’S e mios thrang a bha ann agus làn Ghàidhlig gu h-ìre mhath. Bha mi a’ gaireachdainn orm fhìn airson nochdadh air “An Là” agus Radio nan Gàidheal a’ bruidhinn mu dheidhinn sheirbhisean Gàidhlig aig Eaglais Chaluim Chille ann an Glaschu – chan e nach robh mi ann an dha-rìribh, ach gun robh e èibhinn gun do thagh BBC ALBA mise, ’s mi nam ana-chreidmheach Iùdhach, airson facal snog a ràdh air an teilidh. Tha mi gu math toilichte dol ann uaireannan, a’ cluinntinn nan sailm agus a’ bruidhinn ris na boireannaich shnoga a bhios ann às dèidh làimh airson tè is cofaidh. Tha mi a’ faicinn gur e rud math a th’ anns an t-seirbheis seo airson daoine a thoirt còmhla – ged nach bi na h-oighridh a’ tighinn, is ’s e rud cudromach a tha ann an sin – càite bheil oighridh na Gàidhlig a’ cruinneachadh airson Gàidhlig a bhruidhinn? Gu soilleir, chan eil an Eaglais a’ dèanamh na cùis dhaibhsan.

Chaidh mi gu “Ceòl is Craic” san t-Sultain agus chuala mi Mairead Challan a’ seinn sa Ghàidhlig agus Saileog Ní Cheannabháin a’ seinn anns an t-seann nòs ann an Gàidhlig na h-Èireann – dhrùidh ise orm gu mòr, cho grinn agus annasach ’s a bha na h-òrain aice agus an dòigh san robh i gan seinn. Mar thachartas fhèin, bha e mì-fhortanach nach robh am fuaim na b’ fheàrr – cha b’ urrainn dhomh facal sam bith a thuigsinn air sgàth ’s nach robh mi air beulaibh na speakers, agus bha sin gu sònraichte doirbh nuair a bha na bàird a’ leughadh. Ach tha mi a’ coimhead air adhart ris an ath fhear, agus cuiridh mi lèirmheas suas an uair sin.

Aidichidh mi e: chan eil mi air dhol gu seisean sam bith ach aon gu ruige seo ann an Glaschu. Tha mi a’ faireachdainn gu math ciontach mun an seo – cò am fìor folkie nach bi a’ ruith agus a’ leum gu deagh sheisean. Às dèidh dhomh fuireach ann an Dùn Èideann trì bliadhna air ais agus a’ tadhal air an Royal Oak, cha robh ceòl clàraichte a’ dèanamh na cùis dhomh; cha robh mi ag èisteachd ris ach airson òrain ùra ionnsachadh. Agus gun teagamh tha e rud beag eagalach a bhith a’ dol gu taigh-òsta ùr agus a’ leum a-steach gu seisean ùr far nach eil duine sam bith eòlach ort. Ach am-bliadhna tha e air fàs nas dorra dhomh ann an dòigh eile.

Dh’ ionnsaich mi pailteas de dh’òrain Gàidhlig, agus tha mi ag iarraidh a bhith nam ghuth Gàidhlig, a’ riochdachadh rud beag ann an seisean Beurla, ach chan eil mi a’ faireachdainn idir cho cofhurtail a’ seinn sa Ghàidhlig sa tha mi sa Bheurla. Tha dragh orm gum bi cuideigin eile ann aig a bheil Gàidhlig bho thùs, a’ breithneachadh orm, gum bi mi a’ dèanamh dì-meas air choireigin air na h-òrain a bhith gan seinn leis a bhlàs Ameirigeanach agam (a tha mi a’ feuchainn gu cruaidh a chur air falbh). Chan eil mi a’ faireachdainn mar sin fiù ’s leis an òran no dhà sa Bheurla Gallta a bhios mi a’ seinn, gu soilleir le blas neo-choileanta. An e dìreach nach robh mi ann an seisean a-riamh far an robh daoine neo-phroifeasanta a’ seinn sa Ghàidhlig? Tha ceist orm ma tha saoghal ceòl (traidiseanta) na Gàidhlig caran eadar-dhealaichte na saoghal ceòl traidiseanta na Beurla. A bheil sin fìor? Cuir cuideigin ceart mi!

Thoughts on Gaelic Life in Glasgow

This has been a pretty busy month for my Gaelic. I had to laugh at myself for appearing on “An Là” and Radio nan Gàidheal to speak about Gaelic services at the St Columba Church of Scotland in Glasgow – not that I wasn’t telling the truth, but that it was funny that BBC ALBA picked me, an atheist Jew, to say a nice word on the telly for the Church of Scotland. I’m quite happy to go to church sometimes, to hear the Gaelic psalms and to chat with the nice ladies afterwards in Gaelic for tea and coffee. I see that the service is good for bringing people together – although there are never very many young people, and that is important – where do young Gaels in Glasgow get together to speak Gaelic? Clearly, the Church doesn’t do the trick for them.

I went to “Ceòl is Craic” in September and heard Margaret Callan singing in Scottish Gaelic and Saileog Ní Cheannabháin singing seann nòs in Irish Gaelic – she made a huge impression on me, so delicate and unusual were her songs and the way she sung them. As an event in itself, it was unfortunate that the sound wasn’t better – I couldn’t understand a word because I wasn’t sitting right in front of the speakers, which was particularly difficult when the poets were reading. But I’m looking forward to the next time I get a chance to go, and I will write a review of that when it happens.

I will admit it: I’ve only gone to one session so far here in Glasgow. I’m feeling quite guilty about this – where is the folkie who doesn’t leap at the chance to go to a good session? After living in Edinburgh three years ago and going to sessions at the Royal Oak, recorded music just didn’t do it for me anymore; I didn’t listen to it except to learn new songs to sing. And without a doubt it is hard for me to go to a new pub and jump into a session where nobody knows me. But this year it has gotten harder for another reason as well.

I learned a lot of Gaelic songs last year, and I want to be a Gaelic voice representing a little in an English session, but I just don’t feel as comfortable singing in Gaelic as I do in English. As a learner, I’m worried that there will be someone there with native Gaelic, judging me, that I will be disrespecting the songs in some way to be singing them in my American accent (which I am trying as hard as I can to get rid of). I don’t feel like that even about the few songs I sing in Scots, obviously with an imperfect accent. Is it just that I’ve never been in a session where non-professional singers were singing in Gaelic? I wonder if the folkie world in Gaelic is different from the folkie world in English. Is that true? Somebody put me right!