Fèis Rois to host online traditional music festival
Fèis Rois has lined up some of Scotland’s top musicians and singers for an online music festival after having two of its annual events cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
The traditional arts organisation – which ran its first adult Fèis in 1990 – had to call off its 30th anniversary event, which would have taken place in May.
The junior Fèis, a week-long residential session for pupils from P4 to S1 which runs during the Easter holidays, also had to be cancelled.
Many participants and tutors were left disappointed by this double blow for the traditional music calendar.
Now, in a bid to make the most of the situation and bring some cheer to those who were looking forward to the two events, Dingwall-based Fèis Rois has organised an online festival which can be enjoyed by people around the world.
The first virtual Fèis Rois will take place from Friday, May 1, to Sunday, May 3, via Facebook Live. Highland-based fiddlers Duncan Chisholm and Lauren MacColl, BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2020 and former Fèis Rois participant Ali Levack and multi-award-winning Scots singer Siobhan Miller will lead music and song workshops during the day.
Each night there will be a different concert, as there would be during the actual events. The first night will see the acclaimed singer/songwriter duo, Brian Ó hEadhra and Fiona Mackenzie perform some of the song on their new album, Tuath.
On the Saturday night Lauren MacColl and Ewan Macpherson will play some Highland fiddle melodies and a few sing-along songs. Lauren has also written a piece of music and people will be able to bid on it and have the tune named and given to them.
The final night will see the Fèis Rois Tutor Concert run for three hours. It will begin with Capercaillie’s Karen Matheson and Donald Shaw followed by musicians such as Adam Sutherland, Emma Tomlinson, Mischa Macpherson, Kim Carnie, Siobhan Miller, Euan Burton, Ingrid Henderson, Iain MacFarlane, Findlay Napier and Gillian Frame.
Fèis Rois chief executive Fiona Dalgetty said: “Like so many other organisations and festivals, we were devastated to have to cancel our junior and adult Fèisean, which are key events in our calendar. Fèis Rois is in the business of bringing people together – we are about building community and friendships, as well as passing on tradition and teaching music skills to people of all ages and abilities, and we didn’t want the current situation to stop that from happening this year.
"Using the technology we have at our fingertips, this is a way that we can still achieve these things in the virtual world, allowing even more people to get involved.
“The workshops will provide people, both participants and tutors, with the unique chance to peek in on other classes they might not have usually got to enjoy. Fiddlers can join the pipe workshop and learn some good Highland pipe tunes.
"Usually our residential events are aimed at certain age groups, but this online format allows all ages to enjoy the same workshops and concerts and we are hoping that people from all over the world will join us for the first time.
"We wanted this virtual weekend to represent the breadth of work we do at Fèis Rois and I think the range of workshops, and the calibre of tutors and performers participating, does just that.”
Fiddler and Fèis Rois tutor Lauren MacColl said: “Gatherings such as Fèis Rois, whatever the age group, are such amazing social occasions and they celebrate everything that is positive about community.
"Many of my best friends are those I met through the Fèis over the years. It’s brilliant to be involved in this virtual weekend, to be able to connect with people at this time, and hopefully bring some cheer and a little bit of Fèis spirit into folk’s living rooms.”
All workshops will be pitched at approximately an intermediate-plus level but everyone is encouraged to get involved. A suggested minimum donation of £5 for each workshop or concert viewed can be made on the Fèis Rois JustGiving page or via Paypal.
There is no obligation to make a donation.
More details about the timetable of workshops and concerts taking place throughout the weekend are on www.feisrois.org
Updates will also be posted on Facebook. All the events will take place at www.facebook.com/feisrois