Category: Audio

Listen to the Whale Song

~ Gordon Wells ~ Leave a comment

Is there something in the air in Berneray? Here’s another new blog from the same island – “Pàdruig’s Woven Words” – from Peter Kerr this time. Peter writes poetry and prose, and takes beautiful pictures, and has started publishing them on his “Berneray Bàrdachd” WordPress site.

And now he’s gone a step further still. In this “Whale Song” post we can hear him reading aloud a piece he wrote reflecting on a recent experience.

Check out this new Island Voice!

And remember, there’s room for many more!

Meet Catrin Evans: New Singer/Songwriter

~ Gordon Wells ~ 2 Comments

Catrin Evans lives on Grimsay and studies at Sgoil Lìonacleit. And in her spare time she writes songs – songs which are making an impression. She’s started to be a regular performer at Taigh Chearsabhagh’s Taigh Ciùil, and she’s been away to the “Wee Studio” in Stornoway to make some recordings, thanks to family support and a Creative Scotland award for young musicians. Here, she talks to Gordon Wells about how she started writing songs, what the process is, and how the island environment inspires her. She also talks about the experience of recording in a professional studio, and how it’s boosted her confidence and desire to do more writing and performing:-

(If you’re an iPad or iPhone user you may need to follow this link: http://ipad.io/f0rp)

Here’s the Wee Studio recording of one of her songs – “Battleship”. (And you can follow the words if you click here.)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-2n5N4RALg?rel=0]

Sianail Phàdruig

~ Gordon Wells ~ 2 Comments

Tha Pàdruig Moireasdan air sianail ùr aige fhèin a stèidheachadh air Ipadio. Ach an àite a bhith ga cleachdadh airson phonecasts a dhèanamh, tha e air tòiseachadh le faidhlichean MP3 a chur oirre.

Tha CD a’ dol leis an leabhar aig a sheanair, “Thugam agus Bhuam”, air a bheil Lachlann Phàdruig (athair Phàdruig òig) a’ gabhail feadhainn dhe na h-òrain aig athair fhèin agus e a’ còmhradh le Gordon Wells. Tha Pàdruig òg air an cur air-loidhne a-nis, gus an tèid aig luchd-ionnsachaidh is eile air an cluinntinn gu furasta. ‘S e goireas ùr cuideachail a tha seo. Agus ma tha sibh airson na faclan fhaicinn cuideachd chan fheum sibh ach an leabhar fhaighinn… Nach math a rinn e!

http://www.ipadio.com/channels/PadruigMorrison

An Radio

~ Gordon Wells ~ 2 Comments

Reblogged from Am Pàipear:

Neil Campbell of Sustainable Uist was heavily involved in organising and running the very successful Benbecula Fun Day on Saturday, 7th July. But he took some time out to talk about plans and aspirations for a new Uist community radio station. The group has secured start-up funding and a broadcasting licence.

Now the fun begins! Anyone interested in getting involved can contact the group via the Sustainable Uist office in Balivanich (phone 01870 603863), or e-mail Neil on neil@sustainableuist.org.

Hear his Gaelic interview here:

(Click http://ipad.io/g0EV if you’re an iPad/iPhone user.)

Hear his English interview here:

(Click http://ipad.io/h0Er if you’re an iPad/iPhone user.)

Listeners are reminded that anyone interested in DIY language and media work can always get in touch with the Island Voices project for some preparatory hands-on practice!

Puirt-à-Beul

~ Gordon Wells ~ 11 Comments

Frequent visitors to the Island Voices site will be familiar with Will Lamb already – the surfing dude who features in the Outdoors section of Series Two of the videos. In fact, Dr Lamb has many strings to his bow. Now a lecturer at Edinburgh University he recently returned to Uist to launch his new edition of Keith Norman Macdonald’s book, “Puirt-à-Beul”, in Daliburgh at the Ceòlas music school. The book is a unique anthology of “The Vocal Dance Music of the Scottish Gaels”, which had long been out of print, and to which Will has added significantly in order to bring it back to a modern readership (including links to recordings in the Tobar an Dualchais collection – another topic covered by Island Voices, this time in the Enterprise section).

In a fascinating talk in Daliburgh Will spoke about the original author and explained the background to the project.

He also called on some friends to give a demonstration of how “mouth music” and traditional dance went together hand in hand.

Here he gives Gordon Wells a potted summary in Gaelic.

(You may need to visit http://ipad.io/j0De if you use an iPad/iPhone.)

Uist Youth Theatre

~ Gordon Wells ~ Leave a comment

Gu ruige seo,  ’s ann sa Bheurla a tha an Uist Youth Theatre Group air a bhith ag obair. Agus abair obair sgoinneil a tha iad air a bhith a’ dèanamh, eadar Shakespeare agus Panto!

Èistibh an seo ri Lena Carter, agus i a’ mìneachadh sa chànan eile na tha iad air a bhith ris, agus na tha fainear dhaibh san àm ri teachd. Agus tha “Three Wishes” aice cuideachd. Saoil an tig iad gu bìth?

(Faodaidh sibh tadhal air http://ipad.io/b0Fd ma tha sibh a’ cleachdadh iPhone no iPad.)

Tha barrachd fiosrachaidh air duilleagan A’ Phàipeir, far am faicear dealbh no dhà cuideachd leis na daoine òga ag obair gu trang, agus deagh choltas gu bheil e a’ còrdadh riutha…

Sgioba Dràma Uibhist

~ Gordon Wells ~ 1 Comment

One of the highlights for the Island Voices team during the creation of the Series Two Enterprise collection was the visit to St Kilda. Quite independently, Sgioba Dràma Uibhist (Uist Drama Group) produced a very different take on the same topic in their recent film “A’ Phàrlamaid”. That the film won the Best Community Short prize in this year’s FilmG competition has been public knowledge for some time now. Less well known is the fact that the movie can now be viewed on the FilmG YouTube channel. Well worth a look!

Gordon Wells caught up with Nanac Skivington during a break from adjudicating at the Uist local Mòd at the weekend. Nanac talks about how the film came to be made, and how they overcame a number of challenges in the process, including the weather! She has encouraging words of advice for other would-be film-makers, and a special word of thanks for Andy Mackinnon at Taigh Chearsabhagh who provided help and guidance.

Listen to the Gaelic interview here.

And here’s the film itself:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYUrTlnnQhI?rel=0&w=400&h=225]

Songs of his Father

~ Gordon Wells ~ 3 Comments

Not long ago Gordon Wells sat down with Lachie Morrison and switched on his recorder while they chatted and Lachie sang some songs. They’re the songs of Lachie’s father, Pàdruig, who was also a renowned story teller. (Gille an Fheadain Duibh is just one from his collection Thugam agus Bhuam.)

In this extract Lachie sings two songs. The first is Bodach a’ Phuill Mhònaidh, a light-hearted take on the mishaps that might befall a young man as he tramps over the moor. The second is Òran a’ Chogaidh, composed while Pàdruig was away with the army at Suvla Bay, Gallipoli, reflecting on the hardships of war and dreaming of Flora, his then sweetheart, who was to become Pàdruig’s wife and Lachie’s mother.

If you want to read the lyrics of each song (copied with kind permission from Thugam agus Bhuam), click the following links:

Bodach a’ Phuill Mhònaidh

Òran a’ Chogaidh

No doubt there are other community members who have songs or stories that would be well worth listening to. If you would like help with recording them, please contact Gordon on 07879 644984.