In one of those serendipitous piece of programming, BBC Alba’s programme schedule for the week of 15th-21st November features Sweden’s Avicii [aka Tim Bergling] on tour in Scotland. The programme airs on 15th November from 22.00 to 22.45.
This comes as the nation’s choirmaster, Gareth Malone took on the huge challenge of shaping an assorted bunch of celebs into an All Star Choir, covered in two BBC television documentaries, with the aim of making a No 1 hit to raise money for the heartaching cause of Children in Need.
Malone chose the Avicii hit, Wake Me Up and this morning, the industry is saying that the All Star Choir’s single looks lke it will makae No 1 in this Sunday’s chart release.
Tim Bergling is in his early 20s and already one of the world’s best known and loved DJs – playing sold-out venues all over the world and his name on the line up guarantees an almost insane audience response.
In 2008, Avicii, then 18 years old, released his first official single, When I’m Thinking of You.h and the release of Levels in October 2011 became a worldwide hit.
Almost overnight Avicii became world famous, making an impact reaching far beyond the inner circles of electro dance music. These days mainstream artists including Madonna want to collaborate with Avicii and in the BBC Alba film we see them together on stage during Miami’s Ultra Music Festival.
Avicii’s music is said to be at its best live and the BBC Alba film gives a feeling of what it’s like to be in the bouncing, sweaty crowd at one of his concerts.
I addition to this timely Avicii feature, BBCAlba is airing a programme of a differently moving variety.
Trusadh – Finding David/Fois ann am Fios – airs on 17th November from 21.00 – 22.00.
The World War II Arctic Convoys carried four million tonnes of vital supplies and ammunition from the UK to Russia to aid Russian allies in their fight against Hitler and were a crucial part of the war effort. Winston Churchill described what they had to do get these supplies to Russia as ‘the worst journey in the world’.
Many young sailors were involved, and over 3000 young men lost their lives in the icy waters of the North Atlantic, as they came under relentless bombardment from the Germans, from under and upon the sea and from the air.
Their bravery has long been recognised by Russia but only last year, 2013, by the United Kingdom with the 70 years late award of the Arctic Star service medal.
For Argyll has, for several years, been publishing on these convoys, on veterans stories and on annual commorative events organised at Pool House on Loch Ewe [then commandeered as Admiralty House] and later by the Russian Arctic Convoy Museum Project at Aultbea on Loch Ewe. We also covered the week of events at Loch Ewe in May last year, held around a ceremony there to present the new Arctic Star medal to 40 veterans whose convoys left from there and who were guests for the week.
On one level, the BBC Alba programme tells the story of how Loch Ewe in Wester Ross was at the centre of what was one of the most important yet long under-recognised campaigns in World War II.
On another, tit tells the the moving journey of one woman, Davina Matthews, trying to find out what happened to her Uncle David, a radar operator who was killed while serving on the HMS Achates as part of one of the convoys.
Seventy years on the family are still looking for closure.
