Gaelic Music Festival Features Concerts,
Workshops and Competitions
By JOHN MACLEOD
VANCOUVER - Scottish Gaels in Vancouver are eagerly looking forward to the upcoming Mòd Vancouver 2007, which takes place from May 8-12 at the Scottish Cultural Centre, 8886 Hudson Street in Vancouver.
Mòd Vancouver is a competitive festival of Gaelic music and song, and is held every second year in Vancouver. The festival attracts competitors and visitors from Scotland, the United States, and throughout British Columbia and Canada. The Mòd features concerts, workshops and competitions in choral, group, and individual music and singing.
Guests and visitors from Scotland participating at this year's Mòd include National Mòd Gold medal winners Mairi Macarthur, Donnie Murdo MacLeod and Calum Ross, Gaelic teacher Catherine MacKay, lecturer; Murdo Morrison; and the Aberdeen Gaelic Choir, winners of the Margrat Duncan Memorial Trophy at the 2006 Royal National Mòd in Dunoon, Scotland.
Mairi Macarthur, a National Mòd Gold Medallist, popular Gaelic entertainer and long-time member of Glasgow's Govan Gaelic Choir, is no stranger to Mòd Vancouver, this being her fourth time here.
Mairi, who is in great demand as a performer in many parts of Scotland, will lead workshops in Puirt-a-Beul and Waulking Songs. She will also adjudicate several of the competitions, and entertain us during the evening concerts
Donnie Murdo MacLeod, originally from the Isle of Lewis, is regarded as one of the leading traditional Gaelic singers, having won the Gold Medal for traditional singing at the 1996 Royal National Mòd in Scotland.
This will be Donnie's second appearance at Mòd Vancouver. During Mòd week Donnie will lead workshops in Songs of the Isle of Lewis and Gaelic Psalm precenting. During the evenings Donnie will also be busy adjudicating various competitions and singing during the evening activities.
Calum Ross was born in Glasgow of Skye parents. A fluent Gaelic speaker, Calum has always had a strong interest in Gaelic, and has sung as a soloist, and with the Glasgow Govan choir for many years. He won the National Mòd Gold Medal in 1968, and the Traditional Gold Medal in 1980.
Calum's first appearance at Mòd Vancouver was in 1995. We welcome Calum back again, and look forward to his workshops in Gaelic language, Oran Mòd and Gaelic Psalm Precenting, along with Donnie Murdo MacLeod. Calum will also be participating as an adjudicator, and will be singing in the evening concerts.
Lewis-born Catherine MacKay attended Mòd Vancouver 2005, and presented some first-class workshops in Intermediate Gaelic to full classes of enthusiastic students. We are delighted to welcome her back again this year, and we are all looking forward to another series of excellent language workshops from Catherine.
Murdo Morrison, also from the Isle of Lewis, has been a strong supporter of Mòd Vancouver since its inception, and has attended several of our Mòd festivals over the years. Murdo is a past president of the World Federation of Burns Clubs and former national president of the UK Association of Speakers Clubs. He has previously adjudicated in Mòd festivals in Glasgow, East Kilbride, and Vancouver.
During Mòd week Murdo will be presenting lectures on "The Year of the Homecoming - 2009" and "East to West - the reopening of the Canals in Scotland." Murdo will also be adjudicating various competitions and participating in the evening concerts.
Organizers are also delighted to welcome the Aberdeen Gaelic Choir to this year's Mòd. This will be the choir's first visit to Vancouver. Formed in 1951, the choir has been participating in the Royal National Mòd since 1955 and has been winning, and achieving high marks in various choral competitions since then.
At the 2006 National Mòd, the choir was awarded first place in the Margrat Duncan Memorial Trophy competition for the third year running. They were also awarded the An Comunn Gàidhealach Silver Baton for the conductor of the winning Choir, the Staffinders Quaich for the highest marks in music, and they regained the John McNicol Memorial Trophy for the highest marks in Gaelic.
The Mòd opening ceremony and reception will take place at the Scottish Cultural Centre on May 8 at 5 PM. Everyone is welcome to attend this event.
Workshops in Gaelic language, songs, lectures and whisky-tasting will be offered from May 9-11, between 10 AM and 5 PM.
Competitions will take place on May 10 and 11, and all day May 12. These will include youth and adult solo, duet and quartet competitions for learners and fluent speakers, also group instrumental, choral, recitation, and story-telling competitions.
Joining the Aberdeen choir in the choral competitions will be Seirm, the Gaelic Choir from Seattle, under the direction of Seumas Gagne, Victoria's Guth Nan Eilean, Gaelic choir, led by conductor Douglas Hodgkinson, and The Vancouver choir Còsir Ghàdhlig Bhancoubhair, led by director Dubravko Pajalic.
The choral competitions will be held in the main hall at the Scottish Cultural Centre on May 12. This event, traditionally the finale competition event, is shaping up to be one of the most exciting and enjoyable events of the festival.
Each evening from Wednesday to Saturday, there will be concerts and ceilidhs in the main hall featuring competitions winners, and guest entertainers from Scotland, the United States and British Columbia.
The festival will wrap up with the final concert on May 12 and will feature all competition winners, guest singers, and songs from the massed choirs. It will provide an opportunity to experience the tremendous warmth that competitors, guests and spectators bring together to celebrate their love for the Gaelic culture, language and music, and is definitely not to be missed. Tickets should be pre-ordered, as this event always sells out early.
For full details of competitions, workshops and events, visit: www.modvancouver.com. For tickets to all events, write to John Hanson at 10420 No. 4 Road, Richmond, B.C. V7A 2Z7, call (604) 274-7621, or e-mail at john.hanson@telus.net.
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