the reception at Sgoil Lìonacleit by Friday 1st May.  If there is any difficulty in doing this could you please contact a committee member or e-mail moduibhist@gmail.com.“

Filed Under: Art, Music, News Tagged With: Art, Mòd Uibhist 2015, Music, Schools

Ceòlas announces summer 2015 events

January 26, 2015

Past students taking part in Ceòlas summer school

Past students taking part in Ceòlas summer school

Ceòlas has announced another ambitious summer programme of events, kicking off with a song conference in May

Following the model used for a conference held as part of the international EOST project two years ago,  over the weekend of 22nd, 23rd and 24th May, Gillebride MacMillan, Jo MacDonald and Naomi Harvey will host another event, supported by other speakers.

Additional songs collected during the EOST project will be taught to delegates at the conference. Further details to follow in due course.

Later in the summer, Ceòlas will host its ever-popular summer school 2015 between 5th and 1oth July.

Today, Ceòlas has announced the tutors for this year’s school.  Cape Breton tutors will be returning for their second year, including fiddlers Howie MacDonald and Dwayne Cote, with Cheryl MacQuarrie teaching step dancing. Howie and Dwayne are two of the outstanding fiddlers presently performing in Cape Breton.

Ceòlas is delighted to see the return of Margaret MacLellan and Paul McCallum for song, and Griogair Lawrie for piobaireachd as well as Ceol Mòr.

Fin Moore will teach piping for dance and youth pipers will be taught by Angus Nicolson with Alasdair White. Jayne MacLeod from Ness in Lewis will teach step dancing with Cheryl MacQuarrie.

Clarsach will have a new tutor, Patsy Seddon, and Gàidhlig immersion classes will be taught Catriona MacIntyre and Catriona Black.

After the summer school, Ceòlas will hold a WWI memorial for the Battle of Loos on Sunday 26th July to mark the beginning of the annual symposium. Food and drink will be the focus of the two-day event. Dr. Sarah Marr will be one of the speakers at the symposium.

For further information on any of these events, contact Mary Schmoller 01878 700154 or e-mail info@ceolas.co.uk.

Filed Under: Music, News Tagged With: Ceòlas, Conference, Dance, Piping, Song, Summer School, Symposium

Practice-a-thon finale today at Sgoil Lionacleit

November 22, 2014

Niall, Joanna and Calum MacDonald - three of the young people taking part in the 'practice-a-thon'.

Niall, Joanna and Calum MacDonald – three of the young people taking part in the ‘practice-a-thon’.

It’s said the more you practice the better you play. However, whilst undoubtedly practice makes perfect, a group of young pianists is hoping it can also benefit a well-known children’s cancer charity.

During the last two weeks, no less than 19 local players – aged between 7 and 17 – have been fine-tuning their performance skills and, at the same time, raising money for CLIC Sargent through a two-week ‘practice-a-thon’.

Over the past fortnight, the young musicians have collected sponsorships in exchange for practicing every day. Later today, a concert will take place at Sgoil Lionacleit, where more fundraising will take place.

Piano teacher Olwen MacLeod, who tutors some of the children taking part, is organising the event.

She said: “I saw the event idea publicised through the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music (ABRSM), the organisation that runs piano exams.

“I thought it was a great idea for a very good cause. You get a fundraising pack and lots of support to organise your event. People across the country have done a variety of things, including singing, dancing and playing musical instruments.”

CLIC Sargent is the UK’s leading cancer charity for children and young people, and their families. It provides clinical, practical, financial and emotional support to enable young people to cope with cancer and get the most out of life.

CLIC Sargent supports patients from diagnosis onwards, aiming to help the whole family deal with the impact of cancer and its treatment, life after treatment and, in some cases, bereavement.

Practice-a-thon events are being held across the country, often culminating in concerts, many being timed to tie in with Christmas shows at schools.

The event marking the end of the practice-a-thon will take place in Room 7, Sgoil Lionacleit, at 2pm on Saturday 22nd November.

Olwen added: “As well as performances, there will be other fundraising activities such as a raffle and home-baking.”

More details about the national event can be found at clicsargent.org.uk/practiceathon.

Make your way to Sgoil Lionacleit at 2pm today to support the young fundraisers.

Filed Under: Music, News Tagged With: CLIC Sargent, Piano, Practice-a-thon, Sgoil Lionacleit

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2

Recent News

  • New equipment store ushers in new era for Uist and Barra patient care
  • New endoscopy unit opens at Ospadal Uibhist agus Bharraigh
  • International military exercise set to get underway off Hebrides
  • Uist ladies ‘Celebrate the Cailleach’ for International Women’s Day
  • Crofting Commission: Iain MacIver elected for Western Isles
  • South Uist hero at Iraq and Afghanistan memorial unveiling
  • Success for Sgoil Lionacleit STEM Club
  • Local Government Election 2017 – Notice of Election
  • Allan says Scotland must have choice over future
  • CMAL gives update on new ferry construction

News Categories

  • Art
  • Crofting
  • Energy
  • Fishing
  • Health
  • Heritage
  • Letter
  • Local Government
  • Music
  • News
  • Renewable Energy
  • Sport
  • Technology
  • Tourism
  • Training
  • Transport
  • Vacancies
  • Weather

SEARCH

Search our website

DEADLINES

Do you have a story for Am Pàipear? Would you like to submit a letter or acknowledgement?

See our list of deadlines:

Deadlines

ADVERTISE

Opportunities to advertise in Am Pàipear and on this website are available.

See our size and price guides:

Advertising Guide

Rate Card

CONTACT US

T: 01870 603299
E:
editor@ampaipear.org.uk
Enquiry Form

41 Airport Road, Balivanich
Isle of Benbecula
HS7 5LA

Copyright © 2021 Am Paipear · Website & Design by Skyewebsites