A collection of Gaelic songs by artists from across Lewis and Harris will be a highlight of day two of HebCelt’s Survival Sessions this week.
‘Na Bailtean’ (The Villages), is a pre-recorded feature with singers presenting short postcards from their home communities.
Amy Mackay, who was brought up in Northton in South Harris, started singing at age five.
Now a Gaelic primary school teacher in Aberdeen, she retains a strong interest in local songs and stories and regularly performs at ceilidhs and concerts.
Here she is singing in Northton for the special HebCelt performance.
Isobel Ann Martin, from Tong in Lewis, won the coveted Traditional Gold Medal at the Royal National Mod in 2005 aged 18.
The daughter of singer-songwriter Calum Martin, she has released two studio albums and has appeared at a number of events including The Pan Celtic Festival and Celtic Connections.
Norrie ‘Tago’ MacIver is a singer/songwriter from Carloway in Lewis and lead singer with Skipinnish, one of the biggest bands in the folk and trad scene.
Live performances
Ceitlin Lilidh is a graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and winner of the Traditional Gold Medal at the Royal National Mòd and a Danny Kyle award.
As well as establishing a solo career, she is a member of the group Sian.
Live performances tonight come from folk collective Staran – Kim Carnie, John Lowrie, Innes White, James Lindsay and Jack Smedley – and Saltfishforty, a duo comprising Douglas Montgomery and Brian Cromarty.
The festival programme will also include a digital feature from Dual, a group formed the Fèis Eilean an Fhraoich arts festival in Stornoway.
The Survival Sessions, the festival’s response to the pandemic, launched on Wednesday to support musicians and provide a bridge to a full return in 2022.
The live shows are taking place at An Lanntair, Stornoway’s arts centre, before a socially-distanced audience who won a ballot for tickets.
Together with pre-recorded film content and special commissions, 32 hours of music is being broadcast to a global audience.
Festival director Caroline Maclennan believes the hybrid event is a sign of hope that HebCelt can survive in future years.
Survival Sessions can be watched on the MyPlayer platform.
Details and tickets can be found at the festival website.
