Young Caithness musicians shine brightly at Dunoon Mod
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WATCHING Castletown’s award-winning junior musician romp to victory at the Royal National Mòd in a senior competition was "absolutely electrifying," according to An Comunn Gàidhealach Caithness branch chairman Raymond Bremner.
Mr Bremner, who conducts Melvich Gaelic Choir, was amongst the far north contingent who looked on as 15-year-old Brandon McPhee celebrated getting first place in the open accordion championships at the Royal National Mòd in Dunoon on Saturday night.
Opting to enter the adult competition, Brandon’s march, Strathspey and reel earned him a top score of 95 points out of 100 and bowled over the adjudicator.
"There was quite a few of the Caithness contingent that were here on Saturday and we went to the evening where Brandon was the last artist of the day’s prizewinners," said Mr Bremner. "He’s in a very special class of his own."
For the multi-award-winning teen, it marks another milestone as he continues to impress.
"I’m really glad to be able to take a first back to Caithness," Brandon told the
Caithness Courier.
"The judge Ian Muir said it was a ‘faultless march, a faultless strathspey and a faultless reel’ and he went on to say that he’d always believed that these tunes couldn’t be played on a three row button box."
Bringing more Gaelic glory to the county was Feis Ghallaibh folk group who were placed third in their section while another success story was 12-year-old Emily Morrison from Wick. The Wick High School pupil won third place in the under-13s fiddle competition with a Gaelic slow air and march followed by a Strathspey and reel on Saturday.
"It was totally worthwhile going to," said proud mum Tracey. "Everyone was really nice – they were all just lovely people. Emily was absolutely delighted with her performance as it was quite a tough competition."
Emily has been playing the fiddle since she was six, having taken it up with Addie Harper after getting inspiration from her auntie Jane who also won a bronze at the National Mòd when she was younger.
Earlier in the year, Emily won the Wick Accordion & Fiddle Club Cup for violin at the provincial Mòd in Wick which inspired her to enter the national contest.
Caithness has its biggest ever representation at the week-long festival which celebrates the music and culture of Scots Gaelic. Entries are said to have more than doubled from previous years with between 80 and 100 people making the journey from the far north to Dunoon in Argyll for the cultural extravaganza which opened on Friday.
Still to come in the competition is the adult section where the Rev Alastair Gray, from Watten, will compete in the gold medal category and Mr Bremner, from Thrumster, and Christine Stone, from Castletown, will be taking part in the traditional gold medal competition. The pair both made it to the final round last year.
Mikie Henderson, from Keiss, who plays in Caithness band The Chicken Pickers, will also take part in solo competition for the first time, having tasted sweet success in picking up a cup for highest-scoring male voice at the Lochgilphead provincial Mod last month.
Feis Ghallaibh organiser Celia McDougall, a former deputy rector at Wick High, will also compete in the learners’ traditional solo competition and the Marjory Kennedy-Fraser competition. She will sing with fellow Melvich Choir chorister Julianne Linger, from Melness.
BBC Alba is broadcasting live from the Mòd throughout the week.
