These songs first introduced me to Scots Gaelic. The actual scores contain both Gaelic and English. Although I've since learned that the translations can be a bit shaky, they've stuck. At 9 o'clock sharp, we commence. The ladies are accompanied on the piano, and all is well with no 1, Eilidh Davies, who went on to win. Jackie Cotter, from Edinburgh, was next up and had a breakdown of communication with the accompanist. Result: two stoppages and a ruffled singer. Ann Marie McLean and Pauline McCamley went through their pieces without mishap. Jillain Faith Thomson was absolutely consumed with nerves. A lump in the throat doesn't help either, with the result that Tha mi sgith didn't go to well. What a shame. On that note, it was across to the Town Hall for the lady solo singers.
They all had to sing Ghraidh an tig thu. The usual muddle was taking place, with people not appearing in the order they were billed. Several had withdrawn from competition. Fiona MacKenzie from Dingwall won. A little after 11, the competition was declared closed, and the adjudicators came to a conclusion. Next item on the morning's agenda: precenting.
If you want to hear what that sounds like, follow this link: http://www.bealheights.org/auto_images/1123797915Psalmcast016.mp3 which I took from www.podcast.com. It contains an introduction and is 15 minutes long. It also comprises other recordings of precenting from elsewhere within the Christian church.
There were 3 competitors. The first isn't too bad, but has difficulty going over the congregation. A lot of old folk have come in specially to take part in this. The precentors have to line 2 verses of a psalm of their choice. Number 2, Torquil MacLeod, an islander, does very well. Donald Angus Matheson unfortunately had a spot of bother. Torquil MacLeod wins hands down. Next on the agenda: a jaunt to the sports centre where they are singing in duets. Confusion reigns supreme, as there are several people who have not reported to the organisers. I sit in on proceedings until I get bored waiting. Return to Newton, but get picked up by mrs B's eldest son in Island Road. Yep, such a long way to go from there (not). He leaves for Glasgow today, through Tarbert and Skye at 2 pm. At 2.30 I head back into town to jump on the Mod Shuttlebus which is supposed to take me to the Primary School. Well, the lady in the bus station was very unhelpful and just told me to accost any Mod official; it's a Mod bus, nothing to do with the council. No sign of any bus, so I leg it all the way to Jamieson Avenue. Twenty minutes later, I slink into the Assembly Hall to listen to a batch of young girls, all singing whilst playing the clarsach, the Gaelic harp.
Little Josie Duncan from Laxdale carries off the main prize. A woman stands on the stage, like at all events, but she SHOUTS out the announcements for the competitions. We're overrunning by about an hour. Standards are quite high. One competition gets shifted to another room, so we get on with a competition in which only one person has entered. Esme Boone has travelled all the way from Northern Ontario in Canada. Unfortunately, her voice outdid the harp, and her performance did not merit awarding the trophy to her. Ouch. The final session was dedicated to groups of 3 clarsachan or more. The first group, Na h-Uiruisgean [Waterspouts] made a valiant effort, but why the heck they included a fiddle is beyond me. Not a strong performance, but they're yet young. Second was a very creditable performance by the City of Edinburgh Music School, who had 4 harpists out. Finally a group of 14 (yes, fourteen) harpists basically rearranged the hall to be able to fit in. Quite good, an an unusual combination. They won the competition. Return to Newton at 5.15. to help mrs B serve dinner to our 4 Canadians after they return from rehearsal at the Golf Club. This time round they do not stay behind after supper, and I can join mrs B for an evening meal not long afterwards.
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