The annual Fèis for youngsters at Argyll’s Lochgoilhead Centre is some event – no muscle left unused. Fingers, wrists,arms and upper bodies get a workout on the accordion or the clarsach or the fiddle or the pipes. And all the rest of the muscle orchestra goes canoeing, climbing and rope climbing. The vocal chords stretched from Gaelic song to shouts of excitement.
Apart from combining to create a non-stop weekend of learning on all fronts, the key to any musicianship beyond the soloist is good teamwork. At the Lochgoilhead Feis Weeekend, the physical activities create bonds of trust as well as shared adventure between the young musicians and build the concrete foundation of teamwork.
The event is hosted each ear by Fèis Cheann Loch Goibhle, the Gaelic arm of FiddleFolk/Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop.
Part-funded by Fèisean nan Gàidheal, it brings children together from across the region – from Helensburgh to Lochgilphead. It offers them access to sessions in Gaelic language and song, and all manner of traditional instruments, including fiddle, clarsach, accordion, pipes, whistle and chanter.
In 2010, tuition was provided by a remarkable, talented group of young musicians and singers. Sarah Naylor, who teaches fiddle in four local primary schools as well as FiddleFolk’s adult classes in Strachur, was on hand to offer improvers sessions for the children already learning fiddle in school as well as starter sessions for the beginners.
Two of the Fèis tutors, June Naylor who plays clarsach and Norrie McIver, accordionist and Gàelic singer, are members of the popular band Bodega, which won Scottish Folk Band of the Year at the Scots Trad Music Awards 2009.
Clarsach sessions were particularly popular with many of the girls who have tried this graceful instrument at the Fèis in previous years but get no other opportunity to play it, as it is not one of the instruments taught in school and there is no local tutor.
Those children who had tried the accordion last year practised the tunes they had already learned and newcomers quickly caught up – apparently it’s easy! James MacKenzie from Barra taught pipes, whistle and chanter and Joy Dunlop from Connel, Gaelic language and song.
On Saturday evening all 29 children gathered together to hear their tutors perform and Alec McKechnie, the most senior of the participating children, joined in on fiddle to play for the children’s Ceilidh, The dancing was followed by hot chocolate, biscuits and bed – eventually.
The bright, sunny weather at the weekend meant the outdoor, team-building activities, which included canoeing and rope and climbing skills, were all the more fun. These sessions were led by, Craig Auchinleck, Hamish McTrusty (now, if you had to invent a name for an outdoor activities instructor..?) and Craig Geddes, instructors at The Lochgoilhead Centre.
The weekend culminated with a concert in Lochgoilhead Village Hall, attended by family and friends. Of the 65 people in the audience 13 were younger brothers and sisters of participants. All were thrilled and intrigued to see how quickly the youngsters had picked up tunes on instruments they had never tried before.
Over the weekend Elizabeth Bain, Jean MacKechnie, Mike Masino and Alistair MacKechnie of the Fèis committee were with the children over the weekend to ensure all went well.
If anyone is interested in learning more, please contact Project Leader, Elizabeth Bain on 01301 703504 or check out the FiddleFolk website.
Mark Morpurgo, Folk and Traditional Music Editor
The photographs above, all from the Lochgoilhead Feis Weekend, are by copyright holder, Derek Prescott
Gle Mhath !
The only way to preserve our Gaelic heritage is to teach the young. I applaude all who helped make this possible.
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