An dèidh cuairt soirbheachail den Ghaidhealtachd agus na h-Eileanan tha an taisbeanadh fèilleil Seinn Spioradail a tighinn gu Museum nan Eilean, Lionacleit bho 16 den an t-Samhain 2024.
Faodaidh luchd-tadhail ionnsachadh mu thraidisean seinn cràbhaidh anns gach sgìre agus faodar eòlas a chur air tro chlàraidhean, film, stuthan agus tasglann didseatach, clàr-dùthcha fuaim agus turas biortail eadar-ghnìomhach.
‘S e an Dr Frances Wilkins, Àrd-òraidiche ann an Eitn-eòlas Ciùil aig Ionad Elphinstone, Oilthigh Obar Dheathain a curaidich Seinn Spioradail.
Tha an Dr Frances Wilkins air sia bliadhna a chur seachad a’ dèanamh obair làraich ann an Taobh Siar na Gàidhealtachd agus anns na h-Eileanan Siar agus i a’ rannsachadh seinn spioradail agus cràbhaidh bhon sgìre.
Gus taic a chur ri dìon a chur air an traidisean, tha an Dr Wilkins air a bhith a’ comharrachadh agus a’ clàradh seinn cràbhaidh agus spioradail na Gàidhlig gus tasglann a chruthachadh agus gus an ceòl a thoirt do luchd-èisteachd nas fharsainge.
Thuirt an Dr Wilkins:
“Ged a tha na suidheachaidhean far a bheil an t-seinn ann a’ crìonadh an-dràsta, tha an ceòl fhathast ann mar dhòigh-beatha airson mòran dhaoine.’S e adhbhar an taisbeanaidh seo ach a bhith a’ sgrùdadh mar a bha seinn cràbhaidh, agus am beartas laoidhean, sailm agus òrain spioradail eile, cho cudromach do bheatha na sgìre san latha an-diugh.”
Thuirt an co-churaidiche, an dealbhaiche Ronan Màrtainn, ‘tha e air a bhith na urram obrachadh leis na stuthan a chaidh a chruinneachadh le Dr Wilkins agus gus barrachd ionnsachadh mun traidisean iongantach seo, a tha cho cudromach ann am beatha làitheil mòran dhaoine.’
Tha laoidh Ghàidhlig a bha air an sgriobhadh anns na h-Eileanan, gu sònraichte fon phrosbaig san taisbeanadh.
Mhìnich aon neach a chuir ris an taisbeanadh, Pauline Nic Dhòmhnaill, a Aisgernis an Uibhist a Deas cho cudromach ’s a tha an traidisean dhi, nuair a thuirt i, “Tha e air leth sònraichte a bhith san eaglais a’ seinn laoidhean aig a bheil mothachadh air àite.
Tha laoidhean eile uile-choitcheann, air an cluinntinn agus air an seinn anns gach àite.
Tha e na urram sònraichte ceòl a bhith againn nach e a-mhàin a bhuineas dhan àite, ach aig a bheil an tùs an seo cuideachd.”
Tha mòran dhe na clàraidhean fuaime, dealbhan agus bhidiothan a chaidh a dhèanamh mar phàirt dhen phròiseact nam bun-stèidh air an làrach-lìn agus an tasglann didseatach air-loidhne (aig www.seinn.org) air a leasachadh comhla ri Open Virual Worlds aig Olthigh Chill Rìmhinn.
Mhìnich an Dr Wilkins:
“Tha cànan mar dhòigh air an cultar a chur an cèill. Feumar an ceangal làidir a th’ aige ris na daoine, agus am pàirt a tha aig ceòl ann, aithneachadh agus a neartachadh san àm ri teachd ma tha sinn a’ dol a chumail cuid dhe na rudan as prìseile mu chultar na Gàidhlig beò.”
Bha Dr Wilkins ag ràdh:
“Bha e sònraichte a bhith a’ dèanamh an rannsachaidh ann an Innse Gall.
“Tha mi air coinneachadh ri uiread de dhaoine brosnachail agus tha mi taingeil dhan h-uile duine a tha air a bhith an sàs ann agus air mo chuideachadh leis a’ phròiseact.
“Tha mi toilichte gu bheil an rannsachadh agus na foillseachaidhean a’ cur ri bhith a’ toirt dìon dhan traidisean àraid seo de sheinn.”
“Bidh mi ann nuair a dh’fhosglas e agus tha mi a’ dèanamh fiughair ri tilleadh a dh’Uibhist agus coinneachadh ri feadhainn a chur ris a’ phròiseact.”
