Duncan Macleod & Shona MacClennan – Bi Glic!
Sunday, 20 September⋅10:30 – 11:00am
Synopsis of piece: I wish to propose a 30-minute programme, Bi Glic, co-presented by myself (Duncan MacLeod) and Shona MacClennan, building from our RSPB commissioned soundwalk of the same name. The programme explores Gàidhlig birdlore: the words, stories, songs, place-names and ways of knowing birds that circulate through everyday life and oral tradition of the Outer Hebrides. In Gàidhlig, bi glic means “be wise” or “be prudent”, and it is also heard as an echo of the oystercatcher’s call: “bi glic, bi glic”. That double meaning sets the tone. We will move between first-person conversation, spoken word, sound archives, song, field recordings, traditional and original music. The programme will drift through seasonal listening on Uist (Western Isles of Scotland), from machair to shoreline, with close voice giving way to open-air soundscapes. Where possible we will also look to feature a live performance by a traditional musician from Uist.
Artist bio: Duncan MacLeod is an award-winning composer and sound artist, and Professor of Sonic Arts at Glasgow School of Art. His work spans concert music, installations, participatory projects and site-specific soundwalks. Informed by folklore and place, he explores place, identity, heritage and environment in the Anthropocene.
Shona MacLellan is a photographer and cultural historian from Uist, and Community Engagement Officer for the RSPB Outer Hebrides. A Gàidhlig speaker, her work centres on place-based storytelling and collaboration, connecting communities with local landscapes, heritage and wildlife through creative engagement and public-facing projects across the Western Isles of Scotland.