NOW BOOKING PAGE 3 (L to Z)
Go HERE to see acts "A" (page 1) :: Go HERE to see acts "B to K" (page 2)
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METAGAMA
The crowd in Stornoway harbour to see the Metagama set sail on Saturday 21 April 1923.
METAGAMA - Scottish tour
MARCH 2026
Tue 17 ABERFELDY PH15 2DA
The Birks Cinema, BOX OFFICE
Wed 18 FINDHORN IV36 3TZ
Universal Hall Arts Centre, BOX OFFICE
Thu 19 KINCRAIG PH21 1NB
Kingussie, Community Hall, BOX OFFICE
Fri 20 ULLAPOOL IV26 2UN
Macphail Centre, BOX OFFICE
Sat 21 STRATHERRICK IV2 6UJ
Public Hall, BOX OFFICE
Sun 22 SKYE IV44 8RQ
Sabhal Mor Ostaig, BOX OFFICE
Tue 24 INVERNESS IV1 1LP
Cultarlann, Academy Street, BOX OFFICE
Wed 25 APPIN PA38 4BG
Village Hall, BOX OFFICE
Thu 26 STIRLING FK8 1DE
Tolbooth, BOX OFFICE
An explanation - background
Metagama. What is it? What is the significance of this unusual looking word?
Shortly after the end of World War One, the British and Canadian governments came to an agreement. The British armed forces were going to come home to a land fit for heroes. It is well recorded now that this didn't happen as the Great Depression of the late 1920s destroyed this high-sounding hyperbole.
In the Outer Hebrides two events happened within a few years after the end of the war which affected and are remembered by subsequent generations. First, on January 1 1919 there was the MY Iolair disaster as the fully laden troopship sank with all hands after hitting rocks approaching Stornoway harbour. That removed at a stroke about 200 men of the islands. Few families on the Isle of Lewis did not experience the loss of relatives or friends among the 184 Lewis men who died that day. The bereaved also included some of the 3,100 Lewis men who had served in the wartime RNR. Most of them survived to enjoy the peace, but some lost fathers, uncles, brothers or cousins on the Iolaire.
To help crofters migrate in the 1880s the British government committted £10,000. After World War One, it then set up the Overseas Settlement Committee to help ex-soldiers emigrate. In the 1920s and 1930s, the Empire Settlement Act of 1922 provided funds for those who wanted to emigrate. No doubt encouraged by this as well as by stories filtering through from those had already emigrated to the USA and Canada, people from the islands keenly signed up.
Canada wanted immigrants to help expand the country to the west across the great plains and the Rockies to the Pacific west coast. Enter the Canadian Pacific Steamship company and the SS Metagama, along with their two other ships, Marloch and Canada. The Metagama played a significant role in the 20th century migration of people from the Outer Hebrides to Canada. On Saturday 21 April 1923, she sailed from Stornoway with 300 young Lewis emigrants on board, all but 20 of them young men, with an average age of 22. This was one of the first waves of mass emigration from the islands, and had a profound effect on the island culture and history.
The show Metagama: An Atlantic Odyssey tells this story in music, song, words and pictures of the islanders emigration, its effect on the islands and how some of those who did emigrate thrived but sometimes did not thrive while trying to farm on poor soil!
LULO REINHARDT and
YULIYA LONSKAYA
The "GYPSY MEETS CLASSIC" Tour
Contact John Barrow or call +44(0)7968 131737
An inspired pairing of two terrific guitarists - Lulo from Germany with his famous highly distinctive gypsy jazz background tempered with Indian and North African influences and classically trained Yuliya, guitarist and singer, originally from from Belarus. Quite sensational!
UK TOUR: SEPTEMBER 2026
Thu 03 SANDWICH CT13 9HN, St Mary's Arts Centre (tickets not on sale yet)
Fri 04 to Sat 15 available
Sun 16 BURY ST EDMUNDS IP33 3YU, The Apex (tickets not on sale yet)
Mon 17 to Wed 30 available
TONY McMANUS and JULIA TOASPERN
JANUARY and FEBRUARY 2026
Go HERE for tour dates and box office links
UK TOUR - NOW BOOKING
NOVEMBER and DECEMBER 2026
November
Sun 01 to Mon 30 available
December
Tue 01 to Thu 03 available
Fri 04 Perth Theatre
Enquiries from Europe and Ireland welcomed
Contact John Barrow (email) or call +44(0)7968 131737
Enquiries invited NOW for all dates everywhere in 2027
METAGAMA
Contact John Barrow or call +44 7968 131737
METAGAMA - Performers
Liza Mulholland
Liza Mulholland is a musician, singer-songwriter and producer from Inverness in the Scottish Highlands. She co-created, produced and performed in the acclaimed touring show In The Wake of Metagama: An Atlantic Odyssey jn Story and Song in 20223 /2024. Liza is co-founder and performer in Inverness' 2024 bi-monthly Edge of the World Cabaret. She devised the multi-artform show Stand and Stare for Celtic Connections 2017, based on the centenary of WH Davies' famous poem Leisure. Liza is Musical Director of Elphen Chronicles, a visual art and story project by artist Paul Taggart, composing and recording all the film soundtracks and an album to be released in 2025. She has performed with numerous artistes and bands, played on around 20 albums and recordings by other musicians as well as her own album Fine 'n' Rosy and singles. Her original music has been used in several short films including Scottish Women's Aid 40th anniversary film. Liza has also devised and produced award-winning arts documentaries for BBC Scotland in her independent production company. Along with Donald S Murray (below), Liza devised, “In The Wake of Metagama: An Atlantic Odyssey in Story and Song”, bringing together a stellar ensemble of musicians and artistes which they toured in the Scottish Highlands and Islands through April 2023, with support from Creative Scotland, Ceolas and the Gaelic Society of Inverness. The show garnered wide acclaim, including 5* reviews, sold-out venues and standing ovations at every performance, including Celtic Connections Festival (January 21 2024).
