I struggled to fit all my Mòd stories in the appropriate column this week so this Glasgow Letter has consequently become something of a Paisley Letter.
Readers may recall my recent preview of Gun Sireadh Gun Iarraidh. Well, the concert in Paisley Town Hall did not disappoint.
Kenna Campbell and Ainsley Hamill enlisted a wonderful team of singers and musicians to help them present songs and stories from their new edition of The Tolmie Collection, initially published in 1911.
The new 2023 edition is beautiful and the concert achieved something quite rare: it was both extremely entertaining (at times moving; at times very funny), but also an educational masterclass into the life and work of Frances Tolmie.
After an informative narration from Priscilla Scott, the music began. Backed by a house band of Alistair Iain Paterson, Ron Jappy, Louis Abbott, Megan Henderson, and Connal McDonagh, the first song was sung by Mary Ann Kennedy, Wilma Kennedy, and Kenna herself in perfect family unison.
It was a stunning musical start. Further highlights were Ceitlin Lilidh leading the song Griogail Cridhe, backed by the singing of Ainsley Hamill and the haunting Uillean pipe playing of Conal MacDonnagh.
James Graham and Rachel Walker sang two entirely different songs (Tha sìor chòinneadh am Beinn Dòbhrain and Mnathan a’ Ghlinne) in amazingly close harmony.
There were also excellent vocal performances from Mischa MacPherson and from Màiri Callan – who gave the band a break by holding the audience in thrall with only her voice and clàrsach. In amongst all this seriously beautiful music, there were some lovely down-to-earth moments to make the audience laugh.
Kenna’s first spoken words of the evening were characteristically quick witted. One of the singers began adjusting her microphone and Kenna simply uttered: “it’s good to have servants!”
In a similar moment, Kenna’s daughter, Wilma, said she had stolen her song from her mother before performing an unbelievably powerful solo whilst backed very sympathetically by the full cast of singers.
As rapturous audience applause died down, Kenna smiled and quietly said: “I’m glad she stole it, aren’t you?”
There were many of these endearingly relaxed transactions between the singers – all of whom were united by their mutual love and respect for Kenna and admiration for the book she and Ainsley have worked so hard to bring together.
As we learnt on the night, Frances Tolmie’s original intention in transcribing such a vast collection of traditional Gaelic songs was that they would be preserved in order for them to reach a wider audience. Over a century later, through the book and the concert, Kenna and Ainsley have certainly made sure of that.
Fast forward from Tuesday to Saturday (the days in between are a bit of a blur for many of us) and the same town hall was turned into a very different scene indeed, with 1,200 people crammed in to bounce up and down to Niteworks. The atmosphere was electric and it was a stunning way to end a truly wonderful week.