Oban Gaelic Choir celebrates 130th anniversary
Oban Gaelic Choir is tuning up to celebrate its 130th anniversary.
To mark the happy occasion, the choir has planned a programme of events that will get under way at Oban's provincial Mod in June.
Riona MacCormick, who has sung with the choir since 1975, is also on a mission with other members to piece together some of the choir's past with photographs that will go into an exhibition this summer.
‘We’ll be looking for help with some of the names to match to faces,’ said Riona.
A Jubilee National Mod programme from 1892 mentions the Oban choir as taking part ‘so we know we were there right from the start’, she said.
‘We thought it would be good to have a wee celebration to mark our 130th anniversary, especially after the couple of years we’ve had when we managed to keep going!’ added Riona.
During the pandemic, the choir met for practices via Zoom and brought out a video and compilation of their voices recorded at home, singing a song linked to Dunollie. Mhòrag a’ Mhòrag is a lullaby said to have been sung by a clansman to his grand-daughter Mòrag on the victorious return of the Clan MacDougall from Glen Dochart and the battle of Dàil Rìgh in 1306, with am Bràiste Latharna (The Brooch of Lorne) in hand, supposedly taken from the cloak of Robert the Bruce during the battle.
Last year the choir also staged a public performance when giant puppet Storm blew into Oban and members sang at a mini-concert in Stafford Street as part of a Tidal Zones project. Some members also made it to Inverness to take part in a showcase of Gaelic choirs at the The Royal National Mòd 2021.
The mixed voice choir of about 35 is back to regular weekly rehearsals in person at The Rockfield Centre, enjoying the venue’s good acoustics, said Riona.
Supported by Gaelic tutor Chris MacIntyre, Sileas Sinclair is the main conductor and John Joe MacNeil is the assistant conductor who will be taking the ladies choir this year so Sileas can sing.
The choir’s first official 130th anniversary event will follow the Oban Provincial Mod performance on June 4 with an evening celebration in the Argyllshire Gathering Halls, inviting ex-choir members, friends of the choir and representatives from other Gaelic choirs to join them. In September, the choir will be taking part in the Mull Mod and it is hoped to visit Iona to sing in the abbey as part of that visit. On November 19, Oban Gaelic Choir will be performing in Glasgow, then in Inverness the following day.
To close the special year, the choir will be involved in Oban Winter Festival.
‘It’s going to be quite a year,’ said Riona.
Anyone who can help match names to faces in the choir's photographs from the past, should email riona.macinnes@ gmail.com
Find out more about Oban Gaelic Choir by visiting http:// obangaelicchoir.co.uk/
‘We thought it would be good to have a wee celebration to mark our 130th anniversary especially after the couple of years we’ve had when we managed to keep going.’