Slighean Ceòlmhor le Bekah NicLeòid – Musical Journeys with Bekah MacLeod

Isle of Skye-based native Gaelic speaker, Bekah MacLeod (Bekah NicLeòid) begins a six-part conversation series this week (Thursday, November 11) on Celtic Music Radio while John Joe Macneil takes a well-earned break from presenting Sona le Seonaidh (Happy with John).

Bekah will be chatting in Gaelic to leading lights from the world of Celtic and Gaelic music, looking at their instrument of choice and the resulting relationship with the music they love to play.

Each 60-minute programme will be illustrated with examples of their own music and tracks, featuring musicians who influenced them, concentrating on that musician’s musical journey, why they chose to make it with a certain instrument and the joy it brings to them.

This week’s broadcast features Seonaidh MacIntyre, the Uist-born piper, whistle player, guitarist and vocalist with the Gaelic band, Trail West.

Seonaidh studied traditional music and has released the album, “The Torlum Sessions” with acclaimed accordionist, John Alex MacKay and has played sessions with numerous Scottish musicians from across the traditional scene.

Future Thursday 5 pm shows will feature:
• Mary Ann Kennedy. From The Campbell musical dynasty from Greepe on the Isle of Skye, Mary Ann is a singer, harpist, pianist, choral director, composer, record producer and TV/radio presenter. Classically trained she has gone on to release many albums with the band Cliar, collaborations and solo including the albums “Fonn” and “Glaschu”.
• Ingrid Henderson. A harpist and pianist from Lochaber who won the BBC Radio 2 Young Trad. musician Award, aged 13. She has played with Julie Fowlis, Altan, Daimh and Margaret Stewart and composed for television. She runs Old Laundry Productions record label and studio with her husband Iain MacFarlane.
• Fergie MacDonald. From Moidart, Fergie is known as The Ceilidh King with an incredible 50-album catalogue. He has performed with his accordion at every ceilidh venue in Scotland and collaborated with hundreds of musicians. This natural storyteller has many a tale from life on the road.
• Joy Dunlop. A singer, step dancer and broadcaster, Joy has been a gold medallist at the Royal National Mòd and released two solo albums and an album with her brother Andrew called “Dithis” (Duo). A stalwart of the Gaelic choir world she created and conducted the Alba Choir representing Scotland at the Eurovision Choir competition in Gothenburg, Sweden in 2019 and this subsequently featured in a BBC ALBA documentary.
• Ewen Henderson. Fiddle player, bagpiper, guitarist and vocalist, Ewen joined The Battlefield Band in 2010. He has also played with Skippinish and more recently as a founding member of Celtic band Mànran who release their fourth album this year. He’s worked with Afro Celt Sound System and composed for television.

Slighean Ceòlmhor le Bekah NicLeòid – Musical Journeys with Bekah MacLeod, 5 pm, Thursday 11th November.