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148th ANNUAL ISLAY GATHERING
GLASGOW UNIVERSITY UNION
FRIDAY 5th MARCH 2010 7:30pm
This was our second year holding the Gathering at this venue and our President Peter Campbell opened the concert with kind words of introduction to our guest chairperson Catriona Bell from Islay. This is Peter’s third and final year as President he will step down in June at the AGM. Peter also mentioned our Patrons Sir William and Lady Stewart and Lord and Lady Robertson. Lord and Lady Robertson had also brought along guests Mr and Mrs Alistair McNeill, Alistair is related to Lord Robertson and they thoroughly enjoyed the concert.
Our guest Chairperson was Catriona Bell who arrived in Islay in 1957 as a school teacher
and remained ever since. Catriona married Donald Bell from Ballygrant and over the years raised five children. Catriona combined motherhood with running a guest house,
Editor of the Ileach news paper, and countless voluntary work, which has been of huge benefit to the Island community. Catriona kept the concert running smoothly and with charm. She very quickly had the audience’s attention and I hope she enjoyed the experience. The presentation on the evening was carried out by Lauren McColl with beauty and grace. Lauren is the granddaughter of Mary and the late James McColl Bowmore. Catriona introduced the Islay pipers Linsay MacArthur and Sandy McLellan under the leadership of our guest Pipe Major Nigel Morris. The pipers got both halves of the concert off to a rousing start. This was Linsay and Sandy`s 5th year at the Gathering and Nigel enjoyed his debut very much indeed.
Mairi MacInnes was the first vocalist of the evening; she was born on 15th August 1964 in Baghasdail A'tuath, a small township on the beautiful island of South Uist in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland.
She enjoyed singing from an early age in Gaelic and in 1982 became one of the youngest winners of the prestigious Gold Medal at the National Mod in Skye, achieved at her first attempt. Since then, Mairi has become a well established singer and is often heard on television and radio. In fact, no Gaelic music programme would be complete without Mairi Mac Innes.
Iain MacLean was our first male vocalist to grace the platform tonight. Iain is from Waternish Isle of Skye and is married to Kirsteen Grant who conducts the Glasgow Islay Gaelic Choir. As well as signing in the Gaelic choir, Iain is also a member of the RSNO chorus and is a versatile and beautiful singer. I hope Iain is entering the gold medal competition at this year’s mod as we know he has the voice and also his gold card. He will also have the support of Kirsteen his lovely wife who won her gold medal in 1964. Thank you Iain ,and good luck if you do enter the gold medal.
Charlie Kirkpatrick was our instrumentalist for the evening, born and brought up in Iona, the famous island to the west of Mull started playing the accordion at an early age. Charlie gave us selections of tunes during the first halve of the concert. This gave the audience a flavour of what was to come at the dance; he had the audience in the palm of his hand with his skilful playing and sharp wit.
He made his debut album away back in the early eighties and about the same time formed his own band and started broadcasting for Radio Scotland's regular Saturday night programme - Take the Floor.
Very popular as a trio or a quartet at ceilidhs, weddings, accordion clubs and the like all around Scotland.
Charlie is a strong believer that communication through music is vitally important. There's no dance Charlie plays where the audience sits down. You can bet your boots they are up dancing!
He's a master of his craft as far as that's concerned and is respected throughout Scotland as an expert on the '3-row Chromatic' accordion. Charlie and his band kept the dance flowing and were a major contribution to the success of the dance which immediately followed the concert.
Marion Ramsay from Port Ellen Islay was our second female artist to grace the platform. On finishing high school on Islay Marion studied at Leeds College of Music gaining a Diploma in Western Music and then went on to read music at the Ian Tomlin School of Music at Napier University in Edinburgh before undertaking private tuition with Patricia McMahon. In July 2008 Marion successfully completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Concert Singing from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama and in July of this year graduated with a Postgraduate Diploma in Opera Studies under the tutelage of Stephen Robertson. Marion is a contralto and I recommend you visit her web site to find out her forth coming events.
