Gaelic is blossoming in Nova Scottia!

[Eoin Dubh]

                                 CRUINNEACHADH nan GAIDHEAL
                                             (The Gathering of the Gaels)
                                                     July 11-14, 2007
 
The Gaelic Council of Nova Scotia (Comhairle na Gàidhlig) is sponsoring a major event in 2007 at the Millennium Centre, St. FX University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia. The focus of this special occasion will be the Gaelic language and its culture. Together with Cape Breton Island, Pictou County, and Northern Guysborough County, the town and county of Antigonish were strongly Gaelic areas after the influx of immigrants from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland largely in the 19th century. Today, a new spirit is invigorating their descendants. Not only has the government of Nova Scotia come forward with new initiatives for the preservation of the language, including a Minister for Gaelic, but more young people are learning their own hereditary language and young and old Gaels are engaged in speaking it and activating on its (and their own) behalf.
 
Cruinneachadh nan Gaidheal will be an opportunity to celebrate who we are and to show the wider community, within and outside Canada, that we are alive, well and thriving! Plans are currently being made; but the 3-day event (Thursday 12th July -Saturday 14th, plus Wednesday evening 11th ) will include the following :
                              Clasaichean Cloinne (morning Gaelic classes and activities for
                                                                   children)
                              Tional na h-Òigridh (Youth Rally)
                              Clasaichean ann a’Pìobaireachd/Fìdhlearachd/Dannsa-ceumaidh/  
                              Gàidhlig/Òrain Ghàidhlig
                              (Classes in Piping/Fiddling/Stepdancing/Gaelic/ Gaelic Song/ all
                               centred in Gaelic tradition)
                               “Gabh do Naidheachd”( informal Gaelic storytelling session)
                               Luadh Mór ( a great Milling Frolic)
                               Có-Labhairt le òraidean uile’s a’Ghàidhlig ( Mini conference with
                               papers delivered in Gaelic; English translation available)
                               Na Comhlain Chiùil ( a challenge will be going out to musical
                                groups—stay tuned!)
                               Cuirm-chiùil Mhór ( Grand Concert )
 
Tha Comhairle na Gàidhlig a’gairm air Gaidheil na h-Albann Ùire—agus air Gaidheil anns gach cearnaidh-- a thighinn a-mach dhan a’Chruinneachadh airson ur brosnachadh fhéin agus airson ur có-Ghaidheil a bhrosnachadh. Seo an t-àm—thigibh uile!
(The Gaelic Council of Nova Scotia is calling on all Gaels in the province—and beyond—to come out to the Gathering not only to encourage yourselves but to encourage your fellow Gaels as well. This is the time—come one and all!)

[Beith]

HI Eoin,

Great to see the language being re-invigorated like that isn't it?

I smile at the last item on their list...in gaelic we say "Ceolchoirm" for "music-concert"...they use it the other way round using the word Cuirm*...translates as "Big BEER Concert" if you read it in Irish gaeilge! ...sounds like the concert will go down a treat!! grin!

cheers!

Beith
*beer in Old Irish

[Abhaill]

Next July, is it?  Perhaps it's time to start planning my next trip to Cape Breton, with a stop in Antigonish on the way.  I can't wait to see the musical talent that gets drawn to a gathering like this... Ashley MacIsaac, Natalie MacMaster, Mary Jane Lamond, etc. etc.  Woohoo!  Sounds like a grand event!

~ Abhaill

[runningwave]

Halo!

This is so wonderful! My husband and I were planning to go to Nova Scotia to kayak next summer and now we have a second reason to go. If I can get my work schedule to have an opening, I'll try to come to this Gathering.

Mar sin leibh,
runningwave

[Buidhe]

I always wondered....

If Nova Scotia is "New Scotland"....

Why isn't it "Nova Caledonia"?

[Kernos]

I wonder if it will become the 3rd Gaelic — Nova Scotian?

