Briathra-Amhran-Ceol

To quote Roger Hutchinson, the well-known Highland journalist, "As the television advertisements concede, a holiday in Scotland means the Highlands or Islands. This huge region is, however, comprised of more than mountains and empty glens. People live here, who (still) speak a different language, observe different traditions and play different games to anywhere else in the World".

If Roger Hutchinson explicitly recognises these salient facts and implicitly recognises that without these differences the Highlands and Islands would be a less attractive place to visitors, then Briathra-Amhran-Ceol uses Gaelic culture and language to preserve two of the major factors that make the Highlands and Islands different - Gaelic language and Gaelic culture.

"Briathra-Amhran-Ceol", strictly means in English "Words-Song-Music" but more rhythmically translates as "Words, Music and Song". It is THE only web-site that uses Gaelic, and particularly Gaelic music, to provide revenue for and supports the teaching and self-preservation of the Gaelic language.
The idea for the site came from the local production and marketing of a number of archive CDs of the Gaelic singing and songs of Donald Ross of Braes, Ullapool, specifically for the support and expansion of Gaelic locally. Profits from their sale go to the funding of Gaelic education in the Loch Broom area, through additional materials, class-room assistance and direct contact with other Gaelic-speakers. In effect profits from today go towards the Gaelic-speakers of tomorrow through the hard-won and only recently introduced right of education of our children in our language.

The Ullapool example has been extended to encompass more music from past and current performers, artists and instrumentalists producing funds to be used anywhere in the Gaeltacht. By buying from the site you are making a direct contribution to Gaelic through the profits generated. All profits from sales go to Gaelic funding.

The music ranges from traditional, through Church and Children's to Cutting Edge and Avant-Garde. It can be instrumental or sung. It can in Gaelic, any other Celtic language, English, from other Celtic regions of Europe or, indeed, from anywhere else in the World and in any other language as long as the performers are happy that profits made go to funding Gaelic.

Briathra-Amhran-Ceol's content comes in three forms.

1)    You can securely purchase mp3 tracks on-line for immediate download. This method allows access to individual tunes and songs at a much smaller cost than the purchase of the whole CD.

2)    If you like the mp3 tracks you hear and want more from the performer, then, if available, the entire CD, from which the track comes, can be purchased on-line at a cost far less than downloading each of the tracks.

3)    We have a wider range of CDs for sale on-line, from which there are no mp3s but which represent the best the Gaelic music has to offer. They are many of the same CDs that can be bought elsewhere, but here again there is one big difference - all profits go directly to Gaelic.

We hope you enjoy the words and tunes and are encourage to buy in the knowledge that you are making a substantial contribution to the language and culture, in which they are rooted.

Featured Artist(s)

James Graham

Young, local Gaelic singer and winner of the Radio Scotland's Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2004.

Calum Kennedy & Alasdair Gillies

INVITATION - Getting music, song, prose and poetry published - particularly minority music, song, prose and poetry - is often at the very least too difficult to be possible and, even if successful, soul-destroying. Whilst Gaelic writing is strong and there is some new Gaelic music, there appears to be worryingly little in the way of new Gaelic song to have emerged in the last few years and none in modern musical idioms. Yet yet there is no reason why Gaelic should be any less adaptable to hip-hop than to a waulking song.

BAC, as well as featuring the music of established performers, past and present, and words from the past, wants to display the talents of up-an-coming musicians, singers and writers. We want in to encourage Gaelic music and writing of whatever genre, but are equally happy to feature music and song, but not writing, in any other language, as long as the performers are happy that a proportion of any revenue generated goes to the funding of the Gaelic language. Music and song can take the form of a CD and/or mp3s. Writing can take the form of word of PDF files. We will ensure that you receive royalties, if you require. Call us on 01854-622448 or e-mail us on AmhranCeol@aol.com for further details.