On the seventh day of the Royal National Mod, choirs from across Scotland took to the stage for a concert like never before.
In a normal Mod year, choirs would go head to head in competitions to give the best performance of a Gaelic song.
However, in this year’s hybrid Mod, things worked a little differently.
Instead of competing, choirs from across the country performed in a friendly concert, each performing a handful of their favourite Gaelic tunes.
Each choir had their own little quirk, whether it be a traditional call and response style, a guitar or even a support dog that won the hearts of the audience.
Choirs ranged in size from groups of eight to those of over 20.
The concert was presented by Joy Dunlop, who could be spotted dancing along to the tunes at the side of the stage.
It sat in the middle of a busy day at the Mod, with the Traditional Gold Medal competition also taking place.
Impact of the pandemic
The impact the pandemic has had on choirs was felt throughout the concert in Eden Court’s Empire Theatre.
Ms Dunlop said many choirs had had trouble rallying enough people together to perform, resulting in a mish-mash of people coming together to sing.
She herself joined one of the choirs because they were down on soprano singers.
There was an atmosphere of togetherness, with everyone mucking in to help one another.
A woman from the Lairg Gaelic Choir made the audience laugh as she spoke of midge ridden outdoor rehearsals.
Shona MacLennan, ceannard of Bord na Gaidhlig spoke of how important Gaelic has been to some through the pandemic.
She said: “During lockdown, Gaelic language and culture provided continuing opportunities for communities to meet online and maintain a sense of community, at times across the globe.
“The importance of Gaelic to people’s sense of wellbeing and belonging has been demonstrated very clearly and its importance to Scotland as a nation has been strengthened.”
The smiles on the faces of those on stage at today’s choir concert, and those watching from the audience, were telling of how much live music has been missed over the past two years.
This afternoon’s concert can be watched back on BBC Alba.