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alisonb
Posts: 3
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Posted:
01 Dec 2004 at 10:50 |
I was wondering about what you all thought about the National Mod?
Does it promote Gaidhlig? Is it old fashioned and boring? Is it fun?...
What do you all think?
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Donald
Posts: 45
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Posted:
01 Dec 2004 at 11:22 |
| This is an old chestnut coming out again. Like everything the Mod has good points and bad points. My biggest criticism is the lack of younger people involved in the management of the organisation. |
Onny
Posts: 12843
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Posted:
01 Dec 2004 at 13:02 |
Probably the most obvious point is that most people don't think about it. It passes c95% of the population by and leaves no trace.
Will younger management help? Doesn't seem to help Celtic Connections. |
domhnull
Posts: 517
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Posted:
01 Dec 2004 at 13:34 |
As my namesake says, this is an old chestnut. The Mod has changed over the years and, to give it its due, it has, for more than a century, promoted Gaelic literature and song. I never cease to be amazed at the quality -- in both language and music -- of the children and young folk who take part. For those who wish to sneer, well, go ahead, but do it with some experience of what you're sneering at!
I've enjoyed countless Mods (Dingwall 1991 was even quite memorable) and so I'm possibly prejudiced, but there's still plenty of mileage in the event, no matter how it evolves.
D |
Donald
Posts: 45
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Posted:
01 Dec 2004 at 14:12 |
| Domhnull, I agree. The Mod has survived for longer than any other festival of Gaelic culture. It still needs updating and a younger management would help. Also removing some of the prejudice towards learners of the language would greatly assist. It may be true that 95% of the population are unaware of it, however a lot of that is down to the media especially some of the central belt press. For example Scotland on Sunday refuse every year to even give it a tiny column inch and treat the Mod as some second rate event not worthy of mention. What they fail to realise that the Mod has an economic impact on each town or city it visits. |
JAJ
Posts: 10751
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Posted:
01 Dec 2004 at 14:23 |
I should add that all folk and traditional music events pass by about 95% of the population. Even Celtic Connections, though people may be aware of its existence. Would be it be particularly popular without the large influx of music lovers from elsewhere? The largest percentage of Glaswegian attendance would appear to be at the late night bar within the Festival Club. Sorry for being cynical. That's your job, Onny. :-)
So, back to the Mod. I'm sure that it has much more impact within the areas where it is held and Gaelic speaking parts of the country than any other type of traditional/folk festival. |
viola
Posts: 423
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Posted:
01 Dec 2004 at 15:08 |
If the whole Mod organisation is responsible not only for the Royal National Mod, but alsothe local Mods , then it has to be a good thing. The local Mods are well organised, accesible, and good fun as well as giving young musicians a chance to compete near home.
The televised highlights from the National Mod are always enjoyable, even if I haveto have either my husband or children to translate for me.
Music and Language are always worth promoting, and involving people on a local, national and sometimes international level can only be good for both gaelic and traditional music.
I suppose that you can't please everyone all the time. There will always be something to criticise.You have to admire the hard work and enthusiasm that goes into the Mod. |
Elizabeth.
Posts: 5470
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Posted:
01 Dec 2004 at 15:29 |
The Mod was under discussion on this forum after last years event- here's what was said then:
http://www.footstompin.com/forum?threadid=341 |
Andy
Posts: 65
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Posted:
02 Dec 2004 at 00:10 |
| As previously said the Mod has been running for over 100 years. it is also one of the largest festivals in Scotland.considering the anti Gaidhlig attitude which seems all to common in the country. it is quite remarkable that it has survived at all. |
Onny
Posts: 12843
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Posted:
02 Dec 2004 at 00:24 |
You're confusing what you call an 'anti Gaidhlig attitude' with the real situation. The truth is that most people are quite untouched by the whole business, much as they are by (say) table tennis or trainspotting and couldn't care less about it either way.
We have to accept that just because someone isn't prepared to mount the barricades on behalf of the things we enjoy is neccessarily against us. |
Andy
Posts: 65
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Posted:
02 Dec 2004 at 00:43 |
| I am well aware that the vast majority of the population don't care one way or another about Gaidhlig. I never suggested that they did. I said .considering the anti Gaidhlig attitude which seems all to common in the country. It is remarkable that the Mod has survived at all. |
Donald
Posts: 45
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Posted:
02 Dec 2004 at 12:09 |
| I think we're going off track here. It isn't a case of trying to make 95% of the population care about Gaelic. Surely its about ensuring that the 5% who do care a) get a cultural festival like the Mod which meets their needs and b) tries to increase the audience from 5-10%. |
Onny
Posts: 12843
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Posted:
02 Dec 2004 at 12:42 |
Donald is right. The Mod should strive to offer a product which meets the needs of those who attend and watch/ listen to it on tv/ radio. I can't pretend to know what those needs are.
