Ex-pupil Emma MacInnes visited Paible School recently to enthuse about her life as a young trendy Gaelic singer. She has sung at fantastic venues such as Edinburgh Castle for the Scottish Tattoo, Glasgow Royal concert hall, England and as far as Italy and Norway. 

She is now in The National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music in scenic Plockton Ross-Shire, where Hamish Macbeth and scenes from The Wickerman were filmed. It has been likened to a Scottish equivalent to the Italia Conti Academy of theatre arts, which has produced stars like Denise Van Outen and Emma Bunton.

She has opened Celtic Connections twice, in 2004 and 2006. She opened the show with an unaccompanied solo with the song Missing Uist-Ag Ionndrainn Uibhist which is her favourite song in 2004 and the same song in 2006. She said that it was, “amazing.” Celtic Connections is a huge event that thousands of people attend to in the Royal Glasgow Concert hall. This event is made up of festivals, ceilidhs and concerts all around Glasgow. People from all around the world and foreign people perform too in lots of different languages.

She has sung with Julie Fowlis, Karen Cacey, Karen Matheson and supported Blazing Fiddles. She has met famous pop stars at top of the pops in 2001 including Gwen Stefani, Super Furry Animals, All Stars, Allanis Morrissette and played on Elton John’s piano. Emma has a few role models, but her main role model is Wilma Kennedy (Her singing tutor in Plockton).

She has applied for a Gaelic media course and use this to go to Glasgow with the BBC and to always be singing.

She has been singing and performing for about 11yrs. It has involved singing in church, at ceilidhs and singing for fun.

Look out for this trendy young lady in future because she will soon be a big hit!

By Kayleigh, Fiona and Catherine 2x.