Gaelic Song Fellow Sings Carols in Germany

18th December 2007

Fiona Mackenzie, The Highland Council's Mairi Mhòr Gaelic song Fellow, based in Dingwall, will be travelling to Bonn, Germany, this weekend to sing Gaelic Carols at the Kulturzentrum Theatre.

The Mairi Mhòr Gaelic Song Fellowship recently launched the world's first Scottish Gaelic Christmas album, Duan Nollaig in cooperation with Greentrax Records and Fiona will be performing several of the tracks at the Kulturzentrum Theatre in Bonn on Saturday 22nd December 2007.

Councillor Hamish Fraser Chairman of The Highland Council's Gaelic Committee said: "It is important to inform our European cousins that Gaelic is part of the fabric of life in Scotland. The Gaelic language, Gaelic songs and also the dance styles of the Highlands and Scotland all provide a platform for identity especially as we are surrounded by ever increasing globalisation. The Highlands host many ambassadors of our language and the Mairi Mhòr Fellowship is fulfilling its role in this respect. "

Fiona said: "I was delighted to be invited to perform some of the Duan Nollaig Carols in Bonn this Christmas. I am particularly looking forward to singing 'Ciùin an Oidhche' with German Gaelic Singer Michael Klevenhaus. Of course, this carol was originally a German carol - Stille Nacht, or Silent Night - and Michael actually sings a verse in German on the album. It will be lovely to sing it in Gaelic, in its own homeland as there is a huge and enthusiastic community of Gaelic learners in Germany.

"It is important that we make Gaelic songs of all genres as accessible, to as many people in all corners of the world, as possible and this is a particularly nice way of being able to achieve that. While Gaelic Carols have not been well known as a tradition in their own right, we hope that people will now take these songs to heart and establish them as a new tradition. A good indication of this is the fact that the album is at the top of all of the Scottish Music charts at the moment. The Carols will also hopefully be a useful resource for teachers in all Highland Schools, Gaelic Medium and mainstream education."

The album, produced by Irvin Duguid, well known nationally as a film score composer and Musical Director, originally from Macduff and now based in Glasgow, was showcased at a major concert in Glasgow's St Andrews in the Square recently and was shown on National Television this week. Many of Scotland's top musicians participated including James Graham, John Goldie, Gary Innes, Ross Ainslie, Hamish Napier, Jim Drummond, Katie Mackenzie and Simone Welsh.