The Western Isles has a rich cultural heritage and a wealth of musical talent exists amongst those living in our communities, from the Butt of Lewis right down to Barra, as well as many musicians from the islands now living on the mainland and further afield. There is normally a vast amount of musical activity which takes place on a daily basis here in the Western Isles such as music lessons, concerts, sessions, various group rehearsals, choir practices etc. however sadly this has come to a halt due to the current period of lockdown created by the coronavirus pandemic. Despite this, musicians are still busy at home playing, singing, composing music and writing songs.
Comhairle nan Eilean Siar wanted to find a way to share the musical talent of our islanders, keep the music flowing and use it in a positive way to engage & unite our communities to lift our spirits during these difficult times.
Since the start of the lockdown staff from the Instrumental Music Service through the Education, Skills & Children’s Services department, together with our Multimedia Unit have been working on the development of an e-Cèilidh project to meet these aims. The project is a platform for musicians to engage with our communities and also creates an opportunity for members of the public, of any age, to actively take part by submitting their own recorded contributions. We hope that this will provide something for everyone of all ages and musical tastes.
The first broadcast took place on Saturday 25th April hosted by Lewis singer/songwriter Willie Campbell and we have had further broadcasts every fortnight since. The broadcasts can be viewed on the project website as well as on the Comhairle’s Facebook page
www.eileansiareceilidh.com contains full details of the project including how to take part, information on our hosts and archive of previous broadcasts.
Please also check out our Facebook page
To get in touch with the e-Ceilidh team please email us at
