13 / 14 / 15 July 2001
This year we are 13 on the 13th - but, we’re certainly not superstitious and we are sure that as always at Stonehaven Folk Festival, you can look forward to a weekend of variety of styles of music at the main concerts, interspersed by the usual mix of ‘alternative’ events! This year’s guest list includes:
Friday 13 July
Concert/Ceilidh
John Mitchell – well known around the Folk Scene of Aberdeen. A brilliant guitarist and great vocals – what a great way to start off the weekend!
Appalachian Mist – formed in 1999, Junior Clark teamed up with Billy Wrigley to form a duo performing Bluegrass and Irish folk songs in SW Scotland. Dave Currie (lead guitar and dobro player) and George Macdonald (double bass) then joined the band.
Galik Bred return to take us through our paces at the Ceilidh dance. The band are keen supporters of the Folk Festival and we are delighted they are able to join us again.
Saturday 14 July
Throughout the day there will be a number of events running. These start with a series of instrumental Workshops, led by members of Appalachian Mist (see details in the Festival Office) plus a Fiddle Masterclass with Brian McNeill.
Our annual outdoor event - the Plainstones - featuring local and imported talent, is the Stonehaven Folk Festival "shop window". Listen and join in for free! Starts at noon and carries on throughout the afternoon.
The Children’s event this year is a show by Gila’s Puppets. Their lively show has a variety of puppets, music and story telling and appeals to children of all ages. This will be held in the St Leonards Hotel at 2 pm.
The Saturday Night Concert this year features the following:
Norland – locals - Sarah Marshall and John Docherty - once again inspire us with Sarah’s haunting voice and John’s marvellous guitar techniques.
Kristina Olsen & Peter Grayling - Kristina plays acoustic guitar, steelbody guitar, concertina, saxophone and piano, as well as supplying some gutsy lead vocals. Peter is a cellist from Australia. They play styles ranging from folk/blues/jazz/classical. This pair "go" together perfectly - "a duet of fine music"!
Brian McNeill & Dick Gaughan - "the angry old farts of Scottish folk music". Dick was a very early member of the Boys of The Lough in the early 1970s, and a founder member of the folk-rock band Five Hand Reel in the late 1970s. Brian began violin lessons in his early teens, but soon dropped this for the electric guitar. In his student years Brian was introduced to Celtic music and this led him to pick up his fiddle again and form The Battlefield Band. Brian plays fiddle, viola, mandolin, cittern, bouzouki, guitar, concertina, bass and hurdy-gurdy. The importance of both Brian and Dick’s songwriting has long been recognised in the world of folk music.
Sunday 16 July
Sunday’s events start off with the AquaCeilidh. Once again, Galik Bred, will be there in Scotland's last (and Stonehaven's own) heated seawater open-air pool. They are sure to keep your toes tapping and your hands clapping while you perform your very own style of "drip the willow" and "splashing white sergeant".
On Sunday afternoon, we are pleased to host Stonehaven’s Tradition Bearers’ Concert. This is a Living Tradition supported event, which encourages the safe-keeping of our traditional song and word. This event will be held in the St Leonards Hotel – artistes still to be confirmed
Also on Sunday afternoon, there will be another Workshop – this time it’s a guitar one with Kristina Olsen who will introduce us to some of her amazing guitar techniques. Check at the Festival Office for other possible workshops.
Sunday Night Farewell Concert
Ptarmigan – featuring Terry McBain (guitar and vocals) and Clive Boucher (flute, whistle, electric pipes and percussion) formed as a duo in 1997. Ptarmigan have worked extensively in Scotland, Ireland and Scandinavia, playing a blend of well known Scottish and Irish songs.
Give Way – we are always keen to promote new, young talent, so we are delighted to welcome the four young girls who make up Give Way to the Festival. They were "Danny" winners at this year’s Celtic Connections, and with an average of 13, they are sure to delight us with their fiddles and box.
Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham – need no introduction to Stonehaven! Aly, who was brought up in Shetland, was a protégé of the late Tom Anderson, the acknowledged master of Shetland traditional music. Aly helped to establish the Boys of the Lough, and has continued to play with the band ever since, whilst simultaneously pursuing his solo career.
Phil first came to most people’s attention with Silly Wizard, then as his work broadened, he toured with supergroups Relativity, Altan and Dolores Keane.
Their partnership has blossomed through television where their infectious enjoyment in playing together succeeded in bringing some of the atmosphere of live performance into people’s homes.
Please come to the Festival Office for final details on the weekend of the Festival. The Festival Office will, once again, be open in the Upper Town Hall on Friday 13 July (from 12 noon onwards) and throughout the Festival.
For further information please contact:
Meg Findlay
Tel: 01569 765733 (Home)
(e-mail – tom_megfindlay@hotmail.com)
Charlie West
Tel: 01569 765063 (Home) or
01224 881610 (Work)
(e-mail - charles.west@virgin.net)
Tickets can be booked through:
Pat Cruse
56 Brickfield Road, Stonehaven, AB39 2LS
Tel: 01569 763519 (Home)
(e-mail - pat.cruse@virgin.net)