Le cuideachd Oifis Iomairtean na Gàidhlig, bidh Bebh Brett a' deasachadh dealbhan-cluich' a bhios ri 'n nochdadh a 's t-samhradh 'sa tighinn ann an Alba Nuaidh. Tha mi a' coimhead air adhart ri 'm faicinn o 'n a tha làn fhios agam cho teòma 's a tha Bebh air an obair sin.

Thàinig e thugam gu bheil dealbh-cluiche rudeigin nach robh ann an eachdraidh no dualchas Eilean Cheap Breatainn riamh roimhe, ach aon turus a chaidh dealbh-cluich' a dheanamh air a' Chladach a Tuath anns na leth-cheudan an linne 'sa chaidh. Thòisich mi ri smaoineachadh cuideachd air na rudan ùr' a bhios tighinn asteach do shaoghal nan Gàidheal na làithean.

Tha na dealbhan-cluiche 'nan eisimpleir de ghnìomhan ùr' a chìthear a nis 'gan deanamh aig iomadh duine, gu h-àraid am measg nan òg, ach chan iad an aon roinn de dhaoine a nì.

Ma leughas sibh bàrdachd Lodaidh Mhic Fhionghainn, chì sibh bàrdachd "rann saor". Ri mo chuid fhiosrachd, 's e seo a' chiad turus a chaidh a leithid a sgrìobhadh 'sa Ghàidhlig ann an Alba Nuaidh. Anns a bhàrdachd Ghoiridh Dhòmhnallaich, leughar ranntan na 's fhaisg' air an seann nòs ach le pàtranan ann an co-fhuaim eu-coltach ris na rinn ar sinnsearan.

Fhuair mi clàr-cruinne o chionn ùine leis a' chòmhlan "Mill a h-Uile Rud". 'S e ceòl "punk rock" a th' air. Tha e gu math inntinneach! Chuala mi aig triùir no ceathrar gu bheil daoine a' seinn ceòl "rap" anns a' Ghàidhlig. Ged nach eil ùigh mhór agam anns na seòrsaichean ciùil sin, nach math gu bheil a' Ghàidhlig a' togail aire ann an daoine cho eadar-dhealaichte 'nan giùlan!

'S tric a chuala mi an t-òran "An Cluinn Thu Leannain" air seann téipeachan ach cha do chuir mi romham a ionnsachadh gus an cuala mi aig Dominique Dodge e. Chum i gu dìleas dlùth do 'n dualchas nan Gàidheal ( o 'n is i a tha eòlach air ) ach le dreach ùr a chòrdas rium fada na 's fheàrr na na th' air na téipeachan. Cluinnear an aon fhiamh de dh' atharrachadh gu tric ann an ceòl Mhàiri Shìne Nic Laomainn, agus is breagha ri chluinntinn e.

Cluinnear mùthadh ann an ceòl na fidhle nach leanas ri dòighean nan cluicheadairean o shean. Bidh cuid de na pìobairean a' cur ris an ceòl armailteach aca le bhith 'g ionnsachadh faclan nan òran a sheinneas iad air a' phìob gus ruitheam na Gàidhlig a chuir anns an seinn aca.

Tha sinn eòlach air mar a bhios diofar dreach ann an ceòl 'is seinn o àite gu àite; chìthear an aon rud o linn gu linn. Nì gach uile àl rathad ùr. Théid ath-bheòthachadh 'is atharrachadh air gach uile dualchas beò leotha, agus bidh coltas diofariachte air dualchas nan Gàidheal air an sgàth. Agus mar a chanas na Frangaich, "Viva la difference!"

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A Living Culture

With the help of the Office of Gaelic Affairs, Bev Brett will be creating a play that will be shown this summer in Nova Scotia. I'm looking forward to seeing it since I'm fully aware of how talented Bev is in that work.

It came to me that a play is something that has not been in the history or tradion of Cape Breton before, except for one play that was done on the North Shore in the fifties of the last century. I also started thinking of all the new things that are coming into the world of the Gael these days.

The plays are an example of the new activities that are seen now being done by many people, especially among the young, but they are not the only ones doing them.

If you read the poetry of Lewis MacKinnon, you'll see free verse poetry. To my knowledge, this is the first time that this type of poetry was written in Nova Scotia in Gaelic. In the poetry of Jeff MacDonald, the verses are closer to the old ways, but with patterns of rhyming unlike those of our ancestors.

I got a cd a while ago by the group, "Mill a h-Uile Rud". It has punk rock on it. It's quite interesting! I've heard from three or four people that people are singing rap music in Gaelic. Although I don't have much interest in these kinds of music, isn't it good that people of such diverse focus are interested in Gaelic!

I often heard the sng "An Cluinn Thu Leannain" on old tapes, but never decided to learn it until I heard Dominique Dodge sing it. She faithfully kept to the Gaelic tradition ( and she knows it very well ) but with a new arrangement that I like much better. You'll hear the same kind of adjustments in the music of Mary Jane Lamond and it it beautiful to hear.

You'll hear a change in fiddle music that doesn't follow the styles of the fiddlers of old. Some of today's pipers are adding to their military style by learning the words to the songs they play in order to put the Gaelic rhythm into them.

We know how music and singing change from community to community; you can see in the same change from generation to generation. Every new generation makes a new road. Every living culture is renewed and changed by them, and there will be a different look to Gaelic culture because of them. And as they say in French, "Viva la difference!"