Only Two Weeks To Get Your Entries In To New Gaelic Song Competition

28th February 2008

Cola-deug air fhàgail gus co-fharpais òrain ùr a dh'fheuchainn

Chan eil ach dà sheachdain air fhàgail do sheinneadairean is sgrìobhadairean ann am mìon-chànan òrain a chur a-steach airson Nòs Ùr - a' chiad cho-fharpais òrain a thèid a chumail ann an Inbhir Nis, is mar aonan de ceithir cuairtean-deireannach a bhios tachairt ann an sgìrean eadar-dhealaichte na Roinn Eòrpa. Feumar òrain a bhith air an cur a-steach ro 14mh Màrt.

Tha an co-fharpais a' sireadh òrain ann an Gàidhlig na h-Alba, Albais, Albais Ulaidh, Gàidhlig na h-Èireann, Gàidhlig Eilean Mhanainn, Cuimris, Còrnach agus Gàidhlig na Breatainn Bhig. Thèid luchd-buannachaidh co-fharpais taobh an iar na h-Eòrpa troimhe gu farpais dheireannach Liet Lavut Eòrpach a thèid a chumail ann an Lulea, san t-Suain, san Dàmhair.

Chan eil co-fharpais òrain eile idir coltach ris ann an Eòrpa is i a' leantainn an aon seòrsa cruth is a tha aig a' cho-fharpais ainmeil Òran Eurovision le seinneadairean is còmhlain-chiùil a' riochdachadh dùthaich shònraichte, ach an seo gum bi iad a' riochdachadh mion-chànan.

Bidh Nòs Ùr a' tachairt aig Eden Court 21mh Ògmhios aig an aon àm ri 'Guthan an Iar - Mion-chànain ann an Craoladh is Foghlam', co-labhairt nam mion-chànan air a chur air dòigh le Institiùd OGE nam Mìle Bliadhna far an cluinnear an craoladair Lesley Riddoch agus Derrick McClure à Oilthigh Obar Dheathain.

Tha ùidh air nochdadh sa cho-fharpais anns a' Chuimrigh is ann an Alba mar-thà, ach bu mhiann leis an luchd-eagrachaidh barrachd òrain ùra bho mhion-chànan Ceilteach taobh an iar na h-Eòrpa a chluinntinn.

Bidh dà dhuais ann - aon dhiubh a thèid a bhuileachadh leis na britheamhan is tè eile a thèid a bhuileachadh mar thoradh air bhòtaichean bhon mhòr-shluagh. Bidh britheamh bho gach sgìre a tha gabhail pàirt a' suidhe air a' phannal. Thèid an co-fharpais a chraoladh beò gus an urrainn dhan luchd-èisteachd bhòt a chur air fòn-làimhe no air an eadar-lìn, is gheibh an fheadhainn a bhios an làr ann an Eden Court cothrom bhòtadh cuideachd.

'S e fear-eagrachaidh thachartasan is ceòladair a tha stèidhichte ann an Inbhir Nis, Brian Ó hEadhra, a bhios a' stiùireadh a' phròiseict airson goEvents, a bhios a' cur air adhart is a' leasachadh ealain chruthachail air Ghàidhealtachd is anns na h-Eileanan. Thuirt e: "Tha ùidh mhòr a thaobh ciùil is nam meadhanan sa cho-fharpais mar-thà agus tha e na fhìor dheagh chothrom sanasachaidh do dhaoine a tha miannach air a bhith nan ceòladairean no a tha sgrìobhadh òrain gu proifeiseanta. Tha sinn an dùil ri an t-uabhas de thagraichean san dà sheachdain a tha romhainn."

Thathas a' moladh gun cùm Inbhir Nis a' chuairt-dheireannach thar-Eòrpa ann an 2010 fhad 's gun tèid cuairt-dheireannach sgìreil Cheilteach is Albannach a chumail ann am bad eile de thaobh an iar na h-Eòrpa, mar eisimpleir anns a' Chuimrigh na ann an Èirinn.

Thèid cuirm a chumail le Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd aig Taigh a' Bhaile, 20mh Ògmhios, dhan fheadhainn a bhios a' frithealadh na co-fharpais aig Eden Court.

'S iad Iomairt na Gàidhealtachd is nan Eilean (HIE), Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd, Colmcille, Comhairle Ealain na h-Alba, Seirbheis nam Meadhanan Gàidhlig agus Institiùd OGE nam Mìle Bliadhna.

Gheibhear barrachd fiosrachaidh mun cho-fharpais aig www.nos-ur.eu cho math ri foirmichean tagraidh a ghabhas a lùghdachadh a-nuas. Tha làrach MySpace ann cuideachd www.myspace.com/nosur

English
There are only two weeks left for minority language singers and song-writers to enter to Nòs Ùr - the first song contest to be held in Inverness as part of four regional finals held across Europe. The deadline for song applications is 14 March.

Meaning 'New Style' in Gaelic, the Nòs Ùr competition is seeking songs entered from languages such as Scottish Gaelic, Scots, Ulster Scots, Irish, Manx, Welsh, Cornish and Breton. The winners of the West European competition will be entered into the final of the pan-European Liet Lavut competition which takes place in Lulea, Sweden in October.

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, except in this case it is a minority language.

Nòs Ùr takes place at Eden Court on June 21 coinciding with UHI Millennium Institute 'Voices of the West - Minority Languages in Broadcasting and Education' conference on minority languages, featuring broadcaster Lesley Riddoch and Derrick McClure from Aberdeen University.

The competition has already gathered interest from Wales, Ireland and Scotland however, organisers are keen for more entries of newly composed music and lyrics from the other Celtic minority languages in western Europe.

Two prizes are awarded - one voted for by the jury and the other voted for by the public. The panel of judges comprises a representative from each participating region. A live broadcast will be arranges where listeners can vote by SMS-text or on the internet and the audience at Eden Court will also be able to vote.

Event organiser and Inverness-based musician Brian Ó hEadhra is managing the project for goEvents which promotes and develops creative arts in the Highlands and Islands. He says: "There has been a lot of music and media interest in the event already and it is a great promotional opportunity for budding and professional song-writers. We expect there will be a real rush of applicants in the coming two weeks."

It is also proposed that Inverness will host the pan-European final in 2010 while the Celtic and Scots regional final would be held in another part of western Europe, such as Ireland or Wales.

A reception will be hosted by Highland Council at the Town House, June 20 for those attending the competition at Eden Court. Support for is coming from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Highland Council, Colmcille, Scottish Arts Council, Gaelic Media Service and UHI Millennium Institute.

A website www.nos-ur.eu provides further information on the event as well as access to application forms which can be downloaded and a MySpace site has also been set up too www.myspace.com/nosur

Further information on Liet Lavut is at www.liet.nl

Gaelic News and Links on Caithness.org
www.caithness.org/links/gaelic/index.htm

Caithness MoD 2010
www.caithness.org/mod/index.htm