Blas’s partnership with the Clydesdale Bank adds to the media partnership already announced with BBC Radio Scotland and is considered a further major endorsement for the Festival that sees a substantial five-figure investment in the programme over the next two years.

The Blas Festival was launched in 2004 with funding from The Highland Council and is now established a premier traditional music festival for the Highlands.  The programme for 2006 was announced in May and includes an outstanding line-up of international and local artists performing at 43 music events across the Highlands between 1 and 9 September.  Plans are also well advanced for 2007 with the Festival set to expand still further and form a flagship element in the programme for Highland 2007 - the year Scotland celebrates Highland Culture. 

Arthur Cormack, Director of Fèisean nan Gàidheal and Executive Producer of Blas, said: “We are hugely buoyed by this partnership with Clydesdale Bank.  The Blas team have worked extremely hard over the past years to develop Blas as a major event for the Highlands, a premier traditional music festival for Scotland and a flagship element in the programme for 2007 - the year Scotland celebrates Highland Culture.  Clydesdale Bank is an excellent partner for Blas; their support is a major endorsement for the Festival and their investment enables us to continue to develop the event in the coming years. We look forward to working with them welcoming the world to the Highlands to enjoy the very best of traditional music.”

Alan Holland, Managing Partner of Clydesdale Bank's Financial Solutions Centre in the Highlands, said: “We are delighted to be supporting the Blas Festival and look forward to working with the team over the next two years.  Clydesdale Bank has a long history of supporting community events and activities throughout Scotland and I am delighted we now have a partnership in place a with a flagship project in the Highlands.”

Alison Magee, chair of Highland 2007, said: “Blas is a flagship event in the programme for Scotland’s Year of Highland Culture and we are delighted Clydesdale Bank has chosen to come on board as a major event sponsor.  There has been a tremendous response from the business community in support of Highland 2007, adding value to the range and quality of events and activities taking place throughout the year." 

Advance ticket sales for Blas have already broken previous records for the Festival, with the first ticket enquiry for 2006 coming from a couple in Boulder, Colorado.  Blas website’s on-line registration facility demonstrates the world-wide interest in Scottish traditional music with subscribers from as far afield as Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam.  The Earlybird booking scheme offers substantial price discounts for those booking early and has proven remarkably successful with hundreds of people availing themselves of the opportunity: http://www.blas-festival.com

Gaelic version:

Banca Dail Chluaidh a’ toirt taic do Blas

Tha Banca Dail Chluaidh air aontachadh taic-airgid a thoirt don Fhèis Bhlas. Bi 43 tachartasan fo sgèith Blas air feadh na Gàidhealtachd eadar a’ chiad agus an naoidheamh latha dhen t-Sultaine am bliadhna. Mairidh an co-aont seo grunnan bhliadhnaichean agus thèid còrr is fichead mìle not a chuir mu choinneamh na fèise leis a’ Bhanca. Tha seo a’ ciallachadh gum bi am Banca na phrìomh sponsor coimearsalta aig fèis na bliadhna seo agus gum bi inbhe àrd aige troimh Fhèis 2007. Tha taic a’ Bhanca air leth cudthromach seach gu bheil 2007 air a comharrachadh mar a’ bhliadhna a chomharraicheas Alba cultar na Gàidhealtachd, cuirm gum bi Blas a’ cuir mòran, agus, gu dearbha, tha an t-aont seo leis a’ Bhanca air tighinn mar thoradh air còmhraidhean eadar iad fhèin agus Manaidseir Ionmhais na Bliadhna Cultarail, Torcuil Macleòid.

Dh’èirich Fèis Bhlas a rùin Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd fèis ùr a chruthachadh a bhitheadh cho beothail ‘s a tha an fhèis Celtic Colours ann an Ceap Bhreatainn. An toiseach, bha an cudthrom air coig àiteachain sa sgìre agus, am bliadhna, chaidh da àite eile a chuir ris agus tha rùintean air bhonn airson tuilleadh leudachaidh ann an 2007, agus airson na bliadhnaichean as dèidh sin.

Seach gu bheil mar a thèid le Blas a’ crochadh gu ìre bhig co-dhiù air na gheibhear de luchd-taic coimearsalta, agus bho bhuidhnean pobalach eile, tha an naidheachd bho Bhanca Dail Chluaidh air leth cuideachail. A’ bruidhinn as leth Blas, thuirt an Àrd Riochdaire Art MacCarmaig, “’S e naidheachd mhiorbhuilleach a tha an seo agus tha e air an seòrsa naidheachd a leigeas le Blas fàs le misneachd. Cha robh teagamh againn riamh mu ar comas na tha seo de thachartasan a chuir air bhonn airson Blas, ach cha b’urrainn dhuinn a bhi air a cho-lìonadh le taic bhon an sporan poballach a-mhàin. Tha sinn airson a bhi glòir-mhiannach agus airson Blas a dhèanadh mar phrìomh fhèis chiùil na Gàidhealtachd, agus tha taic Banca Dail Chluaidh gar toirt gu math nas fhaisge air a sin.  Tha sinn deimhinne gun toir an taic-san misneachd do luchd-taic eile a bhi an-sàs ann am fear dhe na tionnsgnaidhean ‘s eibhiseiche ann an ceòl traidiseanta san dùthaich.”

A-rèir Alan Holland, àrd-oifgeach aig Banca Dhail Cluaidh air a’ Ghaidhealtachd, tha a chompanaidh air a dòigh leis an naidheachd seo. “Tha sinn air mòran a dhèanamh anns an dùthaich gu lèir gus pròiseactan coimhearsnachd a chuideachadh agus tha e cubhaibh gu bheil sinn a-nis ann an co-bhonn ri fèis-chiùil a tha cho inntinneach agus chudthromach air a’ Ghaidhealtachd.”

Tha Alison Magee, na cathraiche aig Gaidhealtachd 2007. “The pàirt chudthromach gu bhi aig Blas anns a’ phrogram a tha san amharc againn airson na ath-bhliadhna. Tha e a’ dèanamh toileachadh dhuinn gu bheil Banca Dhail Cluaidh air roghnachadh taic airgid a thoirt dhan fhèis. Gu dearbh tha gniomhachasan thall ‘sa bhos air feadh na sgìre air a bhi gu math fialaidh agus cuiridh e seo ris an fhèis ‘san fharsainneach."

Anns an eadar-ama, tha planaichean na bliadhna seo a’ tighinn air adhart. Tha sgeama “Earlybird”, a bha a’ tairgsinn prìsean nas ìsle dhaibh-san a cheannaicheadh na tiocaidean roimh làimh, air a bhi eagallach fhèin soirbheachail le na ceudan a’ gabhail brath air.

Cuideachd, thairis air a’ mhios seo, tha Blas air a bhi a’ sgaoileadh 100,000 bileag agus 70,000 leabhran-fiosrachaidh. Nas cudthromaiche buileach, tha clàr ro-iongantach air dòigh air feadh na Gàidhealtachd dearbhte airson Blas na bliadhna seo.