Tuesday saw teens aged 13-15 from across Scotland compete in the girls’ and boys’ Traditional Silver Medal competitions at The Methodist Church.
Eoghann Campbell from Portree High School and Dingwall Academy pupil Sophie Stewart won the Traditional Silver Medal, Gold Badges. Eoghann also picked up the Aggregate Prize, The Ann Kelly MacDonald Memorial Trophy.
Oban High School pupil Lily Robertson also finished second in that Solo Traditional Singing Fluent Girls 13-15 competition, winning her fourth silver medal at this year’s Royal National Mòd in Paisley.
Lily’s “chocka” medal board at home now sports silver medals for the Storytelling Open Mixed 13-18 from Monday, as well as the Solo Singing Fluent Girls 13-15 and Poetry Recitation Fluent Mixed 13 – 15, also from Tuesday. A “happy” Lily told us: “After the win on Monday, I thought that would be it!”
The Methodist Church also played host to the boys’ 13-15 own choice Silver Kilt Pin and girls’ 13-15 own choice Silver Pendant competitions – in which Lily also received silver.
Ardnamurchan High School pupil Alasdair Iain MacAoidh took the Silver Kilt Pin and Falkirk’s Isla Duke won the Silver Pendant. The pair were among a field of exceptional young singers who sang a variety of traditional songs.
Libby Bezuidenhout from Oban High School also won a gold medal for solo singing, plus two silver medals: one for her poem and one for traditional singing.
Mary Margaret McAlpine from Mull was awarded a bronze badge for her performance in the solo traditional singing fluent girls 11-12 competition, in another successful day for Argyll youngsters at the Mòd.
Earlier at the weekend, fellow Oban High School pupil Alasdair Sutherland Bullock from Lochawe won silver in the Novice March piping – an amazing feat for a 12-year-old who has only been playing his bagpipes for 10 months.
Elsewhere in the junior competitions for primary school pupils, Uisdean Craig represented Oban’s Bun-sgoil Achadh na Creige (Rockfield Primary School), competing in fluent solo singing, poetry and storytelling.
After Uisdean was last to recite An Oidhche Ron Nollaig in the ‘poetry recitation fluent P6’ competition, the adjudicator Eilidh Cormack told the children how pleased she was with their performances.
Ms Cormack told the Oban Times: “It was really difficult to judge because they all performed at such a high level and delivered the poem in different ways, whether that be with a cheeky approach or by starting quietly and getting louder.
“They all brought their own interpretation to it and it was great that so many of the entrants looking as if they were enjoying themselves and weren’t terrified.”
She added: “It’s encouraging to see so many young people getting involved in Gaelic, especially after the Covid-19 pandemic.”
The competition was won by Hollie MacRae from Bun-Sgoil Steòrnabhaigh (Stornoway Primary School), with Aibhlin Mairi McGregor from Sgoil a’Bach (Back School) adding a silver medal to her trophy collection.
As the sole entrant in the Precenting a Psalm Open Under-13 competition on Tuesday afternoon, Jonathan Domhnallach from Bun-sgoil Stafainn (Staffin Primary School) scored an impressive 188, with the audience singing along to choice of psalm to a tune.
Nathan Coghill from Sgoil Sir E Scott in Tarbert, Harris, was joined by his school choir for his rendition after Jonathan had finished his rousing performance.
He also scored highly, with a moment of hilarity when he asked the judge to provide her feedback to him in English.
The judge saying she was “gobsmacked” by the Scalpay native’s admission after he had led the Gaelic singing so strongly and with such confidence.
Elsewhere youngsters joined famous Gaelic faces in conversation for Sruth, and emerging trad act Darroch were crowned winners of the second-ever Battle of the Bands competition at Re:Hope Church. The trio met in 2020 at Plockton School of Music and are now students at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
The day was rounded off with a stunning concert at Paisley Town featuring two giants of Gaelic song, Kenna Campbell and Ainsley Hamill, and an all-star cast of vocalists. Together they celebrated a new reworked Gaelic song collection of folklorist Frances Tolmie, bringing audiences on a moving musical journey of Gaelic song and stories (see this week’s Glasgow Letter).