Glasgow Letter
I’d like to start this week’s column by offering my condolences to the family of Christine MacNeill - wife of committee member and former president of the Lewis and Harris Association, John.
Funeral services were held last Friday March 25 in Partick Crow Road Free Church and also Tuesday March 29 in Shawbost Free Church in Lewis after which she was laid to rest in Dalmore cemetery.
The outpouring of tributes on social media displayed what a popular person she was among the Gaelic world in Glasgow and further afield.
The Lewis and Harris association subsequently, and understandably, postponed their planned YouTube premiere of an Oidhche Challuin recording which will now take place on Friday April 22. As the kindred associations continue with online events, last week was, of course, the 160th Glasgow Islay Association Gathering which took place as a virtual event on YouTube.
I was reflecting recently that clearly these 'gatherings' have always traditionally meant people travelling from the island to gather together in Glasgow.
The virtual gatherings, however, are often equally as sociable as I see last week’s video had over 1,500 views and plenty of comments and shares as people watched together from across the globe.
The event was chaired by Dawn MacEachern and hosted by Jane McQueen; featuring performances by the Islay and Jura Pipes and Drums, Ella Edgar's Highland Dancers, Ciara MacTaggart and Shane MacKinnon, Lewis Davey, and Anna Mitchell and Amy Want - plus drone footage by Islay Drone Photography accompanied by David Brodie.
Filming and recording was done by Ben Shakespeare Photography on Islay.
If you missed the event on Friday, it is still up on the association Facebook page and is well worth a watch for anyone with an interest in the island of Islay or Gaelic music and culture more generally.
I didn’t manage to tune in on Friday as I was at the Barrowland Ballroom watching the Fratellis put on a fantastic show.
The first time I saw the Fratellis live was at Tiree Music Festival some years ago but the show on Friday evening was quite sensational as they are currently performing with a brass section and a backing vocals section - both of which enhance the energy of the gig enormously.
The Barrowlands (with its famous sprung dance floor) was quite literally bouncing.
The following night, I went along to the Hydro to see Sam Fender - perhaps Britain’s biggest act at the moment.
In an age where bands with guitars don’t seem to be particularly prevalent in the charts anymore, it’s refreshing to see a young guy from Newcastle plug in his electric and play rock ’n’ roll for an hour and a half - complete with a phenomenal saxophone player.
This was my third night out in as many days as I had also been to Hampden on Thursday to see Scotland play Poland.
Three nights out in a row was a normal enough thing back in my student days but seems to be getting more difficult in my old age!