SEALL’s creative director has been rewarded for a quarter of a century of dedicated service to his community and Scottish traditional music.

Duncan MacInnes is one of seven individuals who have been inducted into this year’s Hands Up for Trad Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame.

The prestigious award recognises people who work tirelessly to help their community and enrich the lives of others through selfless service or charitable work. Inductions will take place at a ceremony in Glasgow’s Òran Mòr on 2 November.

The services to the community category of the awards, reflects the 25 years Duncan spent as a volunteer bringing Scottish traditional music to audiences in the south of Skye as well as nurturing and supporting the local young talent of his communities by providing the musicians with their first experiences of public performance.

Duncan has lived in Sleat all his adult life and a countryside ranger at the Clan Donald centre at Armadale Castle. It was here he first began promoting performing arts events, after the Old Stables building was turned into a restaurant.

Duncan said: “Because I was involved in the local drama group here, Edinburgh Mime Company approached me and said they wanted to come to Skye. I got them into the village hall. That got me thinking the Stables at Armadale Castle would make an excellent performance space and, by default, I became the centre’s arts officer. We put on events with the likes of Capercaillie, Seolas, Archie Fisher and Hamish Imlach.”

In 1991, Duncan finished working for the Clan but realised there was still an audience for performing arts on Sleat.

He said: “We had a very good local audience by then and so a group of people set up SEALL with me. I started promoting events in venues around Sleat and, 27 years later, I am still at it.”

Each year, SEALL delivers a year-round touring programme and the Fèis an Eilein, The Skye Festival. Their offices are based at the Gaelic College, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, and the organisation was recently given top approval by the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop MSP who said: “SEALL is an inspiration to what can be achieved in terms of support for Scotland’s culture. Over the years, SEALL has become one of the best rural performing arts promoters in Scotland …” and “…connects with the local communities to help serve them.”

Based at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the Gaelic College, on Sleat, SEALL runs a year-round programme of almost 80 events as well as the Fèis an Eilein – the two-month-long Skye Festival in July and August.

In 2016 SEALL developed into a professional team of three paid freelance staff, to which Duncan, as creative driector, is one. He continues to volunteer some of his time in the evenings as master of ceremony at SEALL events.

This year, with the help of continuing support from Creative Scotland, funders, members and supporters, the community-led organisation revealed ambitious plans to broaden its reach to venues and communities across Skye and Lochalsh as well as improve its programme. It is expected that 2018 will be a landmark year for SEALL which will host its 2,000^th event.

Duncan added: “Over the winter, I archived 27 years of posters and updated our database. We have held over 1800 events so far.

“It is interesting to note the number of bands who began their careers on the SEALL stage who are now doing their 20 or 25-year anniversary tours. In May Daìmh are celebrating their 20^th anniversary. We hosted their very first concert as a band in Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. Kate Rusby played at SEALL just three weeks before winning the Mercury Prize and, many of the nominees and winners of this year’s big trad awards have all played here at some stage of their early careers.

“We promoted Arthur Cormack when he was just starting out and we would really like to do more to give our young local talent a step up the career ladder. To this end, we invite our young rising stars of traditional music to perform opening sets for our trad giants. Years later, these youngsters will become the next big names, attract audiences in their thousands and command higher fees, just like their forerunners.”

Norman Gillies, former director of Sabhal Mor Ostaig, said: “In my twenty-five years at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig I got to know Duncan well and I am full of admiration for what he has achieved for the Sleat community over many years. 

“During my time as Director of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig I worked closely with Duncan in his role at SEALL, and as an individual promoting the arts and rural development. 

“The respect I had for Duncan meant that Sabhal Mòr Ostaig buildings were made available to him for any events that he wished to promote.  We saw this co-operation with Duncan, and SEALL, as fulfilling our role in terms of community engagement.

“The partnership that evolved brought great benefit, both social and economic, to the Sleat community.  Working in conjunction with the Summer School programme at Sabhal Mòr Duncan and his team put together what became Fèis an Eilein, an eclectic mix of events which attracted over three thousand visitors over a packed two-week programme. 

“Duncan worked tirelessly, and most of the time for very little return, to ensure that Fèis an Eilein became one of Scotland’s best known and best loved small festivals.  He also, of course, managed to find the energy to put on a year-long programme of arts events ranging from welly boot dancers from South Africa to Scottish Opera and some memorable traditional cèilidhs.

“He is a creative, intelligent and caring individual and, whilst he would be the last to seek kudos for what he has made a life’s work in community service, he is more than deserving of public recognition.

“He also has enough chutzpah to present the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs with a book of Gaelic erotic verse on the occasion of her opening the new SEALL offices.”

This is the second time Duncan has been recognised for his services to the community and performing arts. Last year, he received a Highly Commended Special Award in the 2017 Rural Touring Awards.

The Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame is dedicated to giving acknowledgement and recognition to musicians and industry people who, by their dedication and hard work, have supported and influenced the development of Scottish traditional music during their lives. Launched at the Scots Trad Music Awards in December 2005, the membership of the Hall of Fame is added to annually.

