Tickets are now on sale for the first Celtic & Scots languages song contest to be held in the Highlands as part of a number of regional competitions across Europe.  

The competition will start at 7:30pm at Eden Court, Inverness on Saturday 21 June and those interested in Celtic music can come along. It will also be available to watch at the Nòs Ur website www.nos-ur.eu and people can vote by web poll or by text.

Nòs Ùr, means ‘new style’ in Gaelic received 42 entries of newly composed songs in Scottish Gaelic, Irish, Scots, Manx, Welsh and Breton.

The contest is the only song competition of its kind in Europe and follows a similar format as the Eurovision Song Contest with singers and bands representing a particular country, except in this case it is a minority language.  Two finalists will be sent to Lulea, Sweden in October to take part in the pan-European minority languages song competition Liet Lavlut.  www.liet.nl

The Nòs Ùr finalists are: Griogair Labhruidh, Scottish Gaelic; Davie Tait, Scots; Dilwyn Llwyd, Welsh; Fiona J Mackenzie, Scots Gaelic; Gillebride MacIllemhaoil, Scots Gaelic; Gwennyn Louarn, Breton; Oi Polloi, Scots Gaelic; Gareth Bonello, Welsh; Yr Annioddefol, Welsh; Phamie Gow, Scots Gaelic; Paula Kehoe, Irish; and Lleuwen Steffan, Welsh.

Event organiser and Inverness-based musician Brian Ó hEadhra is managing the project for goEvents which promotes and develops creative arts in the Highlands and Islands. He has recently returned from the Frisian language regional song competition final in Leeuwarden, Friesland, Netherlands, where he was an international jury member.

Brian said: “There has been a lot of music and media interest in the event and it is such a great promotional opportunity for budding and professional song-writers. All the songs can be listened to already on the website and comments can be left as well as an opportunity to become a MySpace friend. The contest is all about celebrating the very best of Celtic & Scots music in north west Europe and as there is less than three weeks to go now, we are very keen for people to attend the evening at Eden Court.”

Tickets can be bought from Eden Court: 01463 234234. 

Support for Nòs Ùr is coming from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), Highland Council, Colmcille, Scottish Arts Council, Gaelic Media Service and UHI Millennium Institute.