[Abhaill]

That would rock!  I'm not sure about the spoken language on its own, but musically speaking a lot of the old tunes brought over from Scotland originally are still preserved to this day in Cape Breton and surrounding areas.  The fiddlers from CB have gone back to Scotland to re-teach them.  Whereas in Irish fiddling the point is to play so much around the melody that you sound original and fresh, in CB/Scottish fiddling your aim is to play as close to the way it was taught to you as possible.  

I think that's one of the reasons the old tunes may have held on better there, because natural evolution was discouraged, and authenticity was defined more by comparison to the old than pure invention.  Nova Scotia is certainly seen to be the home of its own style(s) of playing, so perhaps it wouldn't be a stretch for their dialect of Scots to be viewed as a separate Gaelic.  There may not be enough of a difference, however; I'm just not well-versed enough in either to be able to tell.

~ Abhaill

[CrowGirl]

Hello,
Jumping in with a bit of a reply, bit of an intro...

I've been studying Gaelic here in Nova Scotia for about five years now (decent with hearing and reading, still weak in stringing together conversationss on the fly and writing) and have had the good fortune to have studied with some wonderful teachers. There's alot of interest in reviving/retaining the Gaelic traditions (language, song, story and the music/dance too.)

As I understand it, various areas of Nova Scotia have varying accents that directly correspond to the area from which that community emigrated, and that the accents are still quite true. The area around Antigonish (where the conference at the start of the thread is being held) has a Lochaber accent. My current teacher is from there but my first teacher was from Uist and another course on tape I used had a Lewis accent, so I've unfortunately developed a patch work sort of accent myself. The Lochaber accent often replaces the L sound for a sort of W sound. So La (meaning "day", sorry, can't find the accents on this keyboard) ends up sort of like Wa. I've been trying NOT to pick this up but suspect it's in there somewhere.

Vanessa

[Baylin]

anyone aware of any druids residing in halifax area?

[Filiocht]

I always wondered....

If Nova Scotia is "New Scotland"....

Why isn't it "Nova Caledonia"?

"Scottus" is the Latin term for "Gaelic-Speaker." "Caledonia" is the old roman term for the land occupied by the Caledonii (presumably Picts). As Scotland became an area where Gaelic was spoken, and as the Caledonians as a distinct ethnicity more or less disappeared, it became "Scotia" in the west as opposed to the ancient "Caledonia."

[kristinjenson123]

Next July, is it?  Perhaps it's time to start planning my next trip to Cape Breton, with a stop in Antigonish on the way.  I can't wait to see the musical talent that gets drawn to a gathering like this... Ashley MacIsaac, Natalie MacMaster, Mary Jane Lamond, etc. etc.  Woohoo!  Sounds like a grand event!

~ Abhaill

yeah I am agree !
Perhaps it's time to alpha planning my abutting cruise to Cape Breton, with a stop in Antigonish on the way. I can't delay to see the agreeable aptitude that gets fatigued to a acquisition like this... Ashley MacIsaac, Natalie MacMaster, Mary Jane Lamond, etc. etc. Woohoo! Sounds like a admirable event!

[DJ Droood]

Next July, is it?  Perhaps it's time to start planning my next trip to Cape Breton, with a stop in Antigonish on the way.  I can't wait to see the musical talent that gets drawn to a gathering like this... Ashley MacIsaac, Natalie MacMaster, Mary Jane Lamond, etc. etc.  Woohoo!  Sounds like a grand event!

~ Abhaill

yeah I am agree !
Perhaps it's time to alpha planning my abutting cruise to Cape Breton, with a stop in Antigonish on the way. I can't delay to see the agreeable aptitude that gets fatigued to a acquisition like this... Ashley MacIsaac, Natalie MacMaster, Mary Jane Lamond, etc. etc. Woohoo! Sounds like a admirable event!

Saw Ashley this summer in Port Hawkesbury, CB....fantastic...he is doing a "traditional" tour this year...not so much with the electronica and rock beats...although he did close with "Sleepie Maggie"....he didn't have Mary Jane Lamond with him, but did a credible job singing it himself.