Value of Blas to the economy and to Highland culture highlighted as ninth festival takes off
Issued by Blas
Blas 2013, the premier event celebrating all that is good about the Gaelic language and culture of the Highlands, takes off this weekend with a packed programme of events, featuring top performers and several new works.
Blas 2013, the ninth in an epic series of festivals across the Highlands, runs from Friday 6 September until Saturday 14th and will deliver well over 100 cultural events at a variety of venues across the Highlands. Featured artists will include top musical talent such as Capercaillie, Mànran, Cruinn and Seumas Begley & Jim Murray.
Following events across the Highlands on Friday 6th, headlining the extravaganza at Eden Court on Saturday 7th September, fresh from an outstanding tour of the United States, are award-winning Mànran along with Cruinn - James Graham, Fiona Mackenzie, Brian Ó hEadhra and Rachel Walker - joined by The Highland Council’s Cèilidh Band, Snas, and the redoutable Dingwall Gaelic Choir and Gaelic writers Angus Peter Campbell and Martin MacIntyre.
Depute Leader of The Highland Council, Councillor David Alston, hailed the success of the Blas festivals. He said: “I am greatly looking forward to the Blas Festival which promises an excellent Highland-wide celebration of our language, music and culture. Blas not only fills the growing demand for live, indigenous music but it also acts as a major economic force in our tourism sector.”
The 30th anniversary celebration of the formation of Capercaillie is one of this year’s festival highlights and already the new National Theatre of Scotland and Blas Festival joint commission, “Eun Beag Chanaidh”, has been well received in Uist where it received its first showing on Wednesday evening to much acclaim. The production will open at the Culloden Battlefield Centre on Friday September 6 and then tour the Highlands.
In the second commission for Blas 2013 piper Calum MacCrimmon pays homage to his unique musical heritage with an exhilarating medley of original tunes and songs influenced by the ceòl mòr (classical bagpipe music) and canntaireachd traditions of Gaelic Scotland. His piece, “Boraraig”, be premiered in Beauly on Tuesday night during festival week.
With Blas organisers Fèisean nan Gàidheal looking forward to completion of the first decade of festivals, Bòrd na Gàidhlig Ceannard (CEO), John Angus MacKay has highlighted the festival’s role in the regeneration of Gaelic. He said: "Bòrd na Gàidhlig welcomes the beginning of the 9th Blas festival. The Bòrd recognises that many people are attracted to learn and use the language by accessing and partaking in various Gaelic art forms including music, song, dance, drama & literature which are readily available through the Blas wide range of events."