WSCC Humankind series to feature Scottish folklorist

WSCC Humankind series to feature Scottish folklorist

VICTORY TOWNSHIP – The West Shore Community College Humankind Series will present, “Tales from Scotland with Margaret Bennett,” on Wednesday, February 17, at 6 p.m. The event will take place via Zoom which may be accessed at this link: 

https://zoom.us/j/94368021064?pwd=emt3amVRZU5Rb3Z4WlR0RENmc3Iwdz09

This year, the arts and culture series is focused on the British Isles of England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. 

Dr. Margaret Bennett is a folklorist, singer, writer, and broadcaster who will be joining the college from Crieff, Scotland.   She will share tales of Scottish folklore and traditions and even sing a traditional Gaelic song. 

Bennett is from the Isle of Sky and comes from a long line of traditional singers and pipers – Gaelic on her mother’s side and Lowland Scots on her father’s.  While she credits her family upbringing with her expertise in Scottish folklore and folksong, she holds a post-grad master’s degree in folklore and a PhD in ethnology.

Scottish arts critic Judy Moir wrote of Bennett, “It’s rare to witness such a charismatic and fascinating raconteur.”

“We are so honored to have Margaret Bennett joining us for this special evening presentation,” said WSCC Professor of Marketing and Management, Katie Stewart, who chaired the planning for this event. “To have such a world-renowned expert in traditional Scottish and Gaelic music is just really a treat and fits perfectly with this year’s Humankind series on the British Isles. Bennett will deliver a rich, multi-faceted presentation that leverages her talents as an author, folklorist, and singer. This will be a great event for anyone who wants to learn more about the fascinating history and traditions of the Scottish people.”

Regularly featured in film, theater, and documentaries, Bennett is a prize-winning author with 15 books to her credit. Some of Bennett’s many awards include the Michaelis Ratcliffe Prize for Folklore (1991); the Master Music Maker Award (1998), in celebration of a lifetime of musicianship and teaching; the Canadian Historical Association/Société historique du Canada Cleo Award for history (1999); the Celtic Women International 2003 award for lifelong service to Scottish and Celtic culture; and Le Prix du Québec (2011) for her contribution to Quebec cultural studies.  

For her contributions to traditional music, Bennett was awarded an honorary doctorate of music in 2011 from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama. Bennett was inducted into the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame in 2014 for her work promoting the Gaelic language. 

For more information about the humankind series, visit humankindwscc.org, facebook.com/humankindwscc, or contact humankind@westshore.edu. 

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