Thirty of the best young traditional musicians from the Highlands and Islands are about to embark on a series of concerts at the end of this month, as they set off on the first ever Ceòl nam Fèis (Music of the Fèisean) tour of towns and cities out with the Highlands. Led by Fèisean nan Gàidheal and supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Scottish Arts Council, each concert will feature performers aged 16 - 25 from Highlands and Islands Fèisean, alongside younger participants local to the Perth, Aberdeenshire, Glasgow and Edinburgh venues.

Each evening will play host to a multitude of music and song, showcasing the cream of young traditional musicians and singers who have grown up attending Fèisean, a nation wide movement which annually provides 13,000 young people with tuition in Gaelic arts.  Musical direction of the tour will be in the capable hands of Highland-based musician, composer, singer, Nuala Kennedy.

The first concert will be held in Perth on Wednesday June 27^th, when the touring performers will be joined by participants from Stirlingshire-based Fèis sa Mheadhan and Fort Augustus-based Fèis Ghlinn Albainn. The Highlands and Islands performers will then move up to Banchory, Aberdeenshire on Thursday June 28^th, where young performers from Fèis Obar Dheathain in Aberdeen will take to the stage. The penultimate performance in the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Friday June 29^th will also play host to a group from Fèis Ceann Loch Goibhle from Argyll. The tour will finish off in the St Brides Centre, Edinburgh on Saturday June 30^th, when aspiring musicians from Fèis Dhùn Eideann in Edinburgh will perform.

Not only will these concerts offer young musicians the chance to go on tour and perform outside their own communities, it will also offer them an opportunity to improve on their performance skills.

John Watt, Director of HIE Strengthening Communities Group welcomed the tour,

 “The HIE network continues to support the Fèisean as a means of developing talent and creativity amongst young people. Local Fèisean allow young people access to the tremendous cultural heritage of communities across the Highlands and Islands, giving them the skills and tools to carry their cultural heritage, but also to re-imagine and reinvigorate that heritage. The success of the Fèisean demonstrates the value young people growing up today place on our Gaelic language and on our traditional Gàidhealach culture.”

He added,

“We are proud to be involved in showing off our young talent and showcasing part of our wealth of music and song to the rest of Scotland.”

David Boag, Development Manager at Fèisean nan Gàidheal said, “This is the first time that we have taken Ceòl nam Fèis on tour, and out of the Highlands.  The concerts offer a feast of some of Scotland’s finest young traditional musicians, and will be an exciting preview of the next generation of Gaelic musicians.  Four great concerts and a tremendous way to highlight the work of the Fèis movement during this, the Scottish year of Highland Culture”.

Event information here