Children in Scotland’s Isle of Skye are working with composer Piers Hellawell on a piece called An Dealbh Mòr.

Piers Hellawell is currently collaborating with dancer Claire Pencak and the children of Bun Sgoil Shlèite, Isle of Skye, to create a performance work to be given in early March in Colaiste Sabhal Mòr' Ostaig, the Gaelic college in South Skye.

The children have done a year-long art project with artist Julie Brook that culminated in a giant floor-painting of Skye -- the Dealbh Mòr' or ‘big picture’ of the project title -- on which the dance performance will take place. Piers Hellawell is working with them (in Gaelic) to evolve a sound-track for the performance using singing groups, instrumentalists -- who play short improvised and semi-notated pieces -- and players of such invented beachcomber instruments as scallop-shell rattle and fishbox harp.

The five performances of the work will take place in Colaiste Sabhal Mòr' Ostaig in early March.

Posted: 13 February 2006