Documentaries Prògraman Aithriseachd

[Dòmhnall Mòireasdan] Maighread Stiùbhart, guth cho ealanta ’s a nochd ann an saoghal na Gàidhlig ann an còig bliadhna fichead. Thug sin i gu bonn-òir a’ Chomuinn Ghàidhealaich, gu seinn thall ’s a-bhos air feadh an t-saoghail ach cuideachd gu bhith a’ teagaisg òrain ’s gu dearbha a-nis gu bhith a’ rannsachadh fìor chultar nan Gàidheal a tha i a’ faicinn air leth cudromach. Fàilte mhòr romhad, a Mhaighread.

[Maighread Stiùbhart] Mòran taing.

[Dòmhnall Mòireasdan] Nise, thàinig thu, mar a thuirt mi, gu saoghal nan Gàidheal mar chlach às an adhar cha mhòr aig Mòd Àrd-Ruigh bho chionn dìreach fichead bliadhna. Tha cuimhne a’m air an dearbh latha a bhuannaich thu am bonn-òir. Eil cuimhne agad fhèin air?

[Maighread Stiùbhart] Tha, tha cuimhne a’m air pàirtean dheth ach tha cuid de na rudan a bha a’ tachairt air an latha dìreach air a dhol às mo chuimhne. Bha uiread a’ tachairt.

[Dòmhnall Mòireasdan] Càite an robh thu gad fhalach fhèin ron sin oir cha robh duine againn air cluinntinn mu do dheidhinn?

[Maighread Stiùbhart] Cha robh, uill tha mi a’ creidsinn nach robh. Bha mi air a bhith a’ fuireach shìos ann an Sasainn. Bha mi posta shìos ann an Sasainn agus tha, bha mi, bhithinn a’ seinn an-dràsta ’s a-rithist ann an Lunnainn. Tha sin gu math dìomhair, tha mi creid, bho na Gàidheil. Bha mi a’ seinn aig tachartas no dhà.

[Dòmhnall Mòireasdan] So thuig iad shìos an sin gun robh thu math air, fìor mhath air, seinn?

[Maighread Stiùbhart] Ò, chan eil fhios a’m-s’!

[Dòmhnall Mòireasdan] An tuirt duine riut …?

[Maighread Stiùbhart] Cò bhios ag ràdh rudan mar sin, eh?

[Dòmhnall Mòireasdan] Ach an latha ud ann an Àrd-Ruigh, tha cuimhne a’m air cho math. Agus ’s iomadh, bha mise ag aithris air an fharpais chrìochnachaidh air Radio nan Gàidheal, beò, agus tha mi air sin a dhèanamh aig grunn Mhòdan ach bha am fear ud sònraichte oir, bha, cho luath ’s a thòisich thu a’ seinn bha wow factor ann ’s, cha robh, bha e soilleir cò bha a’ dol a bhuannachadh a’ bhuinn-òir. ’S dòcha fiù ’s gun robh X factor ann. An tàinig sin troimhe thugad fhèin às dèidh làimh, gun robh e air a bhith fìor mhath?

[Maighread Stiùbhart] Cha tàinig. Thàinig e troimhe thugam aig ’s dòcha nuair a bha mi a’ seinn an òrain, farpais an òrain mhòir, gun robh, gun robh mi, gun robh am faireachdainn a bha mi a’ cur dhan òran ’s dòcha beagan eadar-dhealaichte bho na farpaisich eile, ma dh’fhaodas mi sin a ràdh. Ach an uair sin nuair a bha mi anns an fharpais mhòir, an fharpais chrìochnachaidh, bha an talla caran sònraichte. ’S e talla seann-fhasanta a bh’ ann ’s bha mullach aige caran cruinn ’s bha thu a’ faireachdainn mar gun robh thu mar opera singer no rudeigin mar sin.

[Dòmhnall Mòireasdan] ’S ann mar sin a bha e coltach.

[Maighread Stiùbhart] Bha, agus thog e mi. Agus thug e dhomh beagan a bharrachd de thogail na bha cuid de na tallachan beaga. Agus ... ach stad mi agus chuir sin iomagain orm ach thuirt mi ‘och tha mi a’ dol a sheinn an òrain co-dhiù’ agus bha mi caran na bu shàmhaiche an uair sin, na bu shocaire.

Chaidh am prògram seo, Thuige Seo, a chraoladh an toiseach ann an 2014.

[Donald] Margaret Stewart, as beautiful a voice as has appeared in the Gaelic world in twenty five years. It took her to An Comunn Gàidhealach’s gold medal, to singing here and there throughout the world but also to teaching songs and indeed now to researching the Gaels’ true culture that she sees as vitally important. A big welcome to you, Margaret.

[Margaret] Thank you.

[Donald] Now, you came, as I said, to the world of the Gaels like a stone out of the air almost at Airdrie Mòd just twenty years ago. I remember the very day that you won the gold medal. Do you yourself remember it?

[Margaret] Yes, I remember parts of it but some of the things that were happening on the day have just gone from my memory. There was so much happening.

[Donald] Where were you hiding yourself before that because none of us had heard of you?

[Margaret] No, well I suppose not. I had been living down in England. I was married down in England and, I was, I would sing now and again in London. That is quite private, I think, from the Gaels. I sung at an event or two.

[Donald] So down there they realised that you were good, very good, at singing?

[Margaret] Oh, I don’t know!

[Donald] Did anyone say to you …?

[Margaret] Who says things like that anyway?

[Donald] But that day in Airdrie, I remember it so well. I was reporting on the final competition on Radio nan Gàidheal, live, and I have done that at a few Mòds but that one was special because, as soon as you started singing there was a wow factor and it was clear who was going to win the gold medal. Maybe there was even an X factor. Did that come through to you yourself afterwards, that you had been really good?

[Margaret] No. It came through to me at perhaps when I was singing the song, the Great Song competition, I, that the feelings that I put into the song were perhaps slightly different from the other competitors, if I may say that. But then when I was in the big competition, the final competition, the hall was somewhat special. It was an old-fashioned hall and its roof was somewhat circular and you felt as though you were an opera singer or something like that.

[Donald] It was like that.

[Margaret] Yes, and gave me a boost. And it gave me a little more lift than some of the small halls did. But I stopped and that worried me but I said ‘och I’m going to sing the song anyway’ and I was somewhat quieter then, more gentle.

This programme, Thuige Seo, was first broadcast in 2014.