“Cha bhiodh e comasach an taisbeanadh seo a chur air às aonais taic ionmhasail bho Acadamaidh Bhreatainn, Urras Charnegie agus Bòrd na Gàidhlig, agus bhon taic aig iomadh neach-obrach aig Museum agus Tasglann nan Eilean.”
Thèid tachartas fosglaidh a chumail air Dihaoine 15 Samhain bho 5:30-7:30f aig Museum nan Eilean, Lionacleit.
Tha e an-asgaidh agus bidh deochan ann do dhaoine. Cuir post-d gu museumU&B@cne-siar.gov.uk airson aite a ghlèidh.
Uairean fosglaidh Museum nan Eilean, Lionacleit:
Dimàirt 10m -1f & 2 – 4f
Diciadain 10m -1f
Diardaoin 10m -1f & 2 – 4f
Dihaoine 10m -1f & 2 – 5f
Disathairne 10m – 3.30f
Là na Sàbaid-Diluain – dùinte
Gheibhear barrachd fiosrachaidh aig: www.seinn.org agus www.outerhebridesheriateg.org.uk
Fios airson brathan naidheachd:
Dr Frances Wilkins, àrd-òraidiche ann an Eitn-eòlas Ciùil, Ionad Elphinstone, Oilthigh Obar Dheathain
07780 504930
Gaelic Song Traditions Exhibition arrives in Benbecula
Following a successful tour of Highlands and Island venues the popular Seinn Spioradail Exhibition will be in Museum nan Eilean, Benbecula from 16 November 2024.
Visitors can learn more about sacred song traditions of the region and explore sound recordings, film, objects, and a digital archive, soundmap and interactive virtual tour.
The Seinn Spioradail: Sacred Soundscapes of the Highlands and Islands exhibition was curated by Dr Frances Wilkins, a Senior Lecturer in Ethnomusicology at the Elphinstone Institute, University of Aberdeen.
Dr Wilkins has spent the last six years undertaking fieldwork in the West Highlands and Western Isles exploring sacred and spiritual singing from the region.
To help safeguard the traditions Dr Wilkins has been compiling and recording Gaelic song traditions, including hymnody, Gaelic psalmody and spiritual bàrdachd, which are diminishing in Hebridean communities, to create an archive and bring the music to a wider audience.
The exhibition will run at Museum nan Eilean in Lionacleit, Benbecula from 16 November 2024 until 15 March 2025.
Dr Wilkins said:
“While the contexts for singing are currently in decline, the music continues to be a soundscape to a way of life for many people.
“The purpose of this exhibition is to explore how sacred singing was, and continues to be, integral to many aspects of community life, and to highlight the wealth of hymns, psalms and spiritual songs being sung in the region today.”
Co-curator designer Ronan Martin added:
“It’s been a privilege to work with the material collected by Dr Wilkins and learn more about this remarkable tradition, which plays such an important part in many people’s daily lives.”
Locally composed Gaelic hymns, which are integral to church life in the southern Hebrides, are a particular focus in the exhibition.
One contributor to the project, Pauline MacDonald, from Askernish in South Uist, expressed the importance of the tradition for her, saying “to find yourself in church singing hymns that have a sense of place is unique. Other hymns are universal, heard and sung everywhere. It is a special privilege to have music which not only belongs, but also has its source here.”
Many of the sound recordings, photographs and videos made during the project form the basis of a website and online digital archive (at www.seinn.org), developed in partnership with the Open Virtual Worlds team at St Andrews University.
Dr Wilkins added:
“Doing the research in the Hebrides was an incredible experience.
“I have met so many inspiring people and am very grateful to everyone who has been involved and helped me with the project.
“I am pleased that my research and its publication is playing a part in the preservation of these unique song traditions.
“I will be at the opening and look forward to returning to Uist and meeting some of the project’s contributors again.
“The exhibition would not be possible without financial support from the British Academy, Carnegie Trust, and Bòrd na Gàidhlig, and the support and valuable input of staff at Museum and Tasglann nan Eilean.”
The exhibition opening event will take place on Friday 15 November from 5:30-7:30pm at Museum nan Eilean, Lionacleit.
Entry is free with refreshments provided.
Please email museumU&B@cne-siar.gov.uk to reserve a place.
Opening hours at Museum nan Eilean are:
Tuesday – 10am -1pm & 2pm – 4pm
Wednesday 10am -1pm
Thursday 10am -1pm & 2pm – 4pm
Friday 10am -1pm & 2pm – 5pm
Saturday 10am – 3.30pm
Sunday-Monday – closed
More information can be found at: www.seinn.org and www.outerhebridesheritage.org.uk
Press contact details:
Dr Frances Wilkins, Senior Lecturer in Ethnomusicology, The Elphinstone Institute, University of Aberdeen
07780 504930
