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Fèisean nan Gàidheal expands its Gaelic song resource

Fèisean nan Gàidheal is delighted to have added to its online Gaelic song educational resource, Fuaran, featuring songs researched and sung by young people.

The first phase of the project was funded by the National Lottery and with support from Bòrd na Gàidhlig, the resource has been expanded and now features twenty-eight songs collected by young people.

The singers that took part in 2019 are: Chloë Bryce from Tain; Alix Aburn from Inverness; Catrìona Nicolson from Inverness; Duncan MacLeod from Bonar Bridge; Ruairidh Cormack from Skye, and Claire Frances MacNeil from Barra.

At the start of the project, the participants attended a training weekend with a team of experts in folklore fieldwork and Gaelic song – Angus John MacDonald, Margaret Stewart and Màiri McFadyen – before embarking on their own research.

Following this period of research and gathering songs in their own communities, the participants then recorded the songs in studios in Glasgow and Inverness before making videos at creative arts venues around Inverness: Eden Court Theatre, Highland Print Studio and Moniack Mhòr – Scotland’s Creative Writing Centre.

In addition, the singers were had two performance opportunities at the Celtic Colours International Festival in Cape Breton and in Inverness at the Blas Festival 2019.

Fèisean nan Gàidheal Development Officer and project co-ordinator, Karen Oakley said: “It’s really exciting to be adding these songs to our Fuaran resource. They’re some of the lesser commonly heard Gaelic songs heard today and are the result of several months of great effort by young people in striking up conversations with tradition bearers in their communities and visiting archives. For some, it was their first-time doing research of this kind and I’m delighted to hear that they are continuing their work beyond this project to discover more songs and the stories behind them. Their contribution adds hugely to our online resource and we hope that many people will get enjoyment from listening to them”.

Steven Kellow, Funding and Projects Officer at Bòrd na Gàidhlig said: “We are delighted that this project was expanded upon and that more young people were given the chance to develop their Gaelic language and research skills. This project greatly supports the National Gaelic Language Plan 2018-23, and Fèisean nan Gàidheal are to be praised for offering this opportunity to singers who have added to an extremely valuable resource.”

Fuaran is available to explore online at www.feisean.org/fuaran/ where there is a video of each song, subtitled in Gaelic and English, sound files, song words, and notes about the origins of the song.

Photo above by Mike Webster featuring (L to R top): Alix Aburn, Duncan MacLeod, Claire Frances MacNeill and (L to R bottom) Catriona Nicolson, Chloë Bryce, Ruairidh Cormack.

Tasglann òrain Fuaran ga leudachadh

Tha Fèisean nan Gàidheal air tuilleadh òrain a chur don ghoireas foghlaim Gàidhlig, Fuaran, air an rannsachadh is air an cruinneachadh le seinneadairean òga bho na Fèisean.

Thòisich am pròiseact dualchais seo ann an 2014 le taic a’ Chrannchuir Nàiseanta agus chaidh a chumail a’ dol le taic-airgid bho Bhòrd na Gàidhlig. Tha a-nise ochd òrain air fhichead air loidhne, air an gabhail às ùr le daoine òga a bha an sàs sa phròiseact gu ruige seo.

‘S iad na seinneadairean a bha an sàs san t-sreath as ùire; Chloë Bryce à Baile Dhubhthaich; Alix Aburn à Inbhir Nis; Catrìona NicNeacail à Inbhir Nis; Donnchadh MacLeòid à Drochaid Bhanna; Ruairidh MacCarmaig às an Eilean Sgìtheanach agus Claire Frances NicNèill à Barraigh.

Fhuair am buidheann seo an cothrom pàirt a ghabhail ann an deireadh-seachdain trèanaidh fo stiùir sgioba eòlaichean bheul-aithris is obair-raoin – Aonghas Iain Dòmhnallach, Maighread Stiùbhart agus Màiri NicPhàidein – air thòiseachadh air rannsachadh a dhèanamh air na h-òrain.

Chaidh clàraidhean a dhèanamh an uairsin ann an stiùideothan ann an Glaschu agus air a’ Ghàidhealtachd agus, a bharrachd air sin, bha cothrom aig na com-pàirtichean bhideothan a dhèanamh aig làraich sònraichte timcheall Inbhir Nis, nam measg Taigh-cluiche Cùirt an Easbaig, Ionad Clò-Bhualaidh na Gàidhealtachd agus Moniack Mhòr – Ionad Sgrìobhaidh Chruthachail na h-Alba.

Bhon uairsin, tha cothroman air a bhith aig na seinneadairean òga seo pàirt a ghabhail san Fhèis Eadar-nàiseanta Celtic Colours ann an Ceap Breatainn agus cuideachd aig Blas 2019.

Thuirt Oifigear Leasachaidh Fèisean nan Gàidheal agus co-òrdanaiche a’ phròiseict Karen Oakley: “Tha sinn air ar dòigh gu bheil na h-òrain a-nis air-loidhne. Cha chluinnear cuid de na h-òrain cho tric sna làithean seo agus tha mi ‘n dòchas gum faigh mòran dhaoine tlachd asta. Tha na h-òrain seo na thoradh air an obair a rinn sgioba de dh’òigridh anns na mìosan a chaidh seachad a’ togail chòmhraidhean le daoine anns na coimhearsnachdan aca agus rannsachadh nan tasglann. ‘S e a’ chiad turas a rinn cuid anns an sgioba rannsachadh den t-seòrsa seo agus tha e na thogail dhomh fhìn a bhith a’ faicinn gu bheil iad a’ leatainn orra leis an rannsachadh aca fhèin agus a’ lorg tuilleadh òrain”.

Thuirt Steven Kellow, Oifigear Maoineachaidh ‘s Phròiseactan aig Bòrd na Gàidhlig: “Tha sinn cho toilichte gun deach am pròiseact a leudachadh is gun d’ fhuair an tuilleadh dhaoine òga an cothrom an cuid sgilean cànain agus rannsachaidh a leasachadh. Tha am pròiseact seo a’ cur ri na h-amasan aig a’ Phlana Nàiseanta 2018-23 gu mòr, agus tha Fèisean nan Gàidheal ri mholadh airson an cothrom seo a thabhainn do na sheinneadairean is iad uile a’ cur ri stòras luachmhor.”

Faodar sealltainn air Fuaran aig www.feisean.org/fuaran far a bheil bhideo ann de gach òran le fo-thiotalan dà-chànanach, faidhlichean fuaim agus earrann sgrìobhte le sgeul an òrain ann am briathran nan seinneadairean òga.