St James the Great CCÉ take part in Royal National Mòd

THE St James the Great Branch of Comhaltas Ceoltóirí Éireann had the honour of being invited to take part in a Fringe event at the annual Royal National Mòd (above), which this year took place in Glasgow from October 9 to 17.

The Mòd—a gathering in English—is Scotland’s premier annual festival celebrating Scottish Gaelic language, music, and culture generally. The first Mòd was held in Oban in 1892.

A group of branch musicians—some of whom attend the Glasgow Gaelic School—played both outside on Sauchiehall Street and inside the adjacent Concert Hall. They also played live on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal.

On behalf of the branch, the Branch Treasurer, Róisín Reid, expressed gratitude to the Mòd organisers for giving the St James the Great musicians the opportunity to participate in such a significant event in the country’s cultural calendar.

Several of the members within the branch have family connections to the Western Isles, where next year’s Mòd will take place. Many of the young members of the branch, from the age of five upwards, took part in this year’s singing, poetry, storytelling and fiddle competitions, with some achieving success in the fiddle and the singing events. Others played in some of the many concerts and sessions that took place throughout the week.