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Spirit of Blas 2015 captured on first weekend

14th July 2015

Photograph of Spirit of Blas 2015 captured on first weekend

One of the highlights of the opening weekend of the Blas 2015 festival will be the appearances of renowned Scottish musician and songwriter Dick Gaughan, whose performances are sure to capture the spirit of Blas 2015 and set the tone for what follows in nine great days of musical entertainment across the Highlands and in Argyll.

Amongst Scotland's greatest performers the guitarist, singer, songwriter, composer and record producer from Leith is the only person to hold the dual honours of a Lifetime Achievement award at the BBC Radio 2 Folk Awards and induction into the Scots Traditional Music Hall of Fame.

He was described by the late John Peel as "one of the five or six great voices of our time" and his performances have exhausted the vocabulary of reviewers over the last few decades. Perhaps less well-known in Gaughan’s extensive biography and list of achievements is his Gaelic background, his mother having been a native speaker from Lochaber who, in her younger days, won a silver medal for Gaelic singing at the Mòd.

Kingussie and Plockton are the two fortunate venues to have secured the Gaughan performances by the maestro on the opening two nights of the festival, when he will be appearing with Macanta on Friday September 4 in Badenoch and with the Mairi MacInnes Band the following evening in Plockton.

Bring in the Spirit featuring the incomparable, sophisticated vocal abilities of Rod Paterson and Kirsten Easdale, the sublime, sensitive accordion playing of Gregor Lowrey and the extraordinary multi-instrumental talents of Marc Duff, have been assembled for Blas 2015 to bring an entertaining and memorable performance of Scots song and verse, full of warmth and humour.

They will be appearing on Tuesday September 8 along with Cape Breton’s J. P. Cormier in Lochcarron, the following evening in Gairloch, in Resolis on Thursday 10th and finally in Arisaig on Friday September 11.

Established 11 years ago as a result of The Highland Council’s desire to create a festival that would match the vitality of Cape Breton’s Celtic Colours, the Blas festival is now an international event showcasing Highland culture and its continuing success has been welcomed by the Scottish Government and Highland Council.

Blas 2015 will take place at venues across the Highlands and Argyll between 4 and 12 September.

Tickets for all Blas events can be bought online, or by phone, with details on the festival’s website blas-festival.com where further information is available on the full programme of events.
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Spiorad Blas 2015 ga chomharrachadh le Gaughan

Thèid fèill mhòr a chur air fear de shàr-luchd-ciùil na h-Alba, Dick Gaughan, air a’ chiad dheireadh sheachdain de Bhlas 2015, agus cha b’ urrainn toiseach-tòiseachaidh nas fheàrr a bhith aig an fhèis, a tha a’ sgaoileadh feadh na Gàidhealtachd agus Earra-Ghàidheal fad naoi latha, agus spiorad an duine agus spioirad na Fèise cho samhlachail.

Mar ghiotàraiche, seinneadair, sgrìobhadair-ciùil agus riochdaire chlàran, tha Dick Gaughan sònraichte seach gur e an aon neach riamh a choisinn duais Coileanadh Beatha aig Duaisean Ceòl-dùthcha Radio 2 agus a tha cuideachd a’ nochdadh ann an Talla nan Gaisgeach aig Duaisean Ceòl Traidiseanta na h-Alba. Chaidh a ràdh leis a chraoladair ainmeil John Peel gur e “fear de na còig no sia sàr ghuthan na ur linn” agus anns a’ Ghuardian gu bheil “am fuaim a th’ aig ceòl a tha dha-rìribh a’ tighinn bhon bhroinn.”

Tha cliù agus seasamh thar chàich air a bhith aig Dick Gaughan ann an saoghal ciùil na h-Alba son iomadh deichead, ach `s dòcha nach eil an ceangal a th’aige ri saoghal na Gàidhlig air a bhith buileach cho follaiseach. Bhoineadh a mhàthair do Lochabar. Bha Gàidhlig aice agus choisinn i, na h-òige, bonn airgid son a’ seinn sa Ghàidhlig aig a’ Mhòd.

Tha Ceann a’ Ghiùthsaich agus am Ploc fortanach gur iad a chaidh a thaghadh airson Dick Gaughan air a’ chiad dà oidhche dhen Fhèis, far am bi e am Bàideanach còmhla ris a’ chòmhlan Macanta oidhche Haoine (Sultain 4), agus an uairsin còmhla ris a’ chòmhlan aig Màiri NicAonghais anns a’ Phloc an oidhche an dèidh sin.

Tha Bring in the Spirit a’ toirt còmhla guthan gleusta is grinn Rod Paterson is Kirsten Easdale, cluiche eirmseach is ealanta Gregor Lowrey air a’ bhogsa, agus tàlantan iongantach Marc Duff, a bhios a’ cluiche iomadh inneal-ciùil. Thathar a’ gealltainn taisbeanadh dibhearsaineach is ainmeil de dh’òrain is rannan Albannach, làn blàiths is àbhachdais.

Bidh iadsan a’ nochdadh oidhche Mhàirt (Sultain 8) ann an cuideachd J. P. Cormier an Loch Carran, agus an oidhche an dèidh sin ann an Geàrrloch, an uairsin ann an Ruigh Sholais oidhche Dhiardaoin (10mh) agus mu dheireadh ann an Àrasaig oidhche Haoine, Sultain 11, faisg air deireadh na fèise.

Chaidh Fèis Blas a stèidheachadh 11 bliadhna air ais nuair a bha Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd ag iarraidh fèis a chruthachadh a bhiodh a’ cheart cho beòthail ri Fèis Celtic Colours ann an Ceap Breatann. Tha an Fhèis a-nis le ainm is cliù eadar-nàiaseanta a’ taisbeanadh cultar na Gàidhealtachd fad is farsaing, agus tha Riaghaltas na h-Alba agus Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd le chèile air a bhith taiceil fad bhliadhnaichean agus ga moladh airson a bhith cho soirbheachail.

Bidh tachartasan gan cur air adhart aig Fèis Blas 2015 air feadh na Gàidhealtachd agus Earra-Ghàidheal eadar 4 agus 12 Sultain.

Faodar tiogaidean a cheannach son gach tachartas aig Blas 2015 air-loidhne, no air fòn, le fiosrachadh ri fhaighinn air làrach-lìn na fèise blas-festival.com far am faighear làn-fhiosrachadh mu program na fèise.