Fionnar At Fairburn

The Gaelic vocal harmony group "Fionnar", established by the Màiri Mhòr Gaelic Song Fellowship from The Highland Council, recently held an intensive training weekend at Fairburn Activity Centre, Marybank.

The group of 11 girls and their director Fiona Mackenzie of Dingwall undertook a range of team building activities as well as working intensively on their singing repertoire. Fiona said: "As the girls come from all over Scotland including Glasgow, Oban, Skye and Achiltibuie and Inverness, it is very difficult for us to get as much practice time as we would like so coming together like this for a weekend, is an ideal solution for us. Working together at somewhere like Fairburn is particularly suitable as it allows the girls to really get to know each other – we have recently been joined by 4 new members and the team building activities make the girls work together as a group as opposed to a group of solo singers and musicians."

The course was undertaken with financial support from Feisean nan Gaidheal. The group enjoyed sessions of Paintball and the Deathslide as well as a workshop with guest tutor Julie Fowlis of the group Dòchas, in addition to working with Fiona on new material for their repertoire.

The group recently represented Scotland at the International Musical Eisteddfod in Llangollen Wales, winning the Celtic Folk Vocal Solo Class by presenting a ‘waulking’ of the tweed.