Moldova music fund-raiser hits the right tone

The two musicians and friends took to the stage at An Lanntair on Thursday 7th March for a fund-raising concert, which went down a treat with the packed out audience. Supporting them were musicians Jane Hepburn, Stephen Drummond, DC MacMillan, and Annette Maclean.

After the performance Norman, who had previously been busy painting his house, took time to speak to the Gazette.

"The first lockdown was in 2020 and I'd painted everything that needed painting and I saw my friend Martin Flett on YouTube performing songs he'd written himself, and I thought that's so cool.

"But I thought it must take a lot of nerve to do that because you are putting your head above the parapet. But I just thought I'm going to give it a bash and I just started writing."

Understandably he was anxious as the Lanntair concert was only his third live gig, performing his first paid gig at Celtic Connections only four weeks ago. "I was very nervous but I think it went really well because the people that were playing knew what they were doing.”

Turning to his fellow performer on the night, he said: "Willie Campbell has been a mentor from day one. He started me off and he was there to help me so I couldn't have done it on my own.

"I previously reached out to Willie to ask if he would do private tutoring and during the first lockdown we would Zoom every Monday for a couple of hours and I would just write stuff in between and it just mushroomed and grew from there."

The concert itself was full of nostalgic songs by Norman of his fond experiences of the Outer Hebrides.

However, more sombre tones were interlaced such as the sacrifices of islanders in WWI and their lives and deaths in the trenches. The night ended with a surprise bagpiper-led Gaelic choir performance to the delight of the crowd.

The singer also shared some final news for fans to look forward to: "We have recorded the third one (album) that will come out at the end of the year.”

He lives in Hightae, a village outside Lockerbie, and tries to visit Stornoway two or three times a year to meet friends and family.

The An Lanntair gig was a chance for all to come togetrher and all profits from the night will be donated to Blythswood Moldova and SERA, a fire project that does training of fire service personnel and donates fire engines, breathing apparatus, jackets, trousers, boots, helmets, generators etc.

Fundraiser Charlie Nicolson explained some of their work in Moldova: "We support a children's home there and a couple of the churches Last May we took a lorry over with ladders, breathing apparatus, generators, first aid, and uniforms etc. But also a lot of clothes and equipment to help the children's home, the hospital there and two local churches.”

He expressed his gratitude to the people who gave generously at the event.

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