News > 2010

23 November 2010

FESTIVE HIGHLIGHTS ON BBC ALBA

BBC ALBA will be celebrating its third festive season with an unprecedented schedule of Gaelic programming.

The channel is providing festive programming for all the family from compelling documentaries to live traditional music, children’s, drama, entertainment and live sport.

The channel’s ecumenical Watchnight service, being broadcast on Christmas Eve at 11pm, will come from the Isle of Skye, in the company of acclaimed singers and musicians Arthur Cormack, Blair Douglas, Rachel Walker and Hannah Beaton. Students from Plockton Traditional Music School, Broadford Primary School and Strath Gaelic Choir will join the celebrations, with the service culminating with piper Angus Nicolson welcoming in Christmas Day.

Fiona MacKenzie face of BBC ALBA with Mànran who will be performing Live on the night
Fiona MacKenzie face of BBC ALBA with Mànran who will be performing Live on the night.

With traditional music being the perfect way to see in the New Year, what better way to celebrate than with BBC ALBA’s live Hogmanay show from Polochar Inn, South Uist, commencing at 11.30pm. The programme will bring viewers live music from Mànran, the hottest new band on the Scottish music scene, as well as celebrating the culmination of the Year of Gaelic Song featuring some top Gaelic singing talent. The programme will also be broadcast simultaneously on BBC Radio nan Gàidheal and will be available online world-wide via the BBC ALBA website.

Alan Esslemont, Head of Content at BBC ALBA said: “Our festive season continues to provide high quality productions and entertainment for all ages and family members. We hope to provide an exciting package for all tastes and audiences which has proved extremely popular with Gaelic and non-Gaelic speakers alike looking for rich and traditional Scottish content at this time of year.”

Highlights of this year’s festive season on BBC ALBA include:

Music

  • Piping Live - A feast of piping featuring some of the top bands performing at the World Pipe Band Championships 2010 with Dr. Angus MacDonald and Robert Wallace sharing their views on the competitions (Christmas Day, Sat 25 Dec, 8pm)
  • Horo Gheallaidh - world class musicians from Celtic Connections 2010 drop in to give special, intimate performances at the Horo Gheallaidh cèilidh sessions (Christmas Day, Sat 25 Dec, 10pm )
  • Alleluia! – Christmas edition featuring performances from Govan Gaelic Choir and Glasgow Gaelic Musical Association (Boxing Day, Sun 26 Dec, 7.30pm) and New Year special edition with Norrie MacIver and Sineag MacIntyre (Sun 2 Jan, 7.30pm)

Documentaries

  • Trusadh - Kenneth McKellar - A celebration of the man whom many claim was Scotland’s greatest tenor, Kenneth McKellar who died earlier this year. Acclaimed musician and broadcaster Anne Lorne Gilles explores McKellar’s career, which spanned 50 years and saw him rise to become a household name in Scotland and beyond (Thurs 30 Dec, 9pm)
  • Donny B – The Original King of Daytime - The inspirational life story of writer and broadcaster, Donny B Macleod from Stornoway. Best remembered as the genial host of the original daytime TV show, Pebble Mill at One. (Hogmanay, Fri 31 Dec, 9pm)
  • A Boy in Harris – An-Diugh - Reverend Donnie MacSween looks back at his early days in Scarista, Isle of Harris and how things have changed since the original programme ‘A Boy in Harris’ was first broadcast in the 60’s (Mon 3 Jan, 9pm)

Sport

  • Sports Review of the Year – the BBC ALBA sports team take a look back at the sporting highlights of the year including the Commonwealth games in Delhi (Christmas Eve, Fri 24 Dec, 10pm)
  • Magners League Rugby – live action provided as Glasgow and Edinburgh battle it out over two matches for the 1872 Cup and vital Magners League points (Mon 27 Dec, 5.35pm and Sun 2 Jan, 5.35pm)
  • SPL ‘as-live’ coverage will continue throughout the festive period (Hibs v Aberdeen, Boxing Day, Sun 26 Dec, 5.30pm / St. Mirren v Hearts, Wed 29 Dec, 10pm / Hamilton v Motherwell, New Year’s Day, Sat 1 Jan, 5.30pm )

Children’s programming

  • The Dè a-nis? team bring young viewers a packed Christmas edition full of ideas for the perfect fun Christmas (Wed 15 Dec, 6pm)
  • An Gruffalo - The family animated classic in Gaelic. Based on the book by award winning children’s writer, Julia Donaldson, the Gruffalo is for children of all ages and adults who admire the Mouse’s gall (Christmas Eve, Fri 24 Dec, 6pm)
  • Calum Dongle - A phenomenon has swept through cyberspace - Myland - and Calum 'Dongle' Macleod from Skye is its number one fan. But there's something really weird happening, at Level 13 of the computer game! (New Year’s Day, Sat 1 Jan, 2.30pm)

For a full list of all programmes available on BBC ALBA over the Christmas and New Year period please visit www.bbcalba.co.uk or www.mgalba.com.