VIDEO: Rural choirs warm up ahead of contests for Thursday's big trophies

Bùrach was formed in 2012 by Mòd Gold Medallist, Riona Whyte. Based in Morvern, the diaspora of choristers are spread north, south, east and west.

Having competed at every National Mòd since Mòd Phàislig 2013, with steady progress, Bùrach won the Sheriff MacMaster Campbell Trophy at Mòd Lochaber in 2017 and have successfully retained it at each National Mòd since then.

Bùrach chorister Hector MacKechnie told us: "Oban is very much a ‘home’ Mòd for Bùrach, being just 12 miles as the crow flies from Lochaline and one which is eagerly anticipated by all - not least for the great choice of local hostelries when competitions finish!

"The choir’s own choice this year is the humorous song ‘Pìobaire ’n aona-phuirt’ (‘the one-tuned piper’) by Coinneach MacDhòmhnaill and Alasdair MacCoinnich. We’ll be singing a brand new arrangement of it by our very own conductor Riona and, without giving too much away, it features a few surprises!

"We’re also very excited to perform Andrew Dunlop’s arrangement of the local song ‘Màiri Bhàn Dhail an Eas’ from the singing of Eardsaidh MacIllEathain, a great tradition bearer from our neighbouring island of Muile ~ Mull. Singing in our local dialect of Gaelic is extremely important to us as a choir and we always enjoy performing local songs."

In a video interview, below, Bùrach’s Gaelic tutor, Dr Alasdair Whyte, son of Riona Whyte, talked to West Coast Today about the choir’s performances this year.

What is special for Taynuilt Gaelic Choir at this year’s Oban Mòd, we asked the choir conductor, Audrey Paterson. "It’s always great to have a home game!" she said.

"There is fairly universal agreement amongst Modsters that Oban, the birthplace of the Mòd, is one of, if not the best place to hold the festival. Locals and the local authority alike, really ’get’ the Mòd and there is always a super atmosphere and often (tempting fate) great October weather when the Mòd is in Oban. This, coupled with an experienced, hard-working local organising committee promises to make a fabulous festival."

Their own choice of song this year, for the Sheriff MacMaster Campbell, is Òran do Bhonaparte by James Shaw, Bàrd Loch nan Eala (Lochnell), arranged by Sìleas Sinclair. It is an "optimistic Argyll song about the formation of a regiment of crack Argyll men to go to the Napoleonic wars to fight against Napoleon", explains Audrey. "The men are certain they are going to beat Napoleon’s troops (crush skulls, beat them to pulp with their fists etc), even though he has taken Hanover - he will not win the war and his troops will run away like cowards."

How has Audrey approached the music and Gaelic? "The most important thing for me, as a conductor, is that the choristers enjoy singing the songs," Audrey says. "We are, after all, doing this as a hobby and learning them for most of the year! This year, we are lucky to have two arrangements by the talented Sìleas Sinclair in the puirt set and Bonaparte. Sìleas’ arrangements are, without fail, always great fun to sing and you can tell that from the faces of the choristers.

"The prescribed piece is an Andrew Dunlop arrangement, and these are always musically challenging, especially for smaller rural choirs, but I think we have made a good fist of this one – fingers crossed! An Comunn have prescribed this Argyll song for our competition and it is doubly interesting for me to be shown local songs that are new to me. The people and placenames mentioned give us a better understanding of the songs and make interpretation more personal.

"Andreas Wolff is our Gaelic Reader. Originally hailing from Berlin, Andreas, a multilinguist, came over to study at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and gained fluency in Gaelic. Luckily for us, he has settled in Lochawe and works for BBC Alba. He worked closely with Brigadier John Macfarlane, our previous Gaelic Reader, before he passed away last year. We were deeply saddened to lose John, who was a towering figure in the Gaelic world and a fount of knowledge about Gaelic song and, in particular, the Taynuilt dialect of Gaelic, of which he was the last native speaker.

"John was the very definition of a ’sàr Ghàidheal’ and put a tremendous amount of work into ensuring the choir continued to sing with Argyll Gaelic. His friendship, support and strong ‘basso profundo’ is be greatly missed by the choir as well as his encyclopaedic knowledge of Gaelic bàrdachd."

Taynuilt Gaelic Choir was formed in January 1997 and is the first adult Gaelic choir in Taynuilt since the Second World War. Members are drawn from the local areas of Taynuilt, Connel, Kilchrenan, Oban and Duror, as well as Strachur and Skelmorlie. It competes annually at the Royal National Mòd and also at the local provincial Mòds in Oban and Mull.

Membership currently stands at 19. It has no native speakers, but does have four fluent learners, one Bonn Òir ACG winner (Lyle Kennedy, Falkirk 2008), one Oban Times Gold Medallist (Andreas Wolff, Dunoon 2012), and three Silver Pendant winners (Audrey MacLeod Paterson, Oban 2003, Colin Fisher, Perth 2004, Julie-Anne MacFadyen, Glasgow 2019).

Taynuilt Gaelic Choir has won the Sheriff MacMaster Campbell trophy four times since 2000, taking the Gaelic prize (Selma Shield) four times and the Music prize (Grace Robertson Memorial Baton) nine times during the same period. It has also won the Aline MacKenzie Memorial Trophy for rural puirt-à-beul in Stornoway in 2005.

The choir welcomes new members, added Audrey. "The recent pandemic lockdowns really hit choirs hard as singing is such a huge part of our lives. We struggled to keep going over Zoom and such like. Numbers fell and people were slower to come back to community activities.

"The social aspect of singing together, as well as the physical benefits are such important contributors to our mental health and choirs in general are only beginning to get back up to ’ramming speed’, so we are always on the lookout for people who might like to dip their toe in the water. The benefit of joining a smaller rural choir is that you can try the entry-level. No previous knowledge of choral singing or Gaelic is required as we have a comprehensive support structure for newbies."

If you miss Taynuilt Gaelic Choir singing at the Mòd, in November they will be joining the annual ‘Choirs and Candles’ concert at the Oban Winter Festival. Members will also be performing for delegates at the Scottish Seaweed Industry Association’s 10th annual conference in Oban, in association with SAMS (Scottish Association for Marine Science).