A Highland Perthshire community which is steeped in Gaelic culture is to host a celebration of the language’s storytelling and musical tradition.
A day-long programme of events is being staged in Aberfeldy this month, a town which prides itself on its links with Gaelic and has a playgroup, nursery and education unit where the language is spoken.
The latest event, which comes hard on the heels of the Aberfeldy Mod, is on Thursday July 20.
The free event features some of Scotland’s up and coming young musicians from the Fèis Rois Cèilidh Trail.
Based in Ross-shire, Fèis Rois is one of Scotland’s leading traditional arts organisations, providing opportunities for people of all ages to participate in Scottish traditional music, song and dance.
More than 3,000 people take part in Fèis Rois projects every year with audiences of 10,000-plus attending performances across the country, from Aberfeldy to Auchiltibuie and from Edderton to Edinburgh.
For four weeks throughout the summer three groups perform across Scotland as part of the Ceilidh Trail project giving young musicians the chance to gain work experience as a touring artist.
The day starts at 10.15am with Gaelic Bookbug for the under fives in Breadalbane Community Library featuring Gaelic songs, rhymes and stories.
At 11am there will be a mini Fèis workshop at Breadalbane Community Campus providing a taster session in Gaelic song and traditional music for all ages. Anyone who can play an instrument is invited to bring it along and become part of the band.
From 2pm in the Birks Cinema the Fèis Rois Cèilidh Trail will provide the music for a family cèilidh. The afternoon of lively reels, jigs and beautifully crafted Scottish songs will feature two of Scotland’s up and coming young bands, duo Charlie Grey and Joseph Peach and trio Hecla.
Fiddle and piano duo Charlie Grey and Joseph Peach were finalists in the 2017 BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Awards, and their album was shortlisted for the FATEA Magazine Instrumental Album of the Year award.
Hecla are a traditional music trio based in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland. Featuring Ailis Sutherland on pipes and whistle, Ilona Kennedy on fiddle and Kaitlin Ross on guitar and vocals, Hecla present energetic arrangements of traditional Gaelic songs and instrumentals.
