Music & Events - Ceòl is Tachartasan

Music - Ceòl

While there are many good exponents of traditional instrumental music throughout the islands, it is for the talents of unaccompanied Gaelic singing (ranging from the puirt a beul - mouth music - to the emotive song of the exile) that the Outer Hebrides is most highly regarded. Whether in the clear bright notes of a singer at a ceilidh (an informal gathering) or the hauntingly beautiful sound of a religious congregation as they join in the precentor in embellishing the melodic notes of a Gaelic psalm, the music very much reflects the history and feelings of the local people. Local songs, written about places, events and people in the islands, are very common and popular at parties and as radio requests.

Accordion music is popular, and a particular Hebridean style of playing is found, sounding similar to the North American Cajun to the untrained ear! The music of the bagpipes is also common, more so than fiddle music, which, though once developed to, a characteristic Hebridean style (now experiencing a rejuvenation from Cape Breton, Canada) is now only sparingly found in these islands. Other instruments are also played, of course, often accompanying Scottish Folk dancing, and if you are fortunate enough to discover a traditional dance evening in one of the small village halls during your stay, you will need plenty of stamina to remain dancing until the last couple has left the dance floor!

If you are really lucky, you may come upon a display of the unique Hebridean dancing, a highly individual story telling form of dance which was rescued from extinction by enthusiasts at the Barra community arts festival (Feis Bharraigh) and which is becoming a popular addition to the repertoire of dancers in other areas of the islands.