CO-CHEANGLAIDHEAN / CONNECTIONS

O chionn ghreis chuir mi seachad dà latha ri teagasg òrain Ghàidhlig do chloinn aig An Roinn Cheilteach de 'n Sgoil Dhannsaidh aig Ceallaigh Nic Artair ann an Cnoc an Iar, Ceap Breatainn. 'S e dannsairean a bh' anns a' mhór-chuid dhe na sgoilearan agus bha 'ad air an togail le bhith dannsadh do sheinn seach inneal ciùil.  Rinneadh co-cheangladh glan eadar cànan 'is ceòl 'is dannsa, agus a' chlann 'gan ionnsachadh uile.

Bha sin 'na mhór-thoileachas dhomh agus thòisich mi ri smaointinn air mar a tha gnothaichean air atharrachadh o 'n a thòisich mi ri Gàidhlig ionnsachadh 'sna deich air ceithir ficheadan.

Mu 'n àm sin cha robh móran de 'n luchd chiùil aig an robh ùigh air a' Ghàidhlig no fiù 's a dh' aidicheadh gu robh feum no àite ann do 'n Ghàidhlig anns a' cheòl a bh' aca, ged is e "ceòl Ceilteach" a bheirte ris. Agus duine a chanadh gu robh, is tric nach fhaigheadh e ach magadh aig daoin' a bha fada na aghaidh.

Ach an diugh bidh àiteachan ann far am bi a' chànan, an ceòl 's an dannsa 'gan teagasg ri chéile, mar is còir. Àiteachan mar a' Cholaisde Ghàidhlig far a bheil sgioba ùr air a ceann 's iad deònach air a' Ghàidhlig a bhith ann mar phrìomh chuspair, 's iad a' leantainn gu dlùth do dhualchas ar sinnsearan. Chan eil teagamh agam nach bi buadh na Gàidhlig ri chluinntinn ann an ceòl nan oileanach a dh' ionnsaicheas aig a' Cholaisde.

Tha a' Chlachan Ghàidhealach agus Féis an Eilein air an aon ràmh cuideachd. Tha cànan, ceòl 'is dannsa air a bhith co-fhighte 's co-fhillte gu buadhmhor ann a' sheo bho chionn bhliadhnaichean. Chìthear an tairbheartas a bheir gnìomhan mar seo do choimhearsnachdan ann an uiread de dh' fhìdhlearan, 's de dhannsairean 's de sheinneadairean 'a gu h-àraid de luchd labhairt na Gàidhlig a thig ás a' cheàrna sin bliadhna an déidh bliadhna, agus leis cho soirbheachail 's a bhios a h-uile tachartas a chumar ann a' shin agus cho cliùiteach a tha Féis an Eilein air fàs.
.
Tha mi 'n dòchas le leasachaidhean mar seo gum bi mothachadh buadh na Gàidhlig ann an ceòl 's an dannsa a' fàs gu làidir fad 'is farsuing.  

Chan eil mi idir an aghaidh daoine aig nach eil Gàidhlig, no aig nach eil suim air a' Ghàidhlig, "ceòl  Ceilteach" a chluich. Tha àite ann do 'n cheòl sin gun teagamh. Ach cuideachd feumar aidicheadh gu bheil fiamhan de dhiofar ann, 's nach e ceòl buileach dìleas de dhualchas ar sinnsre a th' ann, agus feumaidh gum bi àite uasal ann do 'n cheòl anns an cluinnear buadh na cànain Gàidhlig.

********

CONNECTIONS

Recently I spent two days teaching Gaelic songs to some children at the Celtic Department of Kelly MacArthur's School of Dance in Westmount, Cape Breton. Most of the students were dancers and they were excited to be dancing to singing instead of to a musical instrument. A complete connection was made between language, music and dance with the children learning all of them.

That was a great pleasure for me and I started thinking about how things have changed since I began learning Galiec in the nineties.

At that time not many of the musicians had an interest in Gaelic or would even admit that Gaelic had any use of place in their music, even though it would be called "Celtic Music." And anyone who would say it did would often be mocked by someone who was completely against it.

But today there are places where the language, the music and the dance are being taught together as is proper. Places like the Gaelic College where there is a new team at its head and they want to have Gaelic as a premier subject as they follow closely the traditions of our ancestors. I've no doubt the influence of Gaelic will be heard in the music of the students who learn at the College.

The Highland Village and Féis an Eilein are on the same page also. Language, music and dance have been interwoven and intertwined successfully here for years. The benefit of activities like this can be seen in the number of fiddlers, dancers and singers, and especially the Gaelic speakers who come out of this area every year, with how successful all the events held here are, and how famous Féis an Eilein has become.

I hope that with improvements like these an awareness of the virtue of Gaelic in the music and dance will grow strong far and wide.

I'm not at all against people who don't speak Gaelic or don't have any interest in Gaelic playing "Celtic music." There is certainly a place for that music. But it must also be acknowledged that there are degrees of difference in it, that it is not fully representative of the traditions of our ancestors, and that a significant place must exist for the music in which the power if the Gaelic language is heard.