An Comunn Gàidhealach Publications > Gaidheal > Volume 26, October 1930--September 1931

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AN GA1DHEAL.
An t)amhar, 1930.
good on our native language and literature.
If those who are actively interested in and
work for the preservation of our language
were to support the Gaelic Church and services,
if the educated, the well to do, and the in¬
fluential, were to be leaders of their “ weaker ”
brethren in the Gaelic Church, then the Highland
Pulpit would soon be restored to its high place
and power, for our language and all that goes
with it, which it had from the days of St.
Ninian and St. Columba till within recent
years.
(Rev.) Malcolm Macleod.
0
LETTER TO THE EDITOR.
Dear Sir,—Why is it that members of An
Comunn Gaidhealach when they meet one
another do not converse in Gaelic ? I have
attended various Mods at different times and
places, and also the Conference on the present
state of Gaelic in Highland Schools, held in
Inverness on the 15th of August, and with the
exception of one or two sentences in Gaelic,
I heard nothing but English spoken round me
the whole time. In this I am referring merely
to the conversations of the audience not to
the official speeches made at all.
I thought that one of the principal aims
of An Comunn was the promotion and encourage¬
ment of Gaelic speaking, and how can this be
if the very members of it do not use Gaelic
in their conversation ? WTiat encouragement
is there for children or anyone to speak the
language when one finds this ? In Wales
one is struck by the fact that in the streets
and in shops you hear Welsh continually
spoken, and in the short time I was there I
frequently heard people come into a shop and
ask for what they wished in Welsh. In regard
to Gaelic it is quite the opposite in our Highland
towns, and in my many and frequent visits
lately to Inverness I have never yet heard one
word of Gaelic spoken anywhere. It is a
deplorable state of matters, and one would
infer that there was no enthusiasm for Gaelic
or real pride in this language amongst even
the members of An Comunn, whose aim
ostensibly it is to encourage the speaking of
Gaelic. It is high time that this matter was
seriously taken up by An Comunn, and some¬
thing done at once to radically alter the existing
state of things in this respect, or I fear that
there is little chance for Gaelic now to be saved
as a spoken language.
Yours faithfully,
Muriel S. Maitland Stockwell.
SUTHERLAND PROVINCIAL MOD.
The Sutherland Mod was held at Lairg, on
Friday, 5th September. The Duke of Suther¬
land, in opening the Mod, said he was delighted
to be present at such a large and enthusiastic
gathering, and he hoped it would turn out the
great success it deserved to be. The Gaelic
Mod was not realised as it should be. They
should all work to keep the Gaelic spirit alive.
In the old days they had the Gaelic singing,
and it was. up to them to keep it aflame in
Sutherland more than anywhere else. He
regretted he would be unable to attend the
concert that evening owing to the very great
loss he had sustained. He knew the dearest
wish of his sister was that he would help the
Gaelic movement in the county of Sutherland.
Lairg had always been a great centre, and he
wished the Mod all success this year. He
always greatly admired the Celtic spirit. They
had all their differences of opinion, but where
the Celts had got the right spirit nothing could
separate them.
For this most successful Mod great credit
is due to Mr. Campbell, Bank House, Lairg,
the energetic secretary and treasurer; to Mr.
Macaulay, Golspie, vice-lieutenant of the
county; and to the vigorous local committee.
A concert of high quality was given in the
evening, as may be gathered from the
mention of such a galaxy of talent as Miss
Margaret Duncan, Miss Rhoda Macleod, Mr.
Roderick Macleod, Mr. Kenneth Macrae,
and that charming boy singer, Colin Macleod
(Junior). The following are the residts : —
Solo Singing of a Song, Female Voices. Com¬
petitors own choice of a Song—1, Mrs G. Murray,
Rogart; 2, Miss B. Stewart, Durness; 3, Miss E.
Macdonald, Golspie.
Solo Singing of a Song, Male Voices. Com¬
petitors’ own choice—1, Mr Christopher Campbell,
Durness; 2, Mr W. Calder, Bonar-Bridge; 3, Mr J.
Mackay, Strathhalladale.
Solo Singing of a Song composed by local bard of
the district, whether published or unpublished—-1,
J. Mackay, Strathhalladale; 2, W. Campbell, Bonar-
Bridge; 3, M. Macdonald, Lairg.
Solo Singing of a Song, Male or Female Voices—
1, B. Stewart, Durness; 2, J. Mackay, Strathhalla¬
dale; 3, W. Calder, Bonar-Bridge.
Duet Singing of a Song—1, Miss Bessie Stewart
and Christopher Campbell, Durness; 2, Misses
Fraser, Lairg; 3, Miss J. Matheson and Mr Jack
Matheson, Tongue.
Solo Singing of a Song, Male or Female Voices,
open only to former prize-winners—1, J. Mackay,
Strathhalladale; 2, Miss Amy Mackenzie, Golspie;
3, Miss M. Fraser, Rogart.
Choral Singing in two-part harmony of “Ho ro
Hoirlannan” and “Chuir iad an t-suil a Pilot”—1,
Lairg; 2, Bonar-Bridge.
Unison Singing of “Oran Sithe” and “Puirt a
Beul”—1, Bonar-Bridge; 2, Lairg and Embo (equal).
Silver Challenge Cup presented by the Duke of
Sutherland, K.T., for the best choir in the county
—Won by Embo Choir.