14th October 2007
The first West European Minority Languages Song Competition will be held in Inverness next year as part of four regional finals held across Europe.
The event is called N�s �r which means 'New Style' in Scottish Gaelic, and languages expected to be entered into the competition are Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Ulster Scots, Irish, Manx, Welsh, Cornish and Breton. The winner of the West European competition will be entered into the final of the pan-European Liet Lavlut competition which will take place in Sweden next October.
Event organiser and Inverness-based musician Brian � hEadhra has been commissioned by goEvents to manage the project.
The contest is the only song competition of its kind in Europe and follows a similar format as the Eurovision Song Contest with singers and bands representing a particular country or in this case a minority language.
By gathering interest from singers from minority languages communities, the competition aims to promote the cultural and musical diversity to a large international audience.
Last year Brian entered a song he wrote into the Pan-European Minority Languages Song Competition, Liet Lavlut, in Sweden with his song chosen to be in the final eleven. Brian hopes the event will raise awareness of the needs of minority language songwriters. He said: "We want to make more industry folk realise that there is a huge national and international interest in our indigenous languages and cultures, both traditional and contemporary.
We also hope to attract more young people to the event during song-writing workshops and hopefully inspire a new generation of Gaelic and Scots song writers."
In 2010 it is proposed that Inverness would host the pan-European final, while the Western Europe regional final would be held in another part of Western Europe, such as Ireland or Wales.
N�s �r will take place in Court Theatre, 21 June 2008, coinciding with a conference on minority languages held by the University of the Highlands and Islands.
Brian � hEadhra adds: "The N�s �r event and the academic conference will draw a big local and international audience who we hope will be able to access the competition live, through the internet, radio and possibly even television. It's a wonderful opportunity and honour for the Highland capital and the Highlands & Islands to hold this event."
A website is being created where more information will be available about N�s �r. Commercial and public sponsors are also currently being contacted.
For further information in the meantime, please contact Brian � hEadhra on 01463 241622, info[AT]anamcommunications.com or Iain Hamilton, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) on 01463 244463, Iain.Hamilton[AT]hient.co.uk
N�s �r - Farpais �rain Roinneil Mhion-ch�nain ann an Inbhir Nis
Bidh a' chiad Fharpais Roinneil Mhion-ch�nain ann an Inbhir Nis san t- �g-mhios an ath bhliadhna, mar ph�irt de cheithir fharpaisean dheireannaich anns an Roinn-E�rpa.
'S e 'N�s �r' ainm an tachartais agus tha d�il air �rain a chuir a-steach sa Gh�idhlig, Albais, Ulaidh Albais, G�idhlig �ireannach, G�idhlig Mhanainneach, Cuimreach, C�rnach agus Breaton. Th�id an neach-buannachaidh troimhe gu farpais dheireannach Liet Lavlut E�rpach ann an t-Suain san D�mhair an ath bhliadhna.
Chaidh Brian � hEadhra, neach-ci�il agus neach-eagrachaidh airson tachartasan, fhastadh le goEvents airson sti�ireadh na pr�iseict.
'S e am farpais an aon den se�rsa sa Roinn-E�rpa, leis an aon chumadh ris a' 'European Song Contest', le seinneadairean agus c�mhlain-ci�il seasamh airson d�thaich, no airson mhion-ch�nain san fharpais seo.
Tha an fharpais ag amas cuir air adhart iomadachd chultarach agus ci�il gu luchd-�isdeachd farsaing eadar-n�iseanta, le bhith cnuasachadh �idh bho sheinneadairean � coimhearsnachdan mh�on-ch�nanach.
An uiridh, chuir Brian �rain a sgr�obh e fh�in a-steach don fharpais dheireannach Liet Lavlut E�rpach anns an t-Suain agus chaidh an �rain air taghadh airson a bhith anns an 11 mu dheireadh. Tha Brian an d�chas gun tog an fharpais mothachadh a measg sgr�obhadairean mhion-ch�nanach. Thuirt e: "Tha sinn ag iarraidh luchd-gn�omhachais
a thuigse gu bheil �idh mh�r gu �re n�iseanta agus eadar-n�iseanta anns ar c�nain agus ar cultair, an d� chuid traidiseanta agus co-aimsireach.
"Tha sinn cuideachd an d�chas barrachd dhaoine �ga a th�ladh gu'n tachartais r� b�than-obrach sgr�obhaidh-�rain agus gum bi ginealach �r de sgr�obhadairean �rain Gh�idhlig agus Albais air am brosnachadh."
Thathar a' moladh gum bi an fharpais dheireannach E�rpach ann an Inbhir Nis fh�in ann an 2010, fhad 's a bhios an fharpais roinneil E�rpach ann an �ite eile den Taobh Siar an Roinn-E�rpa mar Eirinn no A' Chuimrigh.
Bidh N�s �r ann an C�irt an Aodainn, 21 An t-Og-mhios 2008, aig an aon �m sa bhios co-labhairt Oilthigh na G�idhealtachd, air mion-ch�nain.
Thuirt Brian � hEadhra: "T�laidh N�s �r agus a' cho-labhairt luchd-�isdeachd ionadail agus eadar-n�iseanta agus tha sinn an d�chas gun urrainn dhaibh an fharpais fhaicinn be�, air an r�idio, an eadar-l�on no eadhon air an telebhisean. 'S e cothrom m�orbhailteach a th'ann agus urram airson Inbhir Nis agus a' Ghaidhealtachd agus na h-Eileanan, tachartas den se�rsa seo a chumail."
Bidh l�rach-l�n air cruthachadh far am bi barrachd fiosrachaidh air N�s �r agus thathas a' sireadh luchd-urrais poblach agus malairteach and dr�sta.
Airson barrachd fiosrachaidh, bheir fios gu Brian � hEadhra air 01463 241622, info[AT]anamcommunications.com, no dha Iain Hamilton air 01463 244463, Iain.Hamilton[AT]hient.co.uk