Alasdair Whyte is from Salen on the Isle of Mull. He has been singing since the age of 4 at both local and national level winning many junior competitions at the Royal National Mòd. In 2006, he became the Men’s Gold Medallist in Dunoon. He completed a year at the Gaelic college, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig before continuing his studies at Glasgow University. He has a M.A. in Gaelic and Celtic Civilisation. In 2007, Alasdair was a soloist in a series of concerts celebrating the works of Sorley MacLean and also sang in the pan-European St. Kilda opera, ‘Hiort’. Alasdair is also a member of the Glasgow Gaelic choir, Ceòlraidh Gàidhlig Ghlaschu, who won the premier choral award, the Lovat and Tullibardine Shield at the National Mòd in Fort William 2007. Alasdair as well as an excellent singer proved a hit with the young females in the audience with his youthful good looks.
Norma McDougall our accompanist who was unable to be with us last year, great to see her back. Norma offers great support & confidence to the artistes. Thank you Norma for your high standard of playing, another virtuoso performance.
David Bannerman the sound engineer who provided the PA system and also recorded the Concert for hospital radio. Thank you David and your assistant John it makes such a difference to the audience’s enjoyment when they can hear the performances in full stereo sound.
Thanks to the staff at the Glasgow University Union for all their help and assistance. To all my colleagues in the GIA committee for their hard work and dedication to make The Gathering the success it was. Thanks also to Erskine Print for the Gathering Programme and finally to all who attended the concert and dance. A great night was had by all.
Moran taing . Malcolm Campbell Vice President.
Peter our President`s opening remarks
Our chairperson Catriona Bell`s address
Catriona and Donald Bell receive their presentations from Lauren McColl
Pipe Major Nigel Morris with pipers Linsay MacArthur and Sandy McLellan
get the concert under way
The stage party look on
Mairi MacInnes
Iain McLean
Charlie Kirkpatrick performing at the concert
Marion Ramsay
Alasdair White
Norma MacDougall
The platform party singing Oidhche mhath leibh
David and John the sound engineers
Charlie Kirkpatrick and his Band get the dance underway
Restoration of Iain Og Ile monument on the Isle of Islay
On behalf of the Glasgow Islay Association I wish to appeal to you for support for the restoration of the Iain Og Ile monument on the Isle of Islay.
The Glasgow Islay Association (An Comunn Ileach) was established in 1862 and its objectives include the bringing together natives of the Island of Islay, cherishing native attachments, and collecting and preserving the Traditions, Tales and Poetry of Islay. However, today's tough economic conditions make it difficult for The Glasgow Islay Association to meet those objectives.
We are seeking assistance for the restoration of the Iain Og Ile monument on the Isle of Islay. The monument was inaugurated in 1887 following subscription by the Islay association raising £300 (worth around £158,500 in 2009) and is in the form of an obelisk. The required restoration works have been quoted at £2,300 plus VAT.
Affectionately known as Iain Og Ile (Young Iain of Islay) John Francis Campbell was born in 1821, the great, great, great grandson of Daniel Campbell of Shawfield, the laird of Islay from 1726 and whose family ruled for 120 years. His father was declared bankrupt in 1848, so John Francis inherited nothing, and had to find his own way in the world. Campbell sang the virtues of the Gaelic language and the great literature it enshrined. He travelled through the Highlands and Islands with his scribes, scrupulously recording West Highland tales, Fenian ballads, songs, charms and anecdotes from 'the folk'. John G McKay, who translated Campbell’s tales from Gaelic, maintained that he was singularly responsible for rescuing hundreds of vanishing tales from obscurity. The range of tales collected by Campbell and his helpers include Aesop type fables, epic legends, fairy stories and fantasies. Though recognition came late and his efforts were largely unappreciated by the academic world, his reputation has grown since his death. His work has influenced major Scottish writers such as George Mackay Brown; and the four volumes of ‘Popular Tales’ and ‘More Tales’, republished with additional material in 1940, have sparked renewed interest in his work. Neil Philip’s more recent ‘Penguin Book of Scottish Folktales’, with its generous selection of these tales, reaffirms Campbell’s staying power.
We would appreciate any assistance that you could provide to us in our endeavor to raise the restoration cost of £2,300 plus VAT. I thank you for your time and consideration. We look forward to whatever support you can provide. We will be pleased to submit any additional information at your request.
Yours faithfully
Elizabeth Graham
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