Gaelic Song Online with Christine Primrose 22 June 2021

Gaelic Song Online with Christine Primrose

This course will consist of nine classes over three days (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at 10.00-11.00 / 11.30 – 12.30 / 13.30 – 14.30).  The class will be limited to five participants.

Learn from one of Scotland’s finest Gaelic singers, Christine Primrose, on a three day online short course with Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. From the comfort of your own home, you will have the opportunity to receive expert tuition, learning from Christine’s rich repertoire of traditional Gaelic songs, and sing together with other participants. The course will cover a range of song types, such as lullabies, waulking songs, love songs and puirt-à-beul (mouth music); and themes including homesickness, nostalgia, emigration, sailing and the supernatural. The course will also explore the historical and social contexts of the songs together with discussions about the composers and cover aspects of basic Gaelic pronunciation and grammar.

This course is specifically aimed at Gaelic learners and is open to anyone who has an interest in Gaelic song. Participants are not expected to be stage performers, although the ability to sing as part of a group will be an advantage. At the end of the course, students will have a small repertoire of Gaelic songs to take away with them.

More about the tutor:

Christine Primrose is an acclaimed Gaelic singer, who hails from Carloway on the west side of the Isle of Lewis, in the Outer Hebrides. Christine has been singing ever since she was a little girl and grew up immersed in traditional song. Over the years she has travelled throughout the world – to the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia and various countries across Europe – to sing, and share her a deep understanding and connection with her native language and culture. She is the Head of Gaelic Song at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig and lecturer on the BA (Hons) Gaelic and Traditional Music.

In 2009, Christine was named ‘Gaelic Singer of the Year’ at the Scots Trad Music Awards and  in 2017 released a new solo album ‘Gràdh is Gonadh – Guth ag aithris’ (Love and Loss – A Lone Voice). In 2018 Christine received an MBE in recognition for her achievements, talents and contribution to Gaelic language and culture.

Here is a video of Christine Primrise with the song ‘Àite Mo Ghaoil’ (‘The Place of My Heart’), composed by Rob Calum Macleod from Garenin on the Isle of Lewis:

https://youtu.be/1NPpnH0KgRA