Right - the youngest participant in the Celtic Connections Scottish Traditional Lullabies workshop in 2007

: Photo by Marsaili Stewart-Skinner

Coming up... 

GAELIC SONG FOR ROSS TOTS

February and March, 2010

Dingwall Ceuman Beaga (Gaelic toddler group) has invited me to work with them in developing a project to offer other toddler groups in the area the chance to find out how they might introduce Gaelic song session into their group.

The project will involve offering each group two visits.  The first will include a song session with members and a chat about ways you can use songs in the group.  The second will be a follow-up session, offering support and practical advice.  Each group will receive a pack of support materials to keep as well.

Co-incidentally, I have a community toddler group workshop coming up, too, so the programme to the end of March is:

24 February - Culbokie

2 March - Evanton

3 March - Conon Bridge

5 March - Strathpeffer

9 March - Dingwall

10 March - Culbokie

16 March - Evanton (am) - Gairloch (pm)

17 March - Conon Bridge

19 March - Strathpeffer

23 March - Dingwall

NEW CD

Christina is currently recording "Haunting": a new project focusing on Scottish beliefs in the supernatural.  A new double CD will be launched in 2010, with one CD of songs and an accompanying CD of the stories associated with them. 

SLIDESHOW

Singin' on yer Mammy's Knee : workshops at Celtic Connections festival in Glasgow 2008 and 2009, slideshow on youTube : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BQ9VEmW2ocs

You can telephone Christina on 01997 433201 or email info@kistodreams.org.

Recent events have included

• Gaelic Playground Games sessions in East Sutherland schools encouraging better integration of Gaelic-medium and English-medium pupils

• Youth Music Initiative sessions in Highland schools for Feis Rois, teaching traditional song through lively activities focusing on the aspects of listening, rhythm, lyrics, melody and vocal control

• Traditional Song evening classes in Inverness for TMC at Highland Council exploring Scotland's song tradition, learning some songs in Scots and Gaelic and the traditions out of which they come, thinking about content and presentation, too

• Blas Festival "Fringe" - series of workshops with Highland schoolchildren and croileagan to co-incide with the Blas festival

• Learning with Lullabies project with the Care and Learning Alliance devising and delivering a total of 90 sessions visiting 20 parent and Toddler groups with a series of 4 interactive song workshops in each and 10 hours of Fora for adults involved in childcare
• kist o dreams project providing support and resource assistance for new parents to encourage them to sing lullabies from Scottish tradition with their newborns
• Gaelic Song classes for Feis Rois and Highland Council, teaching traditional lullabies and other songs through games, arts and crafts for ages 4 to adult
• Eden Court Theatre’s  Scrambled Arts and education outreach programme teaching traditional songs for parents with very young children, older children and adults
• Course tutor for training day on The Power of Lullabies for Experiential Play in Glasgow for adult professional childcare workers 
• traditional song classes over a long weekend at Adult Feis Gleann Albainn in Fort Augustus and the family Feis Garbh Chriochan in Drumnadrochit
• Playground activities and singing games to support Gaelic language and culture in primary schools and croileagan in Nairn

Any age group can be catered for, formal or informal, and sessions can be tied in with others.

Workshop and group visit fees vary; as a guideline,

• a one-off 40-60 min songtime session for young children with adults will be charged at £45 plus travel,
• a 90 min song workshop for older children or adults will be charged at £75 plus travel,
• half a day's attendance at a festival or conference leading workshops or seminars will be charged at £90, a full day at £180, plus expences
• evening performance set is £120 per artist

Christina also offers other workshops, such as traditional songs for tots and tinies, Gaelic waulking songs and puirt a beul, wherever possible based on the theory that we learn from what we do, far better than from what we are told.

Bill Taylor is a very experienced harp teacher specialising in Medieval harp, wire strung technique and accompaniment of traditional song.