Shinty To The Fore In Blas 2014 Celebrations | |
12 June 2014 Shinty will be to the fore as Blas 2014 marks the festival’s tenth anniversary. Blas is one of the most successful arts events in the Highlands and this year’s international event will be spread throughout over 100 venues in the Highlands and Argyll between 5 September 2014 and 13 September 2014. The event returns to its roots with a greater emphasis on the place of communities, young people and Gaelic. Amongst the highlights in this year’s festival will be, in the week of shinty’s showpiece event the Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup Final, three shinty-based shows which will be taken to Tighnabruaich, Dornie and Inverness on the eve of the big match. Presented by Hugh Dan MacLennan and featuring Gary Innes, Linda MacLeod and the MacGillivrays of Calrossie, “Home and Away – Glòir nan Caman” is a tribute to shinty players all over the world with a particular reference to the First World War. There will be a new commission by fiddler, Iain MacFarlane and a stellar collection of musicians will be appearing across the area including Dàimh, The Mischa MacPherson Trio, Mànran, The Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Marloch, Dougie MacLean as well as Gaelic singers such as Christine Primrose, James Graham, Gillie Mackenzie, Alasdair Whyte and Linda MacLeod. Contemporary Gaelic songs will feature through Dòl Eoin Mackinnon who will be appearing with Macanta. Shinty’s cultural associations will feature prominently, as will the work of Gaelic writers past and present. International visitors will include Cape Breton fiddler, Howie MacDonald and Cherish the Ladies. The festival finale will be Ceòl nam Fèis, a concert highlighting the success of the Fèis movement in engaging young people with the traditional arts – an aspect that has been a hallmark of Blas since its inception. Blas was created 10 years ago as a result of The Highland Council’s desire to create a festival that would match the vitality of Cape Breton’s Celtic Colours and the Council has continued its support. At the launch of the programme for this year’s festival at Eden Court Theatre in Inverness Arthur Cormack, of festival organisers Fèisean nan Gàidheal, reminded the audience of the event’s early history and its subsequent development. He said, “The festival began as a small-scale effort at three venues, Strontian, Clashmore and Strathpeffer in 2004. Since then we have promoted 410 events involving 3,102 performers and have attracted an audience of 88,448. We have produced 11 new commissions and 24 hours of content for BBC Alba. The festival has had an audience satisfaction rating of 91.2% over that time and has contributed £4.4m to the Highland economy.” In the intervening years, many of Scotland’s top musicians have appeared alongside international artistes from Nova Scotia and Ireland. Many playing music through the Fèis movement in their younger days have performed at Blas festivals including Gary Innes, Norrie MacIver, Lauren MacColl, Joy Dunlop, Julie Fowlis and Rachel Walker. The historic tenth festival starts on Friday, September 5th. The Inverness launch highlighted a number of special events, including a new commission by Glenfinnan musician, Iain MacFarlane, inspired by Duncan Ban MacIntyre’s Moladh Beinn Dòbhrain, one of Gaelic’s greatest poems. A tribute to prominent Sutherland Gaelic bàrd, Rob Donn MacKay, will be led by James Graham, Catriona MacLeod, Carol-Anne MacKay, Suzanne Houston and Rhona Sutherland. Blas is the first of a number of national and international events scheduled to take place in the Highlands between the beginning of September 2014 as part of Highland Homecoming, supported by EventScotland, culminating in the Royal National Mòd in October 2014. Further information on Blas 2014 is available at www.blas-festival.com |