Local Mod

On June 7th to 9th, the local Mod takes place here in Stornoway. What is a Mod?

The Mod is a competition, in which children (from age 5 or 6) and adults participate. It is a celebration of Gaelic culture, which is centered on the Western Isles. It is not just about singing and playing music, but also writing literature, reading prose and poetry and even sports. Shinty (camanachd) is a sport which bears a vague resemblance to hockey. Gaelic culture permeates through society here, and those attending the Mod sometimes spontaneously join in the refrain of a popular song.

The Local Mod is aimed at people from Lewis. Last October, the Royal National Mod took place here as well, and was a 6 day spectacular. I do not speak and cannot really understand the Gaelic language, so I focus on the music events. Music is universal, and transcends language and culture. I recorded some of the competitions last year, and you can access about 80 recordings on http://modmusic.bravehost.com. Please be advised that there is a bandwidth limit on a Bravehost site; you may encounter an error message to that effect. In that case, try the next day after 0800 GMT. Bravehost is located on the westcoast of Canada, and they reset the bandwidth counters at midnight their time.

Enjoy!