A dozen singers and groups from throughout the Celtic nations are competing in the regional final of a prestigious new singing competition with the aim of securing a place in the pan-European grand final in Sweden this autumn.

A live internet broadcast on the night will allow the Eden Court audience to be joined by listeners around the world, who can also vote for their favourite.

Event organiser, Inverness based Brian Ó hEadhra, expects people from all of the regions involved in the contest — Scotland, Ireland, Wales and Brittany — to listen in to the live final.

"It is a fantastic opportunity to showcase the Celtic and Scots languages, the musical talent in the area, and Inverness as a venue for prestige events," he declared.

Entitled Nòs Ùr — Gaelic for "New Style" — the contest is a new Celtic and Scots language competition which serves as the Western European semi-final for the Liet-Lavlut European minority languages competition, which will be held in the city of Luleå, the capital of Swedish Lapland, on 18th October.

Two winners will be selected from the Inverness final — one by a jury and the other by popular vote — to join the 10 other continental finalists in Sweden, half of them selected from regional finals in Scandinavia and the Low Countries and the rest from open submissions.

"It's going to be quite a fun night," Ó hEadhra said.

"We have everything from Gaelic punk to Welsh jazz. It's very interesting. We didn't tell the artists what style to play. We want people to come up with their own new song and their new style. It's great to hear what other people are doing and get that inspiration."

Gwennyn is Brittany's entrant.

Not all the languages eligible for the contest, which also include Cornish, Manx and Ulster Scots, are represented in the regional final, but those that will be heard are Breton, Welsh, Irish, Scots Gaelic and Scots.

The latter entry, from singer Davie Tait, could be most controversial entry of the night given its title "The Day That Dodi and Di Died".

Also flying the saltire are Gaelic punk band Oi Polloi, Highland Council's Màiri Mhòr Fellowship singer Fiona J. Mackenzie (not to be confused with the Lewis-born Gaelic singer and songwriter Fiona MacKenzie who is married to Ó hEadhra), harpist and composer Phamie Gow in a collaboration with Young Scots Traditional Musician Award winner James Graham, Uist singer Gillebride MacMillan and singer and piper Griogair Labhruidh, a late replacement for Welsh finalist Aled Myrddin.

"The competition is tough but it needs to be if we're to have a chance of winning the Grand European Final where other languages being represented will come from the Nordic, Baltic, Alpine, Russian, Romany and Northern Iberia regions," Ó hEadhra said.

"The European Broadcasting Union, which produces the Eurovision Song Contest, is interested in it." Tickets are available on a two-for-one basis from on 01463 234234.The event website broadcasts between 7.30pm and 9.30pm.

c.macleod@inverness-courier.co.uk

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