Edinburgh Local Mod adds piping workshops

For the first time in its history, the Edinburgh Local Mod will offer workshops in piping, with hometown Gold Medallist Iain Speirs providing the tuition to any pipers younger than 18.

 

“It’s the first time that any workshop has been offered and it’s a completely new direction for the Mod,” said Edinburgh Local Mod representative Alasdair Morrison.

 

Entitled “Deasachadh airson an Àrd-ùrlair” (Preparing for Performance), the workshops were put in place when the date of the Mod was moved from September to April, so the organization still wanted to hold events in September to sustain momentum.

 

“When we discussed moving the Mod to April we realized there would be no Edinburgh Mod activity in the year and so we decided to organize workshops,” Morrison added. “We were extremely keen that workshops were run by leading professionals, particularly as the central theme of each workshop was ‘Preparing for Performance.’ “

 

The Edinburgh Local Mod is only Local Mod yet to organize hands-on workshops geared towards helping students become better performers and competitors.

In addition to the piping program, workshops in fiddle, clàrsach, step-dance and the Gaelic singing also will be conducted. The piping workshops are more aimed at young players who have reached a minimum standard of playing a MSR on the pipes and have at least started to learn piobaireachd.

 

The workshops will be held on September 26, 2009, at Tollcross Community Centre in Edinburgh, with registration at 9:30 am. Cost of each workshop is £10.

An Comunn Gàidhealach – the Royal National – is a celebration of Gaelic arts and language, with one annual national event and a series of local mods held throughout Scotland. The Royal National Mod will be in Oban, Scotland, from October 9 to 17, 2009. The next Edinburgh Local Mod will be held April 23-24, 2010.