Lend your experiences to an album of music and stories commissioned as part of the forthcoming Western Isles Covid Memorial. Musician Alastair Caplin will lead a session where we share songs, stories, music and memories of our experiences, both positive and negative, from the pandemic. Bring your voice or an instrument if you play one – the ceilidh is open to musicians and non-musicians alike and there is no pressure to perform if you
would rather listen and watch.
As well as the session, there will be a chance to collaborate on pieces together, with the aim of these being included in album recorded as part of the Remembering Together project.
Alastair Caplin is a composer and multi-instrumentalist originally hailing from Lochs. In the last 20 years he has plied his trade in London and Glasgow with bands The Langan Band and Band Of Burns alongside numerous other projects. His writing and fiddle playing have appeared on numerous albums and film scores from all different genres, and he has performed his own work in venues such as The Royal Albert Hall, Westminster Abbey, Shakespeare’s Globe, and The Barbican. In between tours scoping from Australia to the
US, he is now living back in the island and is thoroughly enjoying rediscovering the local music and artistic community.
Remembering Together is a Scotland-wide project to create a Covid Memorial in each of the 32 council areas. The Western Isles Covid Memorial will be delivered in 2024 and will consist of a series of temporary sculptures and events in the sea and coast alongside a new album commission featuring musicians from around the Outer Hebrides.
The local partner for the Western Isles Covid Memorial is Macaulay College – a farm and charity based on the outskirts of Stornoway that provides educational, creative and social opportunities for people with additional support needs. Phase 1 of Remembering Together took place during 2022 – it consisted of a series of art workshops, events and meetings where island residents were asked what they would like to see being developed and to contribute their creative ideas. Robbie Thomson was the lead artist for Phase 1 and is continuing to lead the project during Phase 2. This will run from June 2023 until June 2024, culminating in the creation of the memorial.
Various dates and venues in December:
Tue 5 Dec, An Lanntair
Thur 7 Dec, Tarbert Community Centre
Tue 12 Dec, Grinneabhat
Thur 14 Dec, Comunn Eachdraidh Nis
Visit www.rememberingtogether.org to book tickets