“Imagine a cèilidh that could wake the dead” The Herald

 “Beautiful Gaelic songs … with plenty of humour and successfully captures the cèilidh spirit” The Wee Review

For this week, a lively and fun piece of musical theatre capturing the true spirit of the cèilidh comes to the north and south ends of Skye.

Gaelic language-based Theatre Gu Leòr brings Cèilidh to Kilmuir Hall tonight (22 March) and to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, TDC main hall, on Friday. Both shows begin at 7.30pm.

Wild, outspoken and buried face down on the Isle of Harris, poet Màiri Ruadh is back from beyond the grave, with one last night to resurrect the true meaning of the cèilidh. She has fire in her belly and is determined never to be silenced again.

Cèilidh is a new play full of live music, songs and stories. It is subtitled and suitable for anyone with or without Gaelic, but only those ready for a cèilidh like no other!

Critically-acclaimed Edinburgh-based quintet Mt Doubt are making big waves on the Scottish music scene.

Described as “Caledonian pop with a good slug of guitar” the “atmospheric” alt rock/dark pop five-piece are on tour to promote their latest EP Moon Landing and come to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, An Talla Mòr, tomorrow (Saturday, 18 November) with singer-songwriter and poet Lee Robert Bouzida.

In 2015, Edinburgh musician Leo Bargery set up the Mt Doubt project. Two years down the line and the addition of four talented musicians, the band have received radio airplay on Amazing Radio, Xfm, KEXP, and BBC Radio Scotland;  Leo’s distinctive vocals (“a voice like grizzled honey”) and the band’s accomplished musicianship have gained high praise from The Herald, The National and the BBC; and they were tipped as one of Vic Galloway’s ’25 Scottish Artists to Watch in 2016.

Lee Robert Bouzida is a young singer songwriter with family connections in Ord. He comes to An Talla Mòr following the launch his new CD, The Making of a Bad Dream.

The evening kicks off at 7.30pm.

Adam Holmes & the Embers come to Sabhal Mòr Ostaig on Tuesday, 7 November and will be joined on this UK tour by Rachel Sermanni.

Singer-songwriter Adam Holmes is one of the brightest rising stars on the UK music scene, with influences from either side of the Atlantic mixing together to form his own brand of soulful Americana with a hint of Scotland.

Adam said: “The band and I can’t wait to play at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. This will be our first time playing on Skye but we’ve only ever heard great things about the crowd and we can’t wait to see you all.”

The Midnight Milk tour will showcase the much-anticipated third album from the Edinburgh outfit. This new album is a widescreen affair with no instrument or sound off limits, audiences will be happy to hear the live performance is no different with instrumentation including guitar, bass, keyboards, percussion and glockenspiels.

When Adam began thinking of ideas for his third album he came to the realisation that his four year old MacBook had more technology on it than The Beatles had available for Sergeant Pepper or that Pink Floyd had used on Dark Side of the Moon. With the confidence that he had everything to hand that he needed to get the album in his head out to the world, he began the process of recording and producing Midnight Milk from the comfort of his own bedroom. What has resulted is not the minimalist album that you might expect, but instead an album that upon listening has been described as an “atmospheric, cinematic experience”.

Adam’s live performances have been described as “atmospheric” or “cinematic” and their concert promises audience a cross mix of musical genres, ranging from folk to gospel to hip-hop with some ska and reggae rhythms,  alongside some beautiful melodies that fans have come to expect of this band. Ultimately the performance promises to leave the audience feeling a sense of completeness and satisfaction, the ultimate aim behind the album.

The “minimal, murky, magnificent” music of Rachel Sermanni provides an exciting addition to the evening. Rachel has proved herself to be one of Britain’s most promising folk artists and this live set will be accompanied by her long-time friend Jennifer Austin on piano. 

More information and tickets from HERE.

★★★★ “(A) small and perfectly formed piece of physical theatre… wondrous to behold and awesome in the true sense of the word” Irene Brown, Edinburgh Guide 

© Chris Scott

An unusual and captivating piece of visual theatre, exploring Mary Shelley’s Gothic monster, comes to Sleat next week.

Edinburgh-based circus artist, musician, theatre maker and entertainer, Phil Hardie, will deliver Welcome My Son, his immersive solo exploration of Frankenstein via circus, physical and traditional theatre and words.

Based on Mary Shelley’s “The Modern Prometheus” the show explores themes of social conformity, isolation, prejudice and abandonment, told in an extraordinary, moving and intensely physical performance.

Phil seamlessly blends acrobatics and balancing acts with dialogue to build the narrative, in particular the relationship of the central two characters: Dr Frankenstein and his monster.

© Chris Scott

With a chilling and uncomfortable original score by composer Stuart MacFerson, this visual masterpiece is not for the faint hearted and may well leave its audience clinging to their seats.

“Heart in mouth stuff as well as tears in eyes. Stunning marvellous and truly original. Thank you.”

“Fantastic theatre, managed to drag me into the piece entirely. I could watch him all night.”

“Great music and creation of mood…magnetic presence…fully engaging with us, we understood your characters dilemma; great use of the apparatus to tell us about a character.”

For more details and tickets click HERE