Significant milestone for Blas as it reaches first decade
One of the most successful arts events in the Highlands has reached a significant milestone with Blas 2014 marking the festival’s tenth anniversary. This year’s international event, spread over around 100 venues in the Highlands and Argyll between 5 and 13 September, returns to its roots with a greater emphasis on the place of communities, young people and Gaelic.
There will be a new commission by fiddler, Iain MacFarlane and a stellar collection of musicians will be appearing across the area including Dàimh, The Mischa MacPherson Trio, Mànran, The Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Marloch, Dougie Maclean as well as Gaelic singers such as Christine Primrose, James Graham, Gillie Mackenzie, Alasdair Whyte and Linda MacLeod. Contemporary Gaelic songs will feature through Dòl Eoin Mackinnon who will be appearing with Macanta. Shinty’s cultural associations will feature prominently, as will the work of Gaelic writers part and present. International visitors will include Cape Breton fiddler, Howie MacDonald and Cherish the Ladies. The festival finale will be Ceòl nam Fèis, a concert highlighting the success of the Fèis movement in engaging young people with the traditional arts - an aspect that has been a hallmark of Blas since its inception.
Blas was created 10 years ago as a result of The Highland Council’s desire to create a festival that would match the vitality of Cape Breton’s Celtic Colours and the Council has continued its support.
Councillor Maxine Smith, Vice Convener of The Highland Council said: “This year’s Blas festival programme, in the Year of Homecoming, is exciting, engaging, and educational as it showcases Gaelic and traditional music in venues across the Highlands and Argyll. The festival allows residents and visitors to access the very best of traditional music in communities across the Highlands from Portree to Portmahomack and from Torridon to Taynuilt.”
The festival’s success has been welcomed by the Scottish Government Minister for Learning, Science & Scotland's Languages, Alasdair Allan MSP. He said: “I would like to join with so many others in congratulating the Blas Festival on reaching its 10th anniversary and growing into such a significant part of the cultural life of the Highlands.”
“Each year Blas offers a rich programme that reflects many aspects of the Highlands and our traditional culture, includes a wide range of performers, reaches a growing audience and has the Gaelic language at its heart. I would like to wish Blas 2014 every success and hope that many more people will enjoy this year’s 10th anniversary celebration as part of the Highland Homecoming.”
At the launch of the programme for this year’s festival at Eden Court Theatre in Inverness Arthur Cormack, of festival organisers Fèisean nan Gàidheal, reminded the audience of the event’s early history and its subsequent development.
He said: “The festival began as a small-scale effort at three venues, Strontian, Clashmore and Strathpeffer in 2004. Since then we have promoted 410 events involving 3,102 performers and have attracted an audience of 88,448. We have produced 11 new commissions and 24 hours of content for BBC Alba. The festival has had an audience satisfaction rating of 91.2% over that time and has contributed £4.4m to the Highland economy.”
In the intervening years, many of Scotland’s top musicians have appeared alongside international artistes from Nova Scotia and Ireland. Many playing music through the Fèis movement in their younger days have performed at Blas festivals including Gary Innes, Norrie MacIver, Lauren MacColl, Joy Dunlop, Julie Fowlis and Rachel Walker.
The historic tenth festival starts on Friday, September 5th. The Inverness launch highlighted a number of special events, including a new commission by Glenfinnan musician, Iain MacFarlane, inspired by Duncan Ban MacIntyre’s Moladh Beinn Dòbhrain, one of Gaelic’s greatest poems.
The commission is being supported by Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH). Alastair MacGugan of SNH said: “What better way to connect people with nature than to listen to and experience the rhythm and lyrics of the songs and poetry of the famous Gaelic bard Donnchadh Bàn MacIntyre, whose work is imbued with a sense of the interconnectedness of humans and nature. The poems convey the complex and close relationship between people, land and culture. They explore the modern concepts of ecosystems and sustainability in a timeless, evocative and immediate way. Connecting people with nature lets them enjoy, appreciate and care for Scotland’s environment. This is core to what SNH is all about and why SNH is pleased to support this project.”
Amongst the other highlight’s in this year’s festival will be, in the week of shinty’s showpiece event the Scottish Hydro Camanachd Cup Final, three shinty-based shows which will be taken to Tighnabruaich, Dornie and Inverness on the eve of the big match. Presented by Hugh Dan MacLennan and featuring Gary Innes, Linda MacLeod and the MacGillivrays of Calrossie, “Home and Away – Glòir nan Caman” is a tribute to shinty players all over the world with a particular reference to the First World War.
A tribute to prominent Sutherland Gaelic bàrd, Rob Donn MacKay, will be led by James Graham, Catriona MacLeod, Carol-Anne MacKay, Suzanne Houston and Rhona Sutherland.
One of the festival’s main supporters has been Creative Scotland whose Director of Communications, Kenneth Fowler, said: "Creative Scotland is delighted to support Blas in this, its tenth year. Having grown in scale and influence over those ten years to become a pivotal event on Scotland's cultural calendar, Blas is a fantastic celebration of music and the performing arts. The festival is truly inclusive, covering the full geographical spread of the Highlands and Argyll, reaching people and communities in venues from village halls to Eden Court's Empire Theatre. This year's programme is truly inspiring and I wish the festival every success."
Blas is the first of a number of national and international events scheduled to take place in the Highlands between the beginning of September as part of Highland Homecoming, supported by EventScotland, culminating in the Royal National Mòd in October.
David Boag, Head of Gaelic Usage at Bòrd na Gàidhlig said: “Over the last 10 years, Blas has successfully raised the profile of Gaelic across the Highlands, across Scotland and internationally. In addition to the events themselves, the schools programme has given young people in the Highlands an opportunity to engage with Gaelic culture and learn about its place within the international community.”
“As part of the Homecoming Scotland 2014 programme across the Highlands and Islands and in addition to our support for Blas, Bòrd na Gàidhlig will be supporting other events including the Royal National Mòd in Inverness and the Hebrides Tattoo in Stornoway. The National Gaelic Language Plan 2012-17 recognises the importance of the arts, particularly as a mechanism to engage the general public with Gaelic and in support of the economy.”
Further information on Blas 2014 is available at http://www.blas-festival.com/, including the full programme of events and how to buy tickets.
-ends-