Mary Ann Kennedy and friends on The Lismore ferry June 2014
On 30th June Gaelic Singer and Broadcaster Mary Ann Kennedy brought her show – Aiseag (The Ferryboat) – PRSF New Music Biennial 2014 – to Lismore. The Public hall was filled with an enthusiastic audience who enjoyed an excellent variety show. Part of the evening was a showing of ‘The Bridge Rising’ (a film showing the building of the Skye bridge). Mary Ann was joined on stage by Scott MacMillan & Colin Grant. The trio combine music from Cape Breton to the Highlands.
Mary Ann, who lives in Ardgour, used to travel on the ferries to Tiree & Skye – the homes of her Parents and when she was given the opportunity to co-create a new work celebrating Commonwealth connections her choice was just that subject.
“I was inspired by the idea of the network of little ferries that ply their trade on the Highland west coast, and over in Nova Scotia, especially on Cape Breton Island. For many folk, ferries are a tourist novelty, a quirky and somewhat anachronistic mode of transport, but for me they are, and always have been, far more than that. Since I started on this project, I’ve also been collecting ferry journeys, to show how much an integral, fundamental part of life ferryboats are for so many people.”
Mary Ann & Friends are pictured aboard ‘The Lismore’ – the ferry which plies the 8 minute crossing from Lismore to Port Appin.