Cuairt-litir

...and the winner is Simon MacKenzie, currently artistic director of Tosg Theatre Company, which has concentrated on children's drama during the past four years.

Simon was trained as an actor at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School. His career began as a freelance broadcaster (closely associated with BBC Scotland) first and foremost as a radio newsreader; subsequently, he became both radio and TV presenter.

Simon was a founder member of the Fir Chlis theatre company and Ordag is Sgealbag, which specialized in introducing drama through the medium of Gaelic to schools. He was a regular tutor during the crucial formative years of the Fèis movement. Had a long association with 7:84 Theatre Company and Freeway Films during the 1980s touring with the company to the Soviet Union, Eastern Europe and Canada. Two of the touring stage productions were subsequently filmed for television, including There Is A Happy Land (history of the Gael through song and music) and Màiri Mhòr (bio-pic of Mary MacPherson, Màiri Mhòr nan Oran). The latter earned him a British Writers' Guild award. He has recently written and directed Coille na Ceilp, which was the third play in the commissioned children's trilogy from Tosg.

The prize, in memory of the late Anne S. Castle, will be presented at the Society's Burns Supper on the 29th of January.

Congratulations

Ishbel MacTaggart, formerly of Còisir Lunnainn, won the coveted Gold Medal at The Royal National Mod in Perth. The choir were 2nd again in the Ladies Choir competition and the whole choir were 2nd in the Puirt competition. They were firm favourites with all but the judges to win the Lovat and Tullibardine Shield. The BBC panel who covered the competition were hugely impressed with their performance. Their performances over recent years have won them many new admirers. They are now a topnotch choir: well done to Alan Munro, conductor and Murdoch Graham, Gaelic instructor.

The deputy conductor, Sandy Jones, won a clutch of firsts, including: The Kennedy-Fraser Cup, for piano accompanied solo singing; The Mary C. MacNiven Salver, in the Gold Medal qualifying competition; The Sarah Weir Memorial Trophy, also for unaccompanied solo singing; and along with Alan Munro they won the competition for the composition of a new Gaelic song. Linn Phipps, who commutes the longest distance to any Gaelic choir, Leeds to London (up to 3 times a week), was 3rd in the Skye and Sutherland solo singing competition. Well done also to all the others, too many to list, for their achievements in Perth.

Representing the Society's Council at the Mod were Joyce Seymour-Chalk, our Chief; Iain MacLeod, our President; Tommy MacAskill, our Honorary Secretary; and Honorary Vice President Dorothy Gordon.

Tragic Death

News of the premature death of Jo Alsthrop failed to reach us before the last edition of the newsletter. Jo, a member of the Society, was also a former member of Còisir Lunnainn, and had attended Gaelic classes at the City Lit. She worked at the English National Opera.

The New Council for 2004/05

Chrissie MacLeod Webb became Vice President and Archie Cameron CBE became Hon Treasurer. Norman MacKenzie came back onto the Council. Angus Montgomery has stood down from the Council, having moved to Scotland, we wish him well and hope to see him when he visits London in the future, other departures from the Council were Robin Mays and Isobel MacMillan.

London Piping Competitions

This year, thanks to the generous sponsorship deal from Grants Whiskies, the Bratach Gorm Competition returned to the Glaziers Hall at London Bridge. The prize winners were: the Bratach Gorm - John Cairns, from Canada, playing the Piobaireachd 'MacLeod of Colbeck's Lament', he is a former winner of the Gold Medal at Inverness; the winner of the Senior Competition was William MacCallum from Glasgow; and the overall champion and winner of the Gaelic Society of London Cup was Iain Spiers, from Edinburgh.

Gaelic Mass

The next mass will be on Sunday the 8th of May 2005; we will give you more details in our future newsletters nearer the date.

Quarterly Gaelic Services

The next service will be at 3.30pm on Sunday the 12th of December 2004 at Crown Court in Covent Garden. The service will be conducted by the Rev. Neil MacLean from the Free Church of Scotland in Kildary, Ross-Shire.

Burns Supper 29th January

For information go to dè tha dol. Tickets £30. £5 off tickets purchased by 31st December 2004. Please note that as this is a catered event that bookings need to be made before the 12th of January and that ticket numbers will be limited.

Janice Fairney's Paper on the First Celtic Chair at the University of Edinburgh

We have printed some extracts from the paper here, we hope to have Janice present the paper in person in the not too distant future. The Society were instrumental in the establishment of the first Celtic Chair, but it was a long hard struggle ...

"The first petition was presented to Parliament July 1835 on behalf of the GSL* by W.I. Campbell, MP for Argyllshire, supported by W.A. MacKinnon MP and Sir George Sinclair MP, it bore the signatures of Highlanders resident in London. It was received favourably, and the following year, Sir George Sinclair presented another petition on behalf of the society. The five hundred signatures collected for the 1836 petition came from Highlanders in both London and Scotland. ..."

The Society changed its strategy to...
"...rouse the people in the homeland a circular and petition should be sent to every Gaelic minister in the Highlands and Islands in order to establish those individuals who were in favour of establishing a Gaelic Professorship."

