Mod Dhun Omhain 2018
Dunoon has been oddly blessed with sunshine for the Royal National Mòd this year.
People from all over the globe have come to Dunoon to share in the language and music of the Royal National Mòd, with Gaelic being one of many languages unfamiliar to most.
As well as the competitions, the streets are filled with fringe events, full of touring, dancing and music.
Fiddles could be heard drifting down Argyll Street, while Highland dancers practised in the sun. The nights were made for ceilidhs, where competition winners were invited to sing.
Competitors honed their performances, practised poetry reading, hummed along with other competitors and practised their clasarch-play- ing in the halls of the various venues of the event, including the acoustically beautiful St John’s Church and enormous Queen’s Hall.
As the competitions unfolded, there were a lot of tears: some due to fear, some due to a stumble, most due to pride. Mothers, fathers, grandmas, grandpas, siblings and coaches all watched in awe as the competitors brought pride to their communities.
Mid Argyll was very well represented in the annual Gaelic culture festival with 13 well-toned voices singing for Argyll.
Trained and supported by choir conductor Josie Campbell and Gaelic coach Christine Johnston, Tilly Cunningham, Brodie and Isabell Crawford of Inveraray, Eilidh Graham from Lochgilphead, Sophie Phillips and Angus McLean from Kilmartin, all did their schools and towns proud by singing solo in the learners competitions.
Alasdair McLean, coached by Iain MacPherson, represented Lochgilphead well by singing in the open solo competition in St John’s Church.
Nine-year-olds Feorlin Renton and Rosie Blyth won second place for their duet, singing for Inveraray Primary School in the same competition as Daria Derevyankin and Aimee Burnett, singing for Tarbert Academy.
Shona Keith, from Lochgair, also won second place in the adults’ open solo singing with her rendition of Eilean Idhe. A proud Shona squealed: ‘I got second!’ before getting to work practising for her next competition.
The week-long event finishes with a choirs march from Dunoon Stadium, filling Argyll Street with chanting and ending with a haunting mass performance at Argyll Gardens.