Friendship Club enjoys great ceilidh
Lairg Friendship Club enjoyed a very entertaining ceilidh last night.
Local children opened the programme with a new group of Shin Whistlers, Sophie Macleay aged 8, Tilly Saunders (7) and Heather Dalton (6), who played An Coineachain, followed by a solo of the Skye Boat Song from Tilly, accompanied by Liz Quinn on guitar.
Heather’s older sister Fiona played selections on her whistle and accordion with mixed Scottish, Irish and continental pieces.
After that Monica Maclean from Rogart then introduced some of her Lairg pupils on button box and piano accordion and played Scottish melodies along with them, first with Billy Macrae, and later on with Helen and Kerry Cameron.
Tay Irving from Drumnahaving, Lairg played a melody on the acoustic guitar, followed by his younger brother Jem, aged eleven, who gave a captivating solo performance on the accordion of the jaunty continental waltz ‘Blue Skies’ by Handel G Loveli. Jem is taught by David Mackenzie from Thurso.
Then the Newman family band from Shinness, with Mike on fiddle, his wife Helen on fiddle and accordion and their daughters Medi and Nia on fiddle and cello, took to the stage. As usual they gave an extremely polished display of tunes from throughout Scotland and the Northern Isles with their own arrangements and harmonies.
Special guests, The Lairg Gaelic Choir conducted by Ken Black from Golspie, gave a rendition of their choral pieces for the National Mod in Stornoway in a few weeks’ time. The ladies also performed their pieces conducted by Ken and later the men gave a magical performance with Ken taking part in the singing, with no conductor.
This is Ken’s last year of conducting the choir as next year he has decided to sing with his fellow choristers instead of conducting. The new choir conductor will be John Brozovsky from Ardgay.
Wendy Mackay, a member of the choir from Golspie, who is entering for the Silver Pendant competition at the National Mod this year then gave a number of solo renditions which were a joy to hear.
