MU AR DEIDHINN
About Us
Atomaig Piseag is a fun-loving, colourful and innovative Ladies’ Gaelic choir from the stunningly beautiful county of Argyll in the Scottish Highlands.
We sing in the eloquently expressive Scottish Gaelic language and were originally formed to take part in the 2003 Royal National Mòd – the 100th or Centennial Mòd – which was held in Oban, hence our formal name (which we never use!), the Argyll Ladies’ Centennial Choir. We are definitely a party choir and love to enjoy ourselves, all the while taking the music and our singing seriously. Since we were formed, we have tried to develop an innovative, contemporary take on some of our arrangements whilst trying to retain the feel of the genre and the intentions of the bards. To this end, we have drawn arrangements from young (and not so young!), talented composers such as Sileas Sinclair, Avril Allan, Alasdair Whyte, Mary Ann Kennedy, Neil Houston and Raymond Bremner.
We compete each year at the Royal National Mòd for the Esme Smythe Shield in the competition for Area and City Ladies’ choirs. Since 2003, Atomaig Piseag have won the Esme Smythe trophy eight times overall, including taking the Duncan Johnston trophy for highest marks in Gaelic six times and the Angus Johnston trophy for highest marks in music nine times. We are also frequent visitors to the Pan Celtic Festival and have not only been crowned winning Ladies Choir on seven separate occasions but also, the Supreme Champions in 2013.
Our members hail from all over Argyll, even if some of them may have ventured further from home these days! We meet in Oban once a month for rehearsals and the ‘girls’ come from Achnamara, Ardrishaig, Callanish, Campbeltown, Connel, Crinan, Duror, Glasgow, Lochgilphead, Oban, St Bothwells, Tarbert Loch Fyne, Taynuilt and Tobermory. It is probably fair to say, however, that none is so far and frequently travelled in the Piseag cause as our fearless leader, conductor Raymond Bremner. Raymond drives to lovely Argyll from the far northern outpost of Thrumster in Caithness – because we’re worth it!
Amongst our members, we also have three Mòd Gold Medal winners (fluent Gaelic speakers competition), Joy Dunlop, Carol Maclean and Raymond Bremner and three Silver Pendant winners (Gaelic learners’ competition), Donna Dugdale, Audrey MacLeod Paterson and Nicola Pearson; as well as prize winning soloists, quartets and duets.
We are thrilled to announce that our latest album, Dìreach Purr-fect, is now available for purchase through our online shop. You can also find the lyrics for all the songs here.
Our debut album, Piseag Gu Leòr (2008), remains available to buy from the store as well.