‘Cruinneachadh Siorrachd Rinn Friù’ air bhog // Fèis Phàislig Launches ‘The Renfrewshire Collection’
Fèis Phàislig is proud to introduce ‘The Renfrewshire Collection’ – an exciting new resource that highlights some of the many traditional musicians and artists based in Renfrewshire. This collection features 50 compositions and songs, either composed by Renfrewshire-based musicians or written about the area, and is a snapshot of the ever-growing traditional music scene here.
The culmination of nearly two years of research and material gathering, the launch of ‘The Renfrewshire Collection’ coincides with the upcoming Royal National Mòd, set to grace Paisley in less than a month.
Commissioned as part of Treòir, a musician-in-residence initiative hosted by Fèis Phàislig with support from Fèisean nan Gàidheal, this collection was curated by multi-instrumentalist Ron Jappy. Reflecting on his experience, Ron shared, “It’s been an exciting project to work on, and I’ve discovered much about Renfrewshire, including its talented musicians. I’m eager to share this resource, helping showcase the area’s tunes, songs, and stories.”
Featured within the collection is a brand-new tune, composed specifically for Mòd Phàislig 2023. Titled, Fàilte gu Pàislig (Welcome to Paisley), the piece was selected as the winner of a competition to compose the soundtrack of this year’s event. The judging panel compromised three of Scotland’s top traditional musicians who are either from, or live in, the area – Alistair Paterson (Skippinish), Jenna Reid (Blazin’ Fiddles) and Scott Wood (Skerryvore).
Tunes and songs from the collection were showcased live in Paisley at The Bungalow earlier this month. Over 100 people were in attendance for a live evening of traditional music and Gaelic; in the lead-up to the Royal National Mòd coming to town. The concert featured some of Scotland’s top traditional musicians: Joy Dunlop (song); Ron Jappy (fiddle and guitar); Grant McFarlane (accordion); Alistair Paterson (piano); Marissa Waite (bodhran). The evening was brought to a rousing finale when the house band were joined by musicians fron Fèis Phàislig’s advanced band for a rendition of “Oran na Cloiche”, by the Paisley Bard, Donald “Ruadh” MacIntyre.
The project was part-funded by Fèisean nan Gàidheal and Renfrewshire Council and facilitated by local arts organisation, Fèis Phàislig (Gaelic for Paisley Festival). Director, Grant McFarlane, said, “This new collection showcases local musicians, composers and stories. Since the Mòd was last here in 2013, there has been a real growth in Gaelic culture and arts and this resource is a fantastic marker of a thriving traditional music scene within the area.” The resource is now available as a free download.