I'm astonished the SoS ignores the Mod (as alleged above). Does the Scotsman follow suit? Might it be an east-west divide thing? Does the Mod ever go further east than Perth? Just asking; genuinely don't know.
I reiterate my point to Andy. The vast majority of people are anti Gaelic they're just completely indifferent to it |
JAJ
Posts: 10751
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Posted:
02 Dec 2004 at 12:54 |
Onny, I know you meant to say "The vast majority of people *aren't* anti Gaelic". Sorry, for picking you up here but we must clear so as not to confuse them. :-)
I agree that the majority of people are indifferent to Gaelic. I'm not but I'll be honest and admit that as a non Gaelic speaker I'm mainly interested from a "music and song" outlook. Again, there probably is good argument for teaching it more generally in school. I'm from Inverness which is the Capital of the Highlands and I find it quite embarrassing that I know so little of the language.
I'd agree that there is a East/West divide but I'd expect this. There is also a North/South divide, although the Gaelic community stretches far further south on the West side of the country. |
Onny
Posts: 12843
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Posted:
02 Dec 2004 at 13:05 |
You Invernesian is perfectly OK and generally understood wherever you go.
I attended a school where Gaelic was taught but it was taken up almost exclusively by kids from Gaelic speaking households around the west end of Glasgow (of which there are stll many). In many cases it was thought of as an easy 'O' Level by them.
If I crane my neck out of the window I can (just) see the home of the proposed Gaelic language secondary school near Kelvingrove Park. I dunno what the set up will be. All lessons given in Gaelic? |
Donald
Posts: 45
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Posted:
02 Dec 2004 at 13:52 |
I don't understand why SoS ignores the Mod. Perhaps it is an East West thing, though the Mod has been in Edinburgh (late 70s).
The number of venues is however being reduced and in the future it is likely to be restricted to Inverness, Oban, Fort William and Dunoon.
The Lewis folk will be anti this but at the end of the day Stornoway isn't big enough to cope with it. Already choirs and participants are talking of boycotting it next year because of accommodation problems. |
Andy
Posts: 65
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Posted:
04 Dec 2004 at 02:31 |
| OK i'll try again! I don't for a minute think that the majority of people are anti-Gaidhlig. I am aware that on the whole the people of Scotland are inifferent to the Gaidhlig language. Unfortunately that indiference allows the language to be ignored, ridiculed, or discriminated against without fear of repercussion. |
FrankC
Posts: 1274
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Posted:
04 Dec 2004 at 02:45 |
Andy, don't be so defeatist, you'd be surprised at the amount of people who would like to learn the Gaelic.
A few years ago, Thurso College advertised for applicants for a Gaelic course and they were so inundated with applicants that they threw up their hands in despair and said "We can't handle this" and cancelled the whole idea!
Donald, how does your comments about Stornoway stand up to TV reports about a massive influx of people for the Hebridian Folk Festival ? I did wonder at the time how they were going to handle the alleged multitudes. What's the real story? |
Onny
Posts: 12843
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Posted:
04 Dec 2004 at 13:38 |
JohnJ is, of course, correct; I did mean to say "The vast majority of people *aren't* anti Gaelic". Sorry
Andy tells us that people's indifference "allows the language to be ignored, ridiculed, or discriminated against without fear of repercussion." I'd be interested to know what repercussions he'd like to see. Forcing 'offenders' to wear headphones and listen to Gaelic being spoken would almost certainly count as a 'cruel and unusual punishment' as described in the Eighth Amendment ;-) |
JAJ
Posts: 10751
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Posted:
04 Dec 2004 at 15:45 |
I'm not sure what Andy means here either. It surely isn't the place or duty of those who have no connection or interest in Gaelic to "fight its corner". While I believe that the language should be preserved and encouraged to flourish, there are many other great causes which also go unheeded by the majority.
Having said that, I will support Gaelic culture etc, at least where the song and music is concerned but the main efforts must come from the Gaelic community itself. |
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