New bard to be crowned at Mòd as adult contests start
● Literature day celebrates resurgence of poetry and prose
The Royal National Mòd in Glasgow will crown a new bard today as adult competitions begin following the end of the children’s contests at Scotland’s main Gaelic festival.
Today is literature day at the event, celebrating the resurgence of Gaelic poetry and prose.
The honorary post of bard is awarded to someone who has made a significant contribution to Gaelic literature.
Meanwhile, the day’s events will see some of the best talent in reading, writing, poetry recital and drama competing for prizes.
John Morrison, chief executive of An Comunn Gàidhealach, said: “It is so great to see such healthy participation numbers in the children’s competitions this year and we expect this growth to continue in the future – our young gaels have been incredibly engaged and it is so great to see such fantastic performances as we round off the contest for the under 19s.
“We’re looking forward to kicking off the adult competitions and are incredibly proud to be able to return to an annual appointment of the bard and really highlight the resurgence in Gaelic literature.”
The main adults’ events will see the Silver Pendant and Gold Medal Awards up for grabs for solo singers ahead of the Traditional Gold Medal and Choirs’ competitions at the end of the week.
“This year’s literature day is anticipated to be one of the biggest in the past decade with the crowning of a new bard, returning to an annual appointment for the first time since 2004, emphasising the success of Gaelic literature in recent years,” organisers said.
Yesterday evening, the Glasgow Gold Concert at the Royal Concert Hall saw many of Scotland and Ireland’s most cherished performers celebrating their shared Celtic culture.
In the children’s competitions yesterday, 13-year-old Anndra Cuimeanach won the Traditional Silver Medal for boys aged 13 to 15. Rihanna Boyle, aged 15, won the medal for the girls category.
Twelve-year-old Isabella Somerville was the solo singing winner for the girls aged 13 to 15 category, and Frankie Macdonald, eight, won the under-11 girls contest.