They paid the postage to increase response.

"The tabulated results showed that three thousand three hundred and ninety five churches preached in Gaelic. Four hundred and sixty one of them had daily Gaelic services. There was still a need for five hundred Gaelic speaking ministers for upwards of half-a-million people. The GSL* believed it now had all the evidence it needed to persuade the Government that there was a very real need for a Gaelic professors."

"The election of a Professor did not take place until 1882."

The Society wishes to extend its thanks to Janice, your work is greatly appreciated.

*GSL = The Gaelic Society of London

Engagement Announced

Anna Macleod, originally from Port of Ness, in the Isle of Lewis, and living in South East London, (sister of our President), has become engaged to marry Martin Wickenden from Cranleigh in Surrey. Martin is currently studying Gaelic at the City Lit in London. They intend to have their wedding in London in October 2005.

Gaelic Classes through the Society and Events Diary in 2005

Please see the classes programme and events diary under What's On.

New Webmaster

Steve Savage, Society member and publisher has kindly agreed to dust off the cobwebs from our website and update it. If you have any suggestions for links and or content for the website please send e-mails to Steve at post@comunngaidhliglunnainn.com

Ceilidh on the 13th of November

Following our AGM we had a small ceilidh at Crown Court. Christine MacLeod (Hon. Vice President) sang a stunning array of songs, it was great to hear Christine singing for the Society again, we don't hear her often enough. Alasdair Smith piped, in between his now legendary 'little stories', and also played the whistle, he was fantastic entertainment. Sandy Jones showed us how she managed to clean up the awards at the Mod, her singing was a pure delight. Nina with the assistance of Dorothy prepared a tasty buffet. Our thanks to all who supported the evening.

New Gaelic Book from London Writer

Duncan Gillies, who lives in Tottenham and is originally from Ness in the Isle of Lewis has brought out a new book recently. The book Tocasaid ’Ain Tuirc is published by Clàr, and is priced £8.99 (available through the Gaelic Books Council, in Glasgow, telephone number 0141 337 6211). The book is a collection of short stories, full of wit and humour. 'Gaelic writing as it ought to be' - Ronald Black, The Scotsman. Many of our members will be aware that Duncan co-wrote a book of classic short stories from around the world with Calum Graham, former President and Chief of the Society.

The Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill

This is the response by Comunn Gàidhlig Lunnainn (The Gaelic Society of London founded 1777) to the Education Committee's request for views from interested parties on the general principles of the Gaelic Language (Scotland) Bill.

The Gaelic Society of London is a forum for the estimated 10,000 Gaelic speakers that live in the South East of England. It is appropriate that the wording in the current Bill that gives Bòrd na Gàidhlig responsibilities for the development of the language "...in Scotland and elsewhere" is given a workable framework that allows it to do that without conflicting with the premise that Gaelic is a 'devolved matter' under the Scotland Act 1998. We wish to remind the Committee that due to Scotland's darker historical and economic past that there are many Gaelic speakers not covered by the 2001 Census in Scotland. That they live outside Scotland, makes them no less interested in this Bill than Gaelic speakers living in Scotland.

The Society are concerned that unless Bòrd na Gàidhlig are given adequate powers and financial resources, that it will be doomed to fail. It is not enough to make gestures towards Gaelic in 2004/05. The United Kingdom and its devolved nations are signatories of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages (2001) and the Bill will be subject to compliance with the said Charter.

The Society are concerned that in light of the Communications Act 2003, that Gaelic Broadcasting has fallen foul of the spirit of devolution. There is a curious anomaly at play, wherein that broadcasting, remains a 'reserved matter', Gaelic broadcasting is to be funded from the Scottish Block Grant, as agreed according to the Barnett Formula. This said, the reality despite all the assurances given by Lord Evans of Temple Guiting, during the Bill's passage through parliament, have left the new body, the Gaelic Media Service with no more funding to carry out its expanded scope of powers. Additionally, it is as yet unclear which parliament should pay for it. This is a clear example of bad legislation, mismanaged by the Westminster and Scottish Parliaments, especially the Secretary of State for Scotland, whose office were supposed to cover 'reserved matters' we urge that your Committee avoid similarly mishandling the fate of Gaelic. The Society wish to make themselves available for fuller participation in the debate as the Bill makes its progress through the Scottish Parliament.

Schools Competition Prize Winners

Unfortunately at the time of printing this letter, not all the prize winners' photos had been sent to Joyce. We hope to send them out with our first 2005 edition in the early part of January.

Nollaig Chrìdheil agus Bliadhna Mhath Ur Dhuibh Uile

The President and Council of the Society wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

...And Finally

Iain Macleod, President since 2000 has informed the Hon. Secretary of his decision not to seek re-election in 2005. He stated that when he accepted the office he had made it clear in 2000 that 5 years was as long as he thought it right for a president to be in office. He will stand down at the AGM in November 2005. He added that he wishes his successor all his best wishes and promises to give his support to whoever will lead the Society in the future.

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