Storas – a night to relish and remember

IT WAS billed as a journey though the music of Argyll and not one single note of the superbly curated night of music and song disappointed a near capacity audience for Storas.

The musical evening was brought together by Connel’s Sileas Sinclair, a musician best known to readers as the conductor of Oban Gaelic Choir and a composer of great skill.

The talk of the event after last Thursday was much more animated that it was before.

Those who had missed out on attending the event wanted more, and for the full event to be filmed in order to be shown throughout the region and beyond.

Highlights for my taste was Mary Catherine MacLean’s solo Alasdair a

Laoigh Mo Chèille written by Dìorbhail Nic a’ Briuthainn, Luing, around 1643. Oban Gaelic Choir singing a rousing

Colla mo Run with Angus MacColl opening the song with the pipes and a solo by Mary Catherine MacLean. The small band included Sileas, Finaly Wells, Archie MacAllister, Lorne MacDougall and Angus MacColl.

The show was compered by Dougie Beck. He placed the importance of Gaelic to Argyll as fundamental in its use iin and around Argyll for centuries.

Dougie’s commentary was thoughtful and incredibly interesting and would make a book in its own right.

The backdrop to the atmospheric staging were a series of photographs by Chris MacIntyre.

Chris is also the Gaelic tutor for Oban Gaelic Choir.

Sileas thanked everyone who came along to the event, saying: ‘Moran tàing dhuibh uile airson tighinn gu Stòras. Abair gun robh oidhche air leth againn.Cruinn còmhla le òrain agus piòsan ciùil.

‘A massive thank you to everyone who came to our concert.

‘We had a fantastic evening celebrating music and song from Argyll.

‘We hope you all enjoyed it as much as we did.

‘Keep an eye out for our CD later in the year.’

Oban Gaelic Choir also performed with Manran at last week’s Oban Live.