Songs of Seals
Sabhal Mor Ostaig, Skye
Click HERE to see video of the performance.
Of all mammals, the seal has a larynx most like that of humans (don’t say we never teach you anything). This was the inspiration for composer Emily Doolittle’s remarkable and intriguing piece of music written exclusively for Paragon Ensemble and young singers from Voice Factory.
Emily tells the story of how Songs of Seals was originally conceived:
“I first came to Glasgow for a residency at the CCA in 2007 and became really enchanted by Gaelic folklore about seals, a mammal that also inhabits the coastlines of my native Nova Scotia. I had heard that seals like music so I went with a friend to the Isle of Bute to see if this was true. Sure enough, when we played, the seals came out of the water, listened, and sometimes even howled back. I was immediately inspired to write a piece about seal folklore, and thus emerged Songs of Seals. Since then myself and Paragon musicians have visited the children at the Glasgow Gaelic school and made field trips with them to sing to the seals. At this time I met Rody Gorman who agreed to compose Gaelic verse for the children’s songs. The narrator tells the story a fisherman and a seal skin that he takes home one moonlit night – while the children sing as a chorus of seals.”
The piece, conducted by Mark Evans and narrated by Wilma Kennedy, truly captures the mysterious relationship between human beings and seals. The show will also include traditional music by acclaimed Scottish composer and Whistlebinkie, Eddie McGuire. The evening will bring together Gaelic and non-Gaelic speaking communities, as one of the 13 yr old singers from Voice Factory says: “I have never spoken Gaelic before in my life and although I always wanted to learn it I thought it looked very difficult, especially when I saw Gaelic words written down. Singing in Gaelic has made me realize how beautiful the language is.”
We are delighted to say that Mark Evans and Voice Factory have done a fantastic job of learning Rody’s highly evocative Gaelic verse thanks to coaching from the great expert of Gaelic song – Kenna and Seumas Campbell!
Emily Doolittle is now resident in Seattle where she is Professor of music composition at Cornish College of The Arts.
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Ann an oirfideas sònraichte, air an tug sgeulachdan Gàidhlig mu iasgairean is mu na ròin buaidh, còmhla ri Paragon Ensemble bidh seinneadairean òga à Voice Factory gus cànan an dùthchais a chomharrachadh.
‘S e an t-ainm a th’ air a chèòl ‘Ràn nan Ròn’ an dèidh don tè a sgrìobh an ceòl, Emily Doolittle, brodadh-inntinn fhaotainn bho na beathaichean annasach seo. Chaidh dàin àlainn ann an Gàidhlig le Rody Gorman a chur gu ceòl le Dollitlle, à Alba Nuadh.
Tha Emily ag innse mar a chaidh Ràn nan Ròn a chruthachadh: “Thàinig mi fhìn a Ghlaschu an toiseach nuair a bha mi ‘g obair aig a’ CCA ann an 2007 is ghabh mi ùidh mhòr ann an seanchasan Gàidhlig mu na ròin, beathach a tha a’ fuireach ri taobh a’ chuain ann an tìr mo dhùthchais fhèin ann an Alba Nuadh cuideachd. Chuala mi gun robh na ròin dèidheil air ceòl agus chaidh mi le caraid dhomh a dh’Eilean Bhòid a dh’fhaighinn a-mach an robh seo fìor. Ceart gu leòr, nuair a ghabh sinn ceòl, thàinig na ròin a-mach às an uisge, thug iad cluas ri èisteachd, agus uaireannan rinn iad fiù ‘s gusgal air ais. Bha mi air mo spreagadh anns a’ bhad, ceòl a sgrìobhadh mu na ròin agus sin agad mar a nochdRàn nan Ròn. Bhon uair sin tha mi fhìn is luchd-ciùil Pharagaon air tadhal air a’ chloinn ann an Sgoil Ghàidhlig Ghlaschu agus chaidh sinn a-mach leotha a sheinn do na ròin. Aig an àm seo choinnich mi ri Rody Gorman a dh’aontaich rannan Gàidhlig a chur ri òrain na cloinne. Tha an neach-aithris a-mach air iasgair agus bian-ròin a thug e leis dhachaigh fo sholas na gealaich – fhad ‘s a sheinneas a’ chlann mar chòisir-ròn”.
Tha Emily is Rody air annas a chruthachadh do Pharagon. Tha e dha-rìribh a’ glacadh a’ chàirdeis dhìomhair eadar clann dhaoine is na ròin. Rinn Mark Evans is Voice Factory obair bharraichte gus na rannan drùidhteach a rinn Rody ionnsachadh le taic bho eòlaiche mòr òrain na Gàidhlig Ceana Chaimbeul.
Bheir a’ chuirm còmhla feadhainn le Gàidhlig is feadhainn gun i. Mar a tha Hannah, trì bliadhna deug a dh’aois, à Voice Factory ag ràdh: “Cha do bhruidhinn mi Gàidhlig riamh roimhe agus ged a bha mi daonnan ag iarraidh a h-ionnsachadh, shaoil mi gun robh i coimhead gu math doirbh, gu sònraichte nuair a chunnaic mi faclan Gàidhlig air an sgrìobhadh. Le bhith a’ seinn ann an Gàidhlig, tha mi tuigsinn cho àlainn agus a tha ‘n cànan.
Tha Ràn nan Ròn ga stiùireadh le Mark Evans agus ga aithris le Wilma NicUalraig. Cuideachd ann bidh ceòl dùthchasach leis an Whistlebinkie Eddie McGuire..
