This year’s Blas Festival was launched officially at Inverness’s newest venue, The IronWorks, on Wednesday 16th August.

Over the 9-day festival (1-9 September) there will be a total of 43 different events all featuring traditional music of a very high quality, in a variety of venues across the Highlands ranging from Kilmuir in the west to Nairn in the east, Strathy in the north to Strontian in the south.

The festival includes two established networks: the Fèis movement and the Promoters Arts Network, and the community input from those groups is considerable, with at least 200 volunteers involved in running events in their own areas.  “This is one of the unique aspects of Blas, together with the use of Gaelic language at every single event” says Arthur Cormack, Director of Fèisean nan Gàidheal, the organisation that runs the festival.  “The volunteers involved in both PAN and the local Fèisean work very hard to make each event a success and the festival would not be possible without them.”

Gracing stages throughout the area during the festival will be a veritable galaxy of young and not-so-young stars, including musicians from the area and from places like Cape Breton and Ireland with which the Highlands has strong cultural affinities.

All the indications are that Blas 2006 will surpass the considerable success enjoyed by last year’s inaugural festival.  Already hundreds of tickets have been snapped up. Pre-booking of tickets has been much earlier and more lively than last year, helped greatly by the ‘earlybird’ offer introduced this year which provided substantially discounted tickets for those buying early.

Recent confirmation of sponsorship provided by Clydesdale Bank PLC was another fillip for Blas.  This allowed the festival organisers to confirm arrangements for this year’s festival and begin to plan for future festivals in the knowledge that much of the necessary funding has been assured. According to Alan Holland, Managing Partner of the Clydesdale Bank's Financial Solutions Centre in Inverness, "Clydesdale Bank are delighted be involved with Blas in supporting 43 events across the Highlands. We share the Blas ideals of traditional values and involvement in local communities."

Blas’s principal intention is to celebrate the traditional music and song of the Highlands and promote interest in and the use of Gaelic. Its role in helping to raise the language’s profile has resulted in a financial award by Bòrd na Gàidhlig. Chief Executive Allan Campbell, wishing everyone involved with Blas every success said ”Blas 2006 is considerably more than the blas (taste) which the title suggests, it is a banquet of traditional and contemporary Highland culture.  Festivals like Blas 2006 are vital to the sustainability and growth of Gaelic language and culture that we are all striving to achieve."

Another of the Festival’s objectives is to encourage participation by young musicians from the Highlands. Commenting on this important aspect of Blas, Chairman of The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Committee, Councillor Andy Anderson said, “The Blas Festival is a great chance for local young musicians to share centre stage with the very best of traditional music talent.  We have been delighted with how well received all the Blas events have been since the festival was launched in 2004.  I am sure that this year’s event will build on this success and lead to even more exciting opportunities for young musicians to perform in their communities and beyond.”

This year Blas will be concentrated in seven parts of the Highland Council area namely, Caithness, Sutherland, Ross-shire, Lochaber, Badenoch & Strathspey, Nairn and Skye & Lochalsh. Next year, the Festival will be developed to take in Inverness and the surrounding area for Highland 2007: The Year Scotland Celebrates Highland Culture and it is envisaged that Blas will have a significant role in helping to bring this special year to fruition.  Vice Convener of The Highland Council, Michael Foxley said, “The programme for Blas 2006 is brilliant.  We are continuing to build Blas into a major international festival.  2007 will be even better.”

Meanwhile Alison Magee, chair of Highland 2007, said, “Highland 2007 is delighted to support the Blas Festival as it goes from strength to strength each year.  Blas meets many of the aims of Highland 2007, the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture, and will be a major element in next year’s exciting programme of events.”

Blas Programme: www.blas-festival.com

Online sales: www.thebooth.co.uk

Gaelic Version:

A’ Cur Blas air Bhog

Thèid Fèis Blas na bliadhna seo a chuir air bhog gu h-oifigeil aig aitreabh ùr Inbhir Nis, an IronWorks, air Diciadain an 16mh dhen Lùnastal.

Thairis air an naoi latha a mhaireas an Fhèis bi dà fhichead sa trì tachartas ann, le ceòl traidiseanta aig ìre deagh-ghnè annta uile ann an caochladh àiteachan air feadh na Gàidhealtachd bho Chille Mhoire gu Inbhir Narann, agus bho Shrathaidh gu Sròn an t-Sìthein.

Tha an fhèis a’ gabhail a-steach dà lìonra stèidhichte; iomairt nam Fèisean fhèin agus Lìonra Adhartachaidh nan Ealan, agus tha na tha na buidhnean sin a’ cur ris sònraichte, le co-dhiù dà cheud ag obair saor-thoileach a’ ruith rudan anns na sgìrean aca fhèin.

