A Western Isles choir is returning home to the islands triumphant after winning 11 trophies at the Royal National Mod.
Sir E Scott School junior choir took to the stage at Perth Concert Hall to compete in a host of competitions today.
The group put on a stellar performance in front of a packed crowd before being awarded first place.
Their appearance at the 2022 Mod in Perth marked their long-awaited return to competing following the Covid-19 pandemic.
The group was awarded the Oban Times Challenge Trophy and The Mrs Hobbs of Inverlochy Cup for the highest marks for Gaelic in the open 13 to 18-year-old choral harmony competition.
They were also awarded the Mrs Schroder Cup for under 13s fluent choral unison contest as well as the Susan Paterson Caledonian MacBrayne Trophy for achieving the highest marks.
Choir conductor Jane Macdonald said they were elated to win and be back competing in healthy competition following a challenging two years.
She said: “They have worked really hard, they have been really committed. We have a lot of new members who are very keen, like the little ones, so to see them winning it today, it is fantastic.”
Senior choir also win big
The school’s senior choir was also awarded for its performances at Perth Theatre, to take the school’s final trophy tally to 11.
The group was awarded the Mrs Campbell Blair Trophy and the Angus M Ross Trophy for having the highest marks in Gaelic following their performance in the 13 to 18 years open choral unison contest.
The senior choir then went on to win a further five awards following their performance in the open choral Puirt-a-Beul competition for age 13 to 18 years.
The adjudicators awarded them first place, earning them the Belle Campbell Trophy, the Janet Kelly Brown (Usit) Trophy, the Heather K Moore Cup and the Reverend Archie M Beaton Trophy.
They were also awarded the Sangobeg Prize.
Inverness choir celebrates first major win
For Inverness Gaelic choir, Tuesday proved to be a hugely successful day as they secured their first major win at the Royal National Mod.
The Inverness Gaelic School-based choir, competed in the under 13 fluent choral unison competition at Perth Theatre before taking home the winning prize.
The group was awarded the Aberfoyle and District Branch Trophy after performing a prescribed song and a song of their choice.
The choir was founded in 2018 following the Royal National Mod in Dunoon.
Conductor Iain Murdo MacMillan said he was stunned by the results.
He said: “I can’t believe it. I’m a bit stunned. They have been taking part in concerts for the last wee while and it is their first time being back at a competition since the Mod in 2019.
“They have been taking park in the Gathering in Inverness, in the music festival and the dandelions festival so this is our first time being back in a competitive competition.
“Most of them don’t have Gaelic at home so it is nice for them to be able to win because it is such a hard competition with native speaking schools.”
Conversation