Gaelic festival will be a feast of music

Apr 23 2009 by Johnathon Menzies, Blairgowrie Advertiser

BUDDING musicians will have the chance to learn the skills of a golden era as a traditional Gaelic festival heads for Blairgowrie and Rattray.

The Fèis – which is the Gaelic word for “festival” or “feast” – takes place at Rattray Primary School on May 23 from 10am.

Participants will receive top tuition on a variety of musical instruments, including the fiddle, clarsach, keyboard, bagpipes, tin-whistle, accordion and bodhrán.

Instruments will be provided and, in addition, professional experts will preside over sessions of step-dancing, drama and singing.

After mastering their chosen craft, the musicians will be invited to lay-on a concert showcasing their newly-learnt talents. After which, a full-scale ceilidh will take place in the Blairgowrie’s Royal Hotel.

Graham Reid, chairman of the organising group, Blairgowrie and Highland Perthshire Fèis, said: “Through the Fèis, we aim to encourage young people to take an active part in enjoying the music, song and dance of the Highlands.

“Professional tuition will not only make the day a lot of fun but I think it will also be an effective way to appreciate Scottish culture first-hand,” he said.

The project is part of a raft of measures currently being championed by the Blairgowrie and Rattray Regeneration Company (BARRC).

The group have received financial backing from a variety of sources, including Perth and Kinross Council, the Scottish Arts Council and Gaelic arts group Fèisean nan Gàidheal.

Registration forms will be available in local schools after the Easter break and also at Scotts' Pet and Garden Centre on Blairgowrie’s Reform Street.

Workshops are limited to three per person and cost £1.

Organisers have asked that any would-be musicians return their applications by May 5 as the activities will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

For further info, contact Graham Reid on 01250 874 230 or e-mail reidhouse@talktalk.com