Gaelic rookie picks up provincial mod first
Mikie Henderson, who is also the front man for popular local band the Chicken Pickers, won the Sutherland Cup with his rendition of a sailor’s love song called Duanag an t-Seòladair.
The 18-year-old was delighted with the win, which comes only months after starting Gaelic lessons.
“It means so much to me,” said Mikie. “To have only been singing in another language for a matter of months and to go onto come joint first in a competition is great.”
The teen was taught by Gaelic musician Raymond Bremner, who leads the Melvich Gaelic Choir of which Mikie is also part.
Having a Mod gold medallist for a teacher has enabled the Heriot Watt University engineering student to use his natural singing talents to take him to new and unexpected highs.
“I enjoy singing Gaelic very much,” he said. “It’s far more expressive and poetic than singing in English and I also enjoy the challenge of learning a song in another language.”
Lochgilphead is only the second provincial Mod that Mikie has competed at. The first was in Tobermory on Mull the previous weekend where he came fifth in the open competition. He came joint first in the male open and joint second in the overall open at Lochgilphead.
More success could be on the way as he will also be competing at the national Mod next month in Dunoon.
His mentor said he should be an inspiration to others in Caithness to find their Gaelic voice,
“I hope that Mikie now becomes an encouragement to the other younger people to join the choir and for our members to take up solo singing and get the same enjoyment out of it that he does,” said Mr Bremner, from Thrumster.
“Mikie has already taken up the baton and we have a number of young people who have joined the choir this year.
“We’ve got at least a dozen under-25s and for a lot of them next month at Dunoon will be their first national Mod.”
Mikie came to Mr Bremner’s attention through working with Castletown’s award-winning accordionist Brandon MacPhee and Manson Grant and Robert Cameron of Pan Records.
“When I asked Mikie if he would like to sing with the choir, he didn’t think it would be his kind of thing,” said Mr Bremner.
“But he took up the challenge and when he came along he found out the choir was not what most people think it is – a bunch of old people singing heedrum-hodrum songs.”
From there, Mikie started regularly attending choir practice and also brought in some friends, including recruiting one of the Chicken Pickers.
Noting that he was enjoying it so much and knowing of his talent in singing with the Chicken Pickers, Mr Bremner suggested taking part as a soloist in the Mull provincial Mod.
“It seemed like a natural progression,” said the mentor. “To say he went in at the deep end would be an understatement.
“From amongst 26 well-honed singers he came fifth – a fantastic first attempt.”
The Melvich Gaelic Choir will be heading to this year’s Royal National Mod which takes place in Dunoon from October 12 to 20.