The perfect blend at Mòd Loch Abar

ONE MORNING during Mòd Loch Abar, a lady approached me to express her view my singing was far too loud.

I smiled and muttered something about everyone being entitled to their opinion, before enquiring what event she had heard me sing at.

Was it the opening ceremony on Friday? The church service on Sunday? Rachel Walker’s Nàdara with the Lochaber choir on Tuesday? The convener’s ceilidh on Wednesday?

‘None of the above,’ she replied. It was half past three in the morning directly below her bedroom in the Alexandra Hotel backed by Gunna Sound!

It suddenly became clear it was the ‘extra-curricular’ singing that had troubled her and, of course, I could only apologise for keeping her awake. She refused to accept my apology on the grounds that this was the Mòd and she wouldn’t have it any other way. That’s the spirit!

It was a wonderful Mòd with a perfect blend of good craic and serious competitions. On both counts, Lochaber excelled.

Let’s start with the competitive side. Congratulations to the new ladies’ Gold Medallist, Rachel Walker.

Rachel started me off singing in Gaelic when I was a young boy and helped me win my own Gold Medal in 2013. Without her, I possibly wouldn’t be singing in Gaelic today so I was thrilled and proud to see her collect the medal as well as a host of trophies at our home Mòd.

Lochaber is also very proud of its adopted son, John Joe MacNeil from Barra, head teacher at Bun Sgoil Ghàidhlig Loch Abar, who won the men’s Traditional Gold Medal.

Then, on Friday, Lochaber Gaelic Choir, conducted by Rachel and featuring John Joe, won our competition (the Margrat Duncan) for the third year in a row.

I don’t think I have celebrated a result so fervently since James MacFadden’s 40-yard screamer against France in 2007 and my ear drum is still ringing after Carolyn Groat’s celebratory scream into my ear as a big group of us embraced in the Nevis Centre as if we were on the terraces at Hampden.

The Nevis Centre, which had been the hub of activity all week, was also the scene of the final horo-gheallaidh on Friday night when 650 people danced to ourselves and Trail West to give Mòd Loch Abar 2017 the send off it deserved.

Perhaps the less said about the aforementioned celebratory ‘carry on’ the better.

Suffice to say that, after a week of singing all day and, sometimes, all night long, my voice is in need of a little rest.

No such luck. I am writing this article from the recording studio where Tide Lines are working on a new song.

If the recordings get released, listeners will be wondering who the new husky voice of Tide Lines is.

I promise I am not attempting to re-invent myself as a cross between Rod Stewart and Kenny Rogers.

I just have a perfectly normal case of extreme post-Mòd fatigue. Thank goodness it only comes round once a year!