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Cho fad ’s a mhaireas òrain is ceòl nan Gaidheal ’s nan Gall, bidh ainm agus cliù Seònaid NicLachlain air chuimhne, chan ann a-mhàin san tìr seo, ach ann an tìrean cèin.

Thogadh Seònaid N. NicLachlain ann an dachaigh iriosail Gàidhlig anns an Òban agus thàinig a beatha gu crìoch fada tuilleadh agus tràth, is i mar shàr sheinneadair soprano a bha aithnichte air feadh an t-saoghail. Bha i aig bàrr a’ chlàir anns gach àite dhan deach i, fiù ’s aig a’ chiad Mhòd a-riamh a chaidh a chur air chois san Òban, sheinn i don Bhanrìgh Bhictoria aig Baile Mhorail, agus b’ ann aice-se a chaidh na ciad bhriathran Gàidhlig a-riamh a chlàradh. Ach co i agus carson a chaidh i cho buileach à cuimhne an t-sluaigh?

Anns a’ phrògram shònraichte seo, tha an seinneadair cliùiteach, Màiri Anna NicUalraig agus sgioba a’ cur romhpa clach-uaighe Seònaid, a tha ri lorg ann an Cladh Choille Chairt ann an Ceann a Deas Ghlaschu, a thogail às ùr, le bhith trusadh airgead gu poblach agus a’ dùsgadh cuimhne air Seònaid chòir aig an aon àm. Mar neach-ciùil i fhèin bha Màiri Anna air a tàladh airson barrachd ionnsachadh mun t-seinneadair agus mun t-slighe a ghabh i, a choisinn dhi urram mar Bhanrìgh a’ Mhànrain.

While Scots and Gaelic song endures, so will the memory of Jessie N MacLachlan. Jessie was brought up in a humble Gaelic home in Oban and died long before her time. She was an accomplished soprano who was renowned worldwide, achieving top billing wherever she sang, even at the inaugural National Mod in Oban. She sang for Queen Victoria at Balmoral Castle and she also recorded the first ever Gaelic song. But who is she and why has she been forgotten about?

Mary Ann Kennedy and friends decide to restore
Jessie’s gravestone which can be found in Cathcart Cemetery in south Glasgow. This was achieved through crowdfunding and at the same time bringing Jessie to people’s attention. As a musician herself, Mary Ann was drawn to learning more about the singer and the path that she took, which earned her the reputation of a ‘Queen of Melody’.

In Gaelic with English subtitles