Artyness's Liza Mulholland on the concert of stars which will mark the Metagama centenary
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Some exciting news to share with you this week! Tickets are now on sale for our concert In The Wake Of Metagama: An Atlantic Odyssey In Story And Song in Eden Court’s Empire Theatre on April 29!
And I’m delighted to say they are already moving fast!
Regular readers might recall me writing in previous columns about research I was doing for a Metagama project, up in Stornoway archives in 2021, and also out in Toronto, Detroit and Chicago last October with writer Donald Murray.
Well, now one strand of the project is coming to fruition.
The Metagama was one of three emigrant ships that took thousands of young people from the Hebrides to Canada in 1923/24. That Assisted Passage scheme devised by the British and Canadian governments, took young men to jobs in agriculture and the girls to ‘in service’ positions, namely domestic work, nannies, and the like.
By offloading young population, the British government could avoid addressing issues of land ownership, unemployment and their ‘land fit for heroes’ promise on return from WWI – a promise that did not materialise. For Canada, it brought an influx of needed labour.
My Lewis grandparents were on the Metagama, just teenagers, and worked in Canada before heading down to Detroit, where things, they’d heard, were ‘brisking up’ in the automobile factories and construction.
Meeting through the Lewis Society of Detroit, they married in 1928 and my mother was born there the following year, before returning home during the Depression. Following in their footsteps last October was such a profoundly special experience.
Donald and I, along with an ensemble of superb singers, musicians, composers and visual artists, are presenting a concert series to mark the Metagama centenary and share the stories of those emigrants, launching in Stornoway on April 21 and 22, before coming to Inverness on Saturday, April 29.
The stellar line-up includes Capercaillie and Session A9 fiddler Charlie MacKerron, Gaelic singer and piper Calum Alex Macmillan, singer-songwriter and stalwart of bands Astrid and Tumbling Souls’ Willie Campbell, Canadian cellist Christine Hanson, Gaelic singer and actor Dolina MacLennan, and amazing visual artist of the natural world Doug Robertson.
As a freelance folk musician, much of my working life involves teaching, working with different organisations on diverse projects, gigging, composing and, when I get time, devising and developing original musical initiatives.
This is one such, and along with friend Donald, it’s been wonderful to collaborate on research and getting this show off the ground. Recalling that those young emigrants were of course all Gaelic speakers, I can think of no better time to be sharing this music news than in Seachdainn na Gàidhlig (World Gaelic Week) until Sunday. during which there are hundreds of events happening to celebrate, promote, use and learn the language.
Lots on our doorstep, including from Culturlann Inbhir Nis, Highland Council,
Bòrd na Gàidhlig, UHI, Inverness Caley Thistle FC and much more. Do check them out!
Info: seachdainnagaidhlig.scot
