A few things happening:
On Friday March 28th at Hawick High School there's a concert to kick off
the Reivers Festival, starting 7.30pm.
The compere will be Fiona Armstrong of Border TV ('Songs of the Clans'
etc) and there will be an introductory talk by author and Border
historian Alan Massie.
The rest of the programme is made up of music, dance and poetry
featuring: yours truly with at least one new auld sang, Pat Douglas, Ken
Moffat, 3D, Scotch Egg, Stuart Anderson of Newmill Accordion & Fiddle
club, Michael Aitken, the Papa Stour Sword Dancers and a rousing finale
from Hawick Scout Fellowship Pipe Band. It's fast moving with about 15
minutes of each flavour, and ends early enough for me to get a pint and
a tune back at the Kelso session afterwards...
Tickets are just B#4 or B#3 for concessions and are available on the door,
or in advance from 'Evelyn in Solutions', 17 High St, Hawick or by phone
from Scottish Borders Tourist Board on 0870 608 0404.
On Saturday March 29th during the Reivers Festival I've got a musical
instrument 'stand' in the Commercial Room of Drumlanrig's Tower in
Hawick (10.30-4.30pm). I have some sub-B#20 instruments for kids (not
toys) and will put a good few not-for-sale oddities on display too. The
important bit is not this, but the music in the room -
James Wyness will be playing early lute pieces, and Elspeth Smellie will
be doing Scottish harp tunes and Border ballads in the room. Young
traditional musicians from Hawick High School will be playing sets, and
I've been asked to fill in any gaps - so I welcome any suitably
mediaeval to 16th century (theme period!) performers who can relieve me
of this responsibility! (I'll be providing a small amp with microphone -
not a full PA but enough let a solo/duet overcome the teeming crowds
expected). Optional wear - single-soled shoon, yellow hose, slashed
doublet, wimple etc. Men with spurs and women in excessively revealing
bodices will be asked to remove these before entering the Tower.
For the rest of the Reivers Festival details are online at
http://www.teribus.com. It's a full weekend event and if the weather
holds out, Hawick's newly slighty-remodelled town centre will be
buzzing. Some of this stuff looks great and very photogenic - hot trod
pursuits with blazing turf on the end of a spear!
On April 11th Kelso Folk Club welcomes Debra Cowan. I've just returned
from an internet music weekend where Debra did some great solo spots.
Tonight (Monday) she's sharing a bill in Buxton with John Renbourn, who
was our guitar newsgroup's main guest for this get-together. Fingers
crossed that John might pop over to Kelso for Debra's gig... she's a
superb singer, rightly compared with June Tabor (and others) and she's
studied in Scotland with Christine Kidd, Ray Fisher (and others) to
deepen the roots of her New England style and traditional repertoire.
This is one NOT to be missed - 8.30pm, Cobbles Inn.
Plans are forming for a 'Free Folk Fest' for Kelso, weekend of Sept
5-7th. We have potential co-operation of the Folk Club, the Small Hall
Band, the Kelso Laddies Association (for open-air town square stage),
JAM Music in the Community, several key local musicians and of course
all the businessfolk of the town. Concerts, workshops, small
masterclasses, open mikes, sessions, open air daytime performances on a
totally free or ticket-by-event basis. Help, suggestions, performances,
trade participants etc all welcomed at the planning stage which is NOW!
Cheers - David
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