The year started off with an appearance on the BBC TV hogmanay show which was in South Uist so it was handy enough for me. The show was good but did not come across as well on TV as it should have… everyone that was there had a great time anyway!
Celtic Connections was the next major musical event and I was involved in a few different gigs. The first one was ‘The Highland Sessions’ with singers like Cathy Ann MacPhee, Mairead Stewart, Kathleen MacInnes, Julie Fowlis, Calum Alex MacMillan and Darren MacLean. I played a couple of sets with Daimh. Blazin’ Fiddles, Alasdair Fraser and Natalie Haas played also.
The next gig was with Kathleen MacInnes and the last one was with Angus Nicolson. I managed to fit three days in the studio with Kathleen as I am producing her second CD. I hope to be finished that soon.
In early March I spent 4 days in Ireland at the University of Limerick teaching the students on the traditional music course.
I continue to teach at the college in Benbecula (Campus of Lews Castle College) and it is busy as usual and run so ably by Anna Wendy Stevenson who is more or less doing this on her own. 2010 had been quite busy with a full complement of students at Benbecula College and full again for the 2010-2011 intake.....
Ceòlas was a great success again. We thought the numbers would be down drastically as were many other festivals due to the present economic trend but it turned out not to be as bad as we expected. This is probably due to the fact that Ceòlas is so unique.....
I do a piping class on Saturday mornings run by the South Uist Piping Trust and this is for pupils that have competed and won prizes at the Flora MacDonald Competition and a selection of whom are nominated by the Judge for some extra tuition. Along with the work that is done in the schools. Piping in Uist is in a fairly healthy situation and I am trying to help that in my own small way!
I spent 5 days in the new beautiful Watercolour recording studio near Ardgour recording Neil Johnstone’s Pipes & Strings. Neil’s composition is a tribute to his father Duncan Johnstone and his brother Alan. It is an orchestral piece featuring many of Duncan’s compositions arranged by Neil with the theme of Duncan’s Piobaireachd ‘Lament for Alan My Son’ recurring throughout. Alan died in his early 20’s of Leukaemia. The Piobaireachd alone is beautiful and with Neil’s arrangement and composition the whole piece is also beautiful. We take this on tour in July as part of the year of Islands. We perform in Barra (12th July) South Uist(13th) -@ lunchtime in St Peters Hall Daliburgh) North Uist (13th) Carinish Hall, Skye (14th) Aros, Harris, Tarbert (15th) and Lewis 16th (Heb Celt)
Web site; http://www.pipesandstrings.co.uk
I helped organise a Ceolas night in Inverness in March. Performers included, Mairead Stewart, Julie Fowlis, Coll MacDonald, Angus Nicolson, Michael John MacMillan, Rona Lightfoot and Donald John MacIntyre. Great line-up but with about 60-70 people I thought it was a poor turnout for the so-called Highland capital!
Ceolas is going from strength to strength. We had a great line-up of Musicians , Singers, Dancers and Gaelic tutors not to mention the people that are in the community that do so much work to make Ceolas so successful.
Ceolas was hugely successful this year despite the financial constraints and the last minute 'pull out' of some of our funders like HIE and others. The concerts were all full and the entertainment was world class. We had a visit from Andrew Dixon the CEO of Creative Scotland who enjoyed himself immensely. Here is a video to prove it! ; Please click on the external link. It is a video clip of Kathleen MacInnes and Sineag MacIntyre from South Uist, singing at one of the house ceilidhs.
