{"id":25303,"date":"2025-08-12T12:16:28","date_gmt":"2025-08-12T11:16:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/?p=25303"},"modified":"2025-08-12T12:16:31","modified_gmt":"2025-08-12T11:16:31","slug":"ceilearadh-simon-thoumires-highland-bagpipe-sonatas-premiere-at-piping-live","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/projects.handsupfortrad.scot\/handsupfortrad\/ceilearadh-simon-thoumires-highland-bagpipe-sonatas-premiere-at-piping-live\/","title":{"rendered":"Ceilearadh: Simon Thoumire’s Highland Bagpipe Sonatas Premiere at Piping Live"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Holding<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Hands Up for Trad is delighted to announce the premiere of founder Simon Thoumire’s latest work,\u00a0Ceilearadh<\/a><\/em>, at the Piping Live Festival on Thursday 14th August at 1:30pm in the Bothy tent. This collection of three Highland Bagpipe Sonatas represents a significant addition to the piping repertoire – extended compositions that bridge traditional and contemporary approaches whilst drawing deeply from our Gaelic heritage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/pipinglive.co.uk\/events\/ceilearadh-by-simon-thoumire<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Project Support<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simon’s groundbreaking work was made possible through generous support from Maoin nan Ealan G\u00e0idhlig<\/em> (the Gaelic Arts Fund), whose funding enabled essential research in South Uist. Working alongside Gaelic speakers and tradition bearers, Simon ensured these compositions are rooted in authentic cultural understanding – a methodology that reflects Hands Up for Trad’s commitment to respectful engagement with traditional knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Particular thanks go to Mairi MacMillan, whose knowledge of traditional Gaelic culture and bird lore proved invaluable to the project. Coming from an indigenous Gaelic family where birds were integral to daily life – marking seasons, protecting animals, and indicating appropriate times for harvesting around nesting patterns – Mairi shared not just the poetry itself, but the lived cultural context that gave these verses their meaning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

About Ceilearadh<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Each sonata draws inspiration from historic Gaelic poetry about birds, creating a unique bridge between Scotland’s ancient literary traditions and contemporary musical expression. The three works – lasting 9-11 minutes each – are written from a bagpiper’s perspective but extend beyond conventional ce\u00f2l m\u00f2r, incorporating bagpipe techniques and movements in entirely new ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The three sonatas are based on these traditional poems:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A’ Chearc<\/strong> (The Chicken)
Tog, tog, tog,
Tog an rud a dh’fh\u00e0g mi,
Ge beag an t-ugh, ge beag an t-ugh,
Tha st\u00e0 ann, tha st\u00e0 ann.
Rug, rug, rug a dh\u00e0,
Rug, rug, rug a dh\u00e0;
Gog, gog, gog, gog, gog, gog, gaog,
Beiridh mise h-uile l\u00e0,
‘S cha bheir an crodh-laoigh.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A’ Bhuidheag<\/strong> (The Yellowfinch)
A Bhuidheag bhuidhe bh\u00f2idheach,
Bheir mise latha D\u00f2mhnach
A’ sguabadh do she\u00f2mair”,
Ars a’ chearc bhuidhe gh\u00f2rach.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

An Tr\u00eclleachan san Tr\u00e0igh<\/strong> (Oystercatcher on the Shore)
Och, is och, is och mo dhunaidh,
Mis an so an cois na tuinne,
Is mi gun bhuille de’n t-sn\u00e0mh.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

These compositions explore the intersection of nature, language, and music, translating the rhythms and calls of birds as captured in traditional Gaelic verse into extended musical forms. Whilst respecting the deep traditions of Highland piping, the works push creative boundaries to offer something genuinely fresh in the bagpipe literature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Performance<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The premiere will feature three exceptional pipers, each performing one sonata:<\/p>\n\n\n\n