International Representation Plans Forging Ahead

14th February 2013

Caithness and Sutherland will be represented this year at a major international cultural festival. The International Pan Celtic Festival attracts over 6,000 visitors from Ireland, Wales, the Isle of Man, France and Cornwall as well as Scotland. This year the festival will take place in Carlow, Co. Carlow in the Republic of Ireland which last year was opened by the Irish Premier. As a result of a small representation in 2009, the county received a number of international visitors in the following years. This year, to build on that promotion, up to 100 performers and representatives of the counties will visit and participate in the festival, competing at international level representing Scotland.

Among the representatives will be some of the county’s leading artistes and performers including Thurso Pipe Band, award winning Melvich Gaelic Choir, Coilich a Chinn a Tuath – the current national award winning male voice choir from Caithness and Sutherland, Ceol Bho Thuath – twice international award winning folk group from Caithness, Christine Stone – current Traditional Gold Medallist at the Royal National Mòd as well as a host of other artistes including dancers, musicians and singers.

Taking centre stage will be Thurso Pipe Band in their 100th Anniversary Year. The band will be attending the opening ceremony of the festival which will be attended by Donnchadh Mac Fhionnlaoich T.D. Irish Government Minister for the Gaeltacht on Tuesday 2nd April. They will then be involved in open air performances during the day and guest performances at a number of the international evening events throughout the duration of the festival. The band will lead the international march of all the representative countries on the Friday of the festival. A number of their solo pipers and drummers will represent Scotland in the international piping and drumming competitions on the Saturday of the festival prior to their guest appearance at the International Scots Night on the Saturday evening. The group head back to the county on Sunday 7th April.

Grant Coghill, one of the group organisers representing Thurso Pipe Band said “Thurso Pipe Band are absolutely delighted to be representing the county at a major cultural international festival. In the 100th anniversary year this is a one-off opportunity to capitalise on the marketing opportunity this presents for our county and the North of Scotland. We are also delighted with the response of our band members as it is important to have a good number making up the band so that we can impress and provide the quality spectacle that will draw attention – especially when senior officials and dignitaries of other nations are in attendance. A number of our members will be representing Scotland in the international competitions and this will be an excellent experience for them.”

Christine Stone from Castletown, who won the Traditional Gold Medal at the Royal National Mod in Dunoon in October last year, will be representing Scotland in the International Traditional Solo Competition on Wednesday evening of the festival. This competition will see Christine compete against other award winning singers from the other nations attending the festival.

Also attending will be Melvich Gaelic Choir who will be representing Scotland in the International Rural Choirs competition. Melvich Choir will compete against award winning choirs representing other nations. They will also be involved in open air performances, public performances and international evening events.

Ceòl Bho Thuath, whose members all live in Caithness, are an award winning folk group who have competed representing the north and Scotland previously at international level. Following a two year restriction on competition for winning two years in succession, Ceòl Bho Thuath now have the ability to compete once more representing Scotland at the International Pan Celtic Festival and will be involved in a competition with up to fourteen other international entries.

Coilich a Chinn a Tuath, which means Cocks of the North are currently national male voice champions at the Royal National Mod and will be representing Scotland in the International Male Voice Competition. Coilich a Chinn a Tuath are a joint male voice choir whose members come from all over Caithness and Sutherland. They will have a challenging time as they will be up against the renowned Welsh male voice choirs.

There are a number of other musicians, dancers and singers who will also be participating at the festival.

Bríde de Róiste, Chair of the International Pan Celtic Festival Organising Committee in Carlow, Éire said “We are absolutely delighted to receive such a representation from the North of Scotland, the largest, we believe, from this area in the history of the festival. The Pan Celtic International Festival nurtures, develops and promotes the Celtic and cultural heritage, tradition and language of the nations of Scotland, Wales, Cornwall, Isle of Man, Brittany and Ireland through music, song, dance, literature, sport and art. The Festival affords participants and visitors from the participating nations the opportunity to showcase their language, culture and community identity throughout the duration of the festival and we look forward to the contribution that will be made by the representatives of the North of Scotland”.

Raymond Bremner, conductor of Melvich Gaelic Choir, who is one of the coordinators of the project said “This is a joint cross-cultural and cross-community project which aims to bring together a considerable number of very talented artistes within the community who can really raise the profile of the local area and present it on an international platform. This venture is an administration challenge and an organisational challenge but all the members of the committee, who represent the groups attending, are working hard together to ensure that all the attendees of the festival will be aware of who the artistes are and where they are from. This has meant that all the groups will have an incredibly busy programme. They will create a spectacle each day both audibly and visually – this is an important and key aspect of the project – in order to ensure that as many international festival attendees are aware of the quality of cultural and community make-up of the north counties of Scotland. The representation of our country at an international level too often is left to the more traditionally recognised areas of Scotland such as the central belt and the west coast. We have a tremendous cultural make-up which can make our area a very attractive area to visit and this project will encourage international visitors to recognise this, talk about it and to consider seeing our area as an excursion or holiday destination. I don’t think there will be an opportunity like this again in a long time where so many of our award winning groups will be able to pitch together like this for the good of the community.”

As well as the potential future benefit to the community, there will be an immediate benefit to the local community when all the groups will perform in a series of gala showcase performances both under cover and open air prior to departing for the festival. The programme for this is being finalised.

More information regarding the project can be found on Facebook at Pan Celtic Festival – Caithness & Sutherland Representation 2013.
More information regarding the International Pan Celtic Festival can be found at www.panceltic.ie