Emma MacLeod and Iain Cormack, Gold Medal winners from the 2023 Royal National Mòd in Paisley, will participate in Mòd Chesapeake this August. This event, held in Maryland, in the United States, celebrates the connection between Scotland and the USA through Gaelic culture.
As part of their prize, MacLeod and Cormack will serve as ambassadors at the festival on August 3, 2024. They will perform, lead two workshops, and attend a celebratory dinner and cèilidh in the evening.
Mòd Chesapeake, organized by Sgoil Gàidhlig Bhaile an Taigh Mhòir, highlights the international outreach of the Royal National Mòd and its efforts to strengthen connections with Gaelic communities abroad.
Established in 2023, the collaboration between An Comunn Gàidhealach and Mòd Chesapeake revives the tradition of cultural exchange between Scottish and American Gaelic enthusiasts. The participation of MacLeod and Cormack underscores the enduring bonds within the global Gaelic community.
The event is supported by local Gaelic groups, including Sgoil Gàidhlig Bhaile an Taigh Mhòir in Baltimore and Gàidhlig Photomac in Washington, D.C. and Northern Virginia. Other regional Mòds in the USA, such as Mòd New York, Mòd Kentucky, North Carolina Mòd, and U.S. National Mòd, are also growing in popularity.
Mòd Chesapeake will offer workshops on Gaelic language and song for both beginners and advanced learners. These sessions, led by experienced instructors, provide a valuable opportunity for attendees to enhance their understanding of Gaelic culture and language.
Emma MacLeod, from Scalpay, achieved a “Gold double” by winning the Traditional Gold Medal and the Royal National Mòd Gold Medal. Iain Cormack, originally from Skye and now living in Glasgow, continued his family’s legacy by winning the Gold Medal with the same song his father performed to win 40 years ago.
Liam Ó Caiside, co-founder and adjudicator of Mòd Chesapeake, co-organiser of Gàidhlig Photomac and President of An Comunn Gàidhealach Ameireaganach, said: “We are really delighted that Iain and Emma will be here in the States for Mòd Chesapeake this year. This will be our second regional Mòd in this region – between Baltimore, Washington, D.C., and Northern Virginia. Scottish Gaelic learners in the region will get great encouragement from this visit – it’s a big honor.
“We at Mòd Chesapeake are very excited to be working with An Comunn Gàidhealach in Scotland this year. ACG is raising our event to a higher level. We’re receiving support from An Comunn Gàidhealach America too. It’s important for learners or students here to meet with singers and speakers of Scottish Gaelic, and Iain and Emma will be fantastic Gaelic ambassadors. We will learn so much from them and I hope they will see how strong the interest is in Scottish Gaelic in this area. Some people will come just to meet them! They will have a great welcome.”
Emma MacLeod said: “I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to go overseas to Mòd Chesapeake as a Gaelic Ambassador, alongside Iain. It’s a great honor to travel so far afield to share my love and passion for the Gaelic language, culture, and song. I look forward to engaging with attendees, inspiring them to explore and embrace Gaelic traditions, and fostering a deeper appreciation for Scotland’s heritage.
“Being able to represent Gaelic internationally is not just a privilege but also a testament to the enduring significance of our cultural identity. What better way to learn a language than through song? I live for the Mòd, and now I get to go to two within a couple of months – delighted!”
Iain Cormack said: “It is an honor to be invited to take part in Mòd Chesapeake, and I am very proud that I, along with Emma, are to be there as ambassadors for An Comunn Gàidhealach and the Gaelic community as a whole. The Mòd has always played a very important part in my life, having competed from childhood into adulthood, and I am very much looking forward to be bringing a small taste of Gaelic language and music to an international stage! It is very important to maintain the connection of Gaelic culture with American people of Gaelic descent, and I am sure there will be several attendees at the Mòd that come into that category. Personally, I am especially looking forward to meeting those with good Skye ancestry! Here’s to Mòd Chesapeake!”
The second annual Mòd Chesapeake will take place at St. Vincent Pallotti High School, Laurel, Maryland, USA on Saturday 3rd August 2024. For more information and updates, visit sgoilgaidhlig.org/mod-chesapeake/.
This year’s Royal National Mòd will take place in Oban, Scotland between 11 – 19 October 2024, supported by EventScotland, Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Argyll and Bute Council, EventScotland, The Scottish Government, Caledonian MacBrayne, BBC ALBA, Creative Scotland and SQA. Find out more at www.ancomunn.co.uk.
Author: World Music Central News Room
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