Co mi/Who am I?

                                                                                                                                    Canaigh agus Sandaigh/The Islands of Canna and Sanday

Is mise Fiona J NicChoinnich agus  dh'obraich mi  air Eilean Chanaigh, eadar an t-Eilean Sgiathanach agus Uibhist a Deas airson faisg air 9 bliachniachean...

​

Born on Speyside, Scotland and raised in a traditional farming and whisky production family. I have worked in the Gaelic Arts since the year 2000 when I was appointed the Mairi Mhòr Gaelic Song Fellow for Highland Coucil. In my ten years there, I was responsible for creating opportunities for communities  everywhere to participate in Gaelic Song activites. 

I worked as a freelance Gaelic Arts practitioner for many years, during which I took Gaelic song across the world. In 2005 I won the coveted An Comunn Gaidhealach Gold Medal for Singing , in the Western Isles and this gave me the boost I needed to create a career from performing. Before going to Canna in 2015, to take up the post of Archivist in Canna House for the National Trust for Scotland, I performed and taught Gaelic song across the UK , Europe and Internationally, including a spell working for the National Theatre of Scotland as the Gaelic Artist in Residence, when I was given the opportunity to create a show of my choosing I created a piece of music theatre entitled "Eun Bheag Chanaigh/ Little Bird Blown off Course" focussing on the life of folklorist Margaret Fay Shaw.. During the course of these years, the songs collected by Margaret Fay Shaw and John Lorne Campbell of Canna, remained my inspiration.. Although I am now back living on the mainland, they remain my inspiration and I continue my research...............................................