Donald S Murray
Award-winning Lewis writer & poet, author of Guga Hunters, the Iolaire novel 'As the Women Lay Dreaming' (see https://saraband.net/sb-title/as-the-women-lay-dreaming/), Herring Tales etc, who has worked on several multi-artform projects. A mutual interest in Metagama with the show's 'instigator' and pianist Lisa Mullholland, and in the 1923/24 emigrations let to the pair travelling to Canada & USA to research respective writing projects. Lisa and Donald are good friends from student days at Glasgow University and they work very well together. Donald has written widely about the Hebrides & has an in-depth knowledge of island history. He is a native Gaelic speaker.
Dolina Maclennan
'Doli' is a Lewis-born native Gaelic speaker / singer, actor, lecturer & writer, well known in the Gaelic world with a track record of quality work including as an original member of 7:84 Theatre Company which toured H&I with the iconic The Cheviot, The Stag & The Black, Black Oil. She is a stalwart of the 1960/70s folk revival with Hamish Henderson, was Chair of The Saltire Society etc. At 85 years now she is closest to the generation who left on Metagama and a conduit to that period in terms of oral tradition, song, folkloric remembrance and makes an immense contribution to this project.
Charlie Mackerron
Fiddler with Capercaillie, Session A9 & more. Trad Awards Tutor of the Year 2022 and many other accolades. Charlie runs his own music school and tutors with Fèis Spè. He is an immensely talented musician and composer who also worked with Lisa on the Stand and Stare project for Celtic Connections 2017. Charlie's musicianship is second to none and brings superb creativity to Metagama.
John Joe MacNeil
John Joe MacNeil is a Gaelic Singer from the island of Barra. He won the coveted Traditional Gold Medal at the Royal National Mòd in Fort William in 2017 and went on to win the Gold Medal at the Mòd in Inverness in 2021. He is a choral conductor and arranger currently conducting Binneas, a youth collective of 16 singers, and Barra Gaelic Choir. He currently works across a broad range of Gaelic language, culture and heritage projects as a freelancer. He hopes to launch his first solo album in 2026 – Barraigh an Àigh.
Juliette Lemoine
Scottish cellist Juliette Lemoine is exploring and redefining the instrument’s role within contemporary Scottish Traditional Music. Her debut album of original music ‘Soaring’, launched with a sold-out headline performance at Celtic Connections (2023), and was later long-listed for the Scottish Album of the Year Award (2023). Juliette performs in a duo with tenor-guitarist Chris Amer and with the newly-formed female powerhouse trio ‘Swinging on Birches’. Recent highlights include performing at London Jazz Festival (2024), supporting LAU at King’s Place London (2024) writing and performing as part of Celtic Connections Scottish Cello Night (2026) and being selected as part of Serious’ ‘Take Five’ talent development program (2026).
Willie Campbell
From Lewis, songwriter and guitarist Willie has a track record as a successful artiste in bands Astrid, Tumbling Souls and many other collaborations. He is one of Scotland's top singer-songwriters, performing at major festivals and though Lisa has not worked with Willie previously, her admiration of his versatile musicianship and songwriting spans many years. With the Metagama project straddling Scottish/North American history, Willie will bring a unique Americana sensibility to the show, while deeply rooted in Hebridean song traditions.
Doug Robertson
A Scottish visual and fine artist, Doug is superbly talented, particularly in the natural world, sealife, and birds. He also worked with Lisa Mulholland on the Stand and Stare show (ibid). Lisa sought him out again to encourage his beautiful artwork for project visuals. Doug will also look after overhead projection.
Steve Bull
A Highland sound engineer experienced in both studio and live work, including with the BBC. Lisa has worked with Steve on numerous recordings and live music projects and he was instantly her first choice for live sound for Metagama.
Now booking dates UK-wide and abroad for 2024, 2025 ...
Contact John Barrow or call +44(0)7968 131737
In 2004 Maggie was voted Best Gaelic Singer of the Year in the Scots Trad Music Awards. She has recorded six solo CDs on her own Marram Music label and performs regularly in the UK and abroad. Maggie is bi-lingual, singing both English language (Scots) songs as well as her Gaelic repertoire much of which she learned from mother, the noted singer Flora McNeil, a native of the Outer Hebridean island of Barra.
Maggie is available solo, or with her son Calum (guitar, vocals), or with her trio (Anna Massie (guitar, fiddle) and Brian McAlpine (keyboards))
OCTOBER-DECEMBER 2025
ALL DATES AVAILABLE
JANUARY-DECEMBER 2026
ALL DATES AVAILABLE
SAVOURNA STEVENSON and STEVE KETTLEY
NOW BOOKING: dates UK-wide and abroad throughout 2026, 2027 et seq ...
Contact John Barrow or call +44(0)7968 131 737
Go HERE for Savourna and Steve's Stoneyport bio page.
Go HERE for Savourna and Steve's EPK
Click HERE, HERE and HERE for YouTube videos
JANUARY-DECEMBER 2026
ALL DATES AVAILABLE