Seo Seinn

05 April 2007

With prizes totalling £10,000 on offer, the 2007 Seo Seinn Gaelic music and song competition is set to go ahead in the Western Isles in April with the deadline for entries to this year’s competition fast approaching. Entries for the competition, which takes place in Stornoway from the 23rd to 27th April, must be in by Friday 30th March.

The competition which was first staged in 2003, is being organised this year by Comunn Gàidhealach Leodhais, the Lewis branch of An Comunn Gàidhealach (The Highland Association) and is supported by BBC Scotland, VisitScotland, Highland 2007, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council), HIE Innse Gall and the Gaelic Media Service.

Seo Seinn 2007, which has attracted interest from potential competitors throughout Scotland will see Adult and Youth performers of Traditional and Contemporary music and song aiming to win the major cash prizes on offer. There is also a competition for Best New Song at both Adult and Youth levels. The competitions are open to male and female competitors aged 15 and upwards and will all take place in the Town Hall in Stornoway with all the competition finals taking place on Friday 27 April. This is the first year that the Seo Seinn event which was first organised by VisitScotland Hebrides has been organised by the local An Comunn Gàìdhealach branch and Calum Iain MacLeod, Chief Executive of An Comunn Gàidhealach is pleased with the response to date. Mr MacLeod said “Seo Seinn offers Gaelic musicians and singers the opportunity to do something different and as a bonus has an impressive array of financial rewards for the winning competitors. Thanks to the generous support of the various sponsors and the hard work of the local An Comunn members we are all looking forward to an enjoyable week of top class Gaelic entertainment.” Comunn Gaidhealach Leòdhais and the Gaelic Media Service are currently exploring opportunities for broadcasting parts of the Seo Seinn event using new media and are also discussing ways of using the event to provide hands-on training for new entrants to Gaelic broadcasting.

Entries for Seo Seinn 2007 should be in by Friday 30th March and should be submitted to An Comunn Gàidhealach, Perceval Square, Stornoway, Isle of Lewis. Further information is available on 01851 703487 or via www.seoseinn.co.uk