“Seo aonan dhe na rudan a tha sònraichte mu Bhlas, a bharrachd air gu bheil a’ Ghàidhlig ga cleachdadh aig a h-uile tachartas”, thuirt Art MacCarmaig, Stiùiriche Fèisean nan Gàidheal, a tha a’ ruith na fèise, “Tha an fheadhainn a tha saor-thoileach an dà chuid ann am LAE agus anns na fèisean ionadail ag obair eagallach fhèin cruaidh airson gun soirbhich le gach nì agus cha b’urrainn dhan fhèis a bhi ann mur a bitheadh iad”.

A’ cuir loinn air gach nì tron fhèis bi rionnagan gu leòr, nam measg luchd-ciùil òga bhon a’ sgìre agus bho àiteachan leithid Cheap Breatainn agus Èirinn, leis a bheil dàimh ris a’ Ghàidhealtachd.

Tha a h-uile coltas gum bi Blas fiù’s nas fheàrr na bha fèis na bliadhna ‘n uiridh. Mu thràth, tha na ceudan de thiogaidean air a bhith air an reic. Thòisichear gan reic nas tràithe, agus bha e na chuideachadh mòr gu robh sgeama “earlybird” a’ leigeil le daoine an cuid thiogaidean a cheannach aig prìs nas ìsle, le a bhith ga dhèanadh tràth.

Bha an taic-airgid a fhuaireadh bho Bhanca Dail Chluaidh Earranta na chuideachadh cuideachd do Bhlas. Leig seo leis an luchd-rianachd aig na fèisean cùisean a chur air dòigh ann an deagh àm agus fhios aca gun robh an t-airgead air an cùlaibh. A-rèir Ailein Holland, Manaidsear Ionad Mhaoineachaidh Banca Dail Chluaidh ann an Inbhir Nis, “Tha Banca Dail Chluaidh air an dòigh gu bheil iad an-sàs còmhla ri Blas ann an 43 tachartasan air feadh na Gàidhealtachd. Tha sinn fhèin agus Blas dhen aon bheachd a thaobh mar a tha sinn a’ measadh cùisean traidiseanta agus ann a bhith an-sàs anns na coimhearsnachdan againn”.

‘S e prìomh amas Blas a bhith a’ brosnachadh ceòl agus òrain traidiseanta na Gàidhealtachd agus a bhith a’ misneachadh dhaoine gus a’ Ghàidhlig a bhruidhinn. Tha an t-àite a th’ aice ann a bhi ag àrdachadh ìomhaigh na Gàidhlig air duais a chosnadh dhaibh bho Bhòrd na Gàidhlig.

Thuirt Ceannard a’ Bhùird, Ailean Caimbeul, agus e ag guidhe gach soirbheachadh dhan a h-uile duine a tha an-sàs ann am Blas, “Tha blas 2006 fada a bharrachd air na shaoileadh duine bhon ainm, ‘s e a th’ann ach bangaid de shean ‘s ùr air Ghàidhealtachd. Tha fèisean mar Blas cudromach dhan stèidheachadh agus dhan ùrachadh dhen a’ Ghàidhlig air a bheil sinn uile ag amas.”

‘S e luchd-ciùil òga a bhrosnachadh fear eile de dh’amasan na fèise. Thuirt Cathraiche an Fhoghlaim, Cultur agus Spòrs aig Comhairle na Gàidhealtachd, Andy Mac Anndrais, “’S e cothrom math a th’ann am Blas cluicheadairean òga a bhi air àrd-ùrlar còmhla ris an luchd-ciùil traidiseanta as fheàrr a th’ann. Tha sinn air a bhith air ar dòigh le mar a tha daoine air gabhail ri Blas bhon a chuireadh air bhon i ann an 2004.  Tha mi cinnteach gun tog fèis na bliadhna seo air a sin agus gum bi fiù’s barrachd chothroman inntinneach ann do luchd-ciùil òga faighinn air àrd-ùrlar nan coimhearsnachdan fhèin agus nas fhaide air falbh”.

Bi Blas na bliadhna seo ann an seachd àiteachan taobh a-staigh sgìre Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd, ‘s iad sin, Gallaibh, Cataibh, Siorrachd Rois, Loch Abair, Bàideanach & Srath Spè, Inbhir Narann, agus an t-Eilean Sgitheanach & Loch Aillse. An ath bhliadhna, leudaichear air an fhèis gus baile mòr Inbhir Nis agus an sgìre mun cuairt air a thoirt a-steach, airson Gàidhealtachd 2007; a’ bhliadhna a chomharraicheas Alba cultar na Gaidhealtachd, agus tha e san amharc gum bi àite sònraichte aig Blas ann a bhi a’ comharrachadh na bliadhna sin. Thuirt Iar-Chathraiche Chomhairle na Gàidhealtachd, Micheal Foxley, “Tha prògram Blas airson 2006 lannaireach. Tha sinn a’ sìor thogail Blas gu bhith na feis mòr eadar-nàiseanta. Bi an ath bhliadhna, 2007, fiù’s nas fheàrr”.