Local group Biskee Brisht made it two in a row after winning the 2018 Arrane Son Mannin competition at the weekend.

Performing a song, entitled ’Dty Skeealyn’, which translates as ’Your Stories’, the band won the first prize of £300, sponsored by Culture Vannin, and were given the opportunity to make a return trip to the International Pan-Celtic festival in Ireland later this year.

Biskee Brisht which means ’Broken Biscuit’ in Manx gaelic, feature singer Ruby Biscoe-Taylor, guitarist David Kinley, bassist Mike Brewster, accordionist John Kaighin and Django Kinley on trumpet.

This year they came up against songs from two different groups.

Triskellion featured young musicians Owen Williams, Lukas Heyhurst and singer Sarah James.

Their song, Arrane ny Deiney Gobbragh, which translates as ’Song

of the Working Men’, was written in Gaelic by Owen.

They were followed by husband-and-wife duo Jedoonee Bagoon, featuring Cori Phillips and James Franklin, who put a haunting fairytale to music for their song ’Billey Euar ny Greg’, or ’The Juniper Tree’.

Organiser Fiona McArdle said that she was very pleased with the result, and that she hopes they will go down well at the festival.

’Biskee Brisht’ were great again,’ said Fiona. ’I love Ruby’s voice, and it is a really good song.

’The song has a nice story to it as well, and I think it will go down very well with the Pan-Celtic judges.’

The Arrane Son Mannin competition looks for the best original contemporary song written in Manx Gaelic.

The winners, chosen by judges Laura Rowles, David Kilgallon and Peter Crellin, go into the Pan Celtic festival, Ireland,against the winners of similar competitions from Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Cornwall and Brittany.

by Mike wade

twitter:@iomnewspapers