Fionnar In Lochaber
The teenage Gaelic vocal harmony group "Fionnar", established by The Highland Council’s Mairi Mhor Gaelic Song Fellowship in 2003, is hosting a night of Gaelic music, song and dance at the Lochaber Rural Complex on Friday 17 June.
The group, consisting of eight talented Gaelic singers and musicians from Ross-shire, Lochaber, Skye, Argyll and Glasgow, has been invited to represent Scotland at the International Eisteddfod in Llangollen, Wales in July and this concert is being held to raise funds for the trip.
The Mairi Mhor Fellow, Fiona Mackenzie of Dingwall said: "The girls were delighted to be invited to go to Wales and have been working very hard in their preparations for the trip. The group are very keen to establish close links with as many other Celtic cultures as possible and they represented the Mod and Scotland at Celtfest in Cork , in March as part of the European City of Culture Celebrations. Wales will be another tremendous experience and the girls will be great ambassadors for Gaelic and for the Highlands.
"This is the first time a Gaelic group has been invited to participate in the Eisteddfod and we are very keen to show the young and vibrant side of our Gaelic culture. As part of the fund raising preparations the group have produced a CD, recorded at Watercolour Studios, Ardgour, of some of their repertoire, both solos and group pieces and this CD will be available at the concert priced £5.
"The concert will also star some of the best known names on the Gaelic song scene at present. We are very lucky to have persuaded Julie Fowlis of Dochas, Eamon Doorley, of Danu, James Graham (Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2003) and Rachel Walker to come and perform for us at the concert. We wanted the concert in particular to feature the new generation of Gaelic singers and musicians and are delighted that they all were delighted to come and perform for us. We decided to hold the concert in Lochaber as our rehearsal base is Fort William itself and it seemed appropriate to hold the event there. The Rural Complex have been very accommodating to us and we look forward to performing in this attractive new facility."
The concert will also feature Fionnar itself, Fiona Mackenzie and Ewan Henderson and friends who will provide music for dancing. There will also be raffles, quizzes and fun on the night as well as a bar and refreshments available.
The performance begins at 7.30pm and tickets, priced £6/£3 will be available on the door. Please phone 01349 864156 or e-mail fiona.mackenzie@highland.gov.uk for more details.