Badenoch & Strathspey
Saturday 5th September 2009
Dalwhinne Distillery, Dalwhinne Venue Postcode: PH19 1AB
7.30pm
Uisge-Beatha
A Highlander's Celebration of Whisky
Produced by Iain MacFarlane
Welcome to the world of whisky! As part of Blas' celebration of the Year of Scottish Homecoming, the accomplished Glenfinnan musician Iain MacFarlane has produced a stunning show of music, song and visuals celebrating our national drink.
To make this an even more atmospheric event, these concerts are being performed in some of the Highland's most famous and iconic distilleries. Not only has Iain chosen music and song relating to whisky and its many influences for this show but he also gives his own personal take on uisge-beatha (the water of life) aka whisky.
Iain MacFarlane was born in Glenfinnan, a small village in Lochaber. Whilst being taught the fiddle from his father and also from Donald Riddell, he also started to receive tutelage on the bagpipes from pipe Major Evan MacRae at the age of 10. Since his teens Iain has played in many musical formations and projects such as Gaelic Drama, Contemporary Dance, Radio and Television, while still playing with local "greats" such as Fearchar MacRae, Angus Grant and Fergie MacDonald. You can also catch Iain performing at the festival with the acclaimed, award winning band Blazin' Fiddles.
Iain will be joined on stage by accomplished musicians/singers Ingrid Henderson and Ewan Robertson. Visuals and sound is by Allan Mackinnon.
Multi-instrumentalist Ingrid Henderson was born and brought up in Lochaber, and joined the Gaelic band Cliar in 1999 to play piano and clàrsach. She won the prestigious BBC Radio 2 Young Traditionalist Award in 1990 and is a graduate in Celtic Studies from Glasgow University. She has recorded on several albums and is now runs a recording studio in Glenfinnan.
24-year-old guitarist and singer Ewan Robertson hails from Carrbridge in Strathspey. Ewan attended the National Centre of Excellence for Traditional Music in Scotland in 2000 where he studied fiddle and pipes. He helped form the award winning band Breabach, who he still plays with. More recently Ewan became the first singer/guitarist to win the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Award.
Allan Mackinnon lives in Inverness and has provided sound and lighting for most of the professional acts to come out of the Highlands. He currently works at Inverness' premier music venue The Ironworks.
The Cairngorms Cèilidh Trail will open the concert.
Adult Earlybird Ticket (up to 31st July 2009) £10.00 and £12.00 (from 01.08.09)
Senior Citizen £10.00
Children (U16) and School Pupils £5.00
Family Ticket (2 adults with 2 children) £28.00
Book Tickets Venue Website
Sunday 6th September 2009
Aviemore Centre, Aviemore Highland Resort
Venue Postcode: PH22 1PN
7.30pm
East Meets West
Karen Matheson, Micheal Marra and James Graham
We have brought together three of the most respected singers in Gaelic and Scots/English to perform in the luxurious auditorium of the Aviemore Highland Resort. These seasoned artistes all come from strong musical backgrounds and have delighted audiences across Scotland and around the world through their stunning voices and exquisite choice of traditional and newly composed material. Anyone who managed to get a ticket to see Capercaillie perform here at Blas a few years back will know how special this concert will be. Book your tickets early!
Karen Matheson
Widely recognised as the haunting vocals of Celtic super-group Capercaillie, Karen was given an OBE in the 2006 New Years Honours list, an astonishing achievement to add to her award of “Best Gaelic singer” from the inaugural Scottish folk awards - just two of many plaudits earned from a career which began with her performing as a child in her local village hall on the West coast of Scotland.
As a solo performer, Karen has been involved in various projects of collaboration including the award winning BBC series Transatlantic Sessions, where she recorded tracks with Emmylou Harris, The McGarrigle Sisters, Nanci Griffith, Rufus Wainwright and a host of respected musicians.
Michael Marra
Michael Marra’s songs are finely crafted works of art, offering insightful observance into human behaviour tinged with wonderfully dark humour. Marra, a native of Dundee, is a man for the people who has toured extensively as a solo artist as well as working with other great Scottish artists. As a performer, his years of experience have given him the ability to put an audience instantly at ease, allowing them to fully enjoy his startling musicianship and spine tingling voice. There is a refreshing, rarely seen honesty and emotion to everything he does.
James Graham
A graduate of the RSAMD, James has performed around Scotland, in Europe and the USA, delighting audiences with his gentle, laid-back style and superb delivery. His varied choice of Gaelic songs demonstrates the talent that brought James the BBC Young Traditional Musician Award in 2004.
Adult Earlybird Ticket (up to 31st July 2009) £16.00 and £18.00 (from 01.08.09)
Senior Citizen £16.00
Children (U16) and School Pupils £5.00
Family Ticket (2 adults with 2 children) £40.00
SPECIAL OFFER
1) Pre-Show Supper, Event Ticket & Accommodation (room only) at the Inn £49.95 per person
2) And a Bed and Breakfast offer at £35 per person with any ticket.
For package deals contact Aviemore MacDonald Highland Resort 01479 815100 or www.macdonaldhotels.co.uk/aviemore (promotional Code PN6)
FOR TICKETS ONLY (without meal or accommodation packages)
Please book by the following methods
Online: Click here
By Phone: 0844 847 1684
In Person: Call in to the Resort Box Office
Book Tickets Venue Website
Wednesday 9th September 2009
Badenoch Centre, Kingussie Venue Postcode: PH21 1EH
7.30pm
Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham - Legends
with Ishbel MacAskill
We extend a warm Highland welcome to Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham who make a welcome return to our festival. The famous fiddle and accordion duo will be joined by a selection of young, local and professional musicians in their various concerts at Blas.
Aly & Phil started playing music together after having great fun recording one of Aly's early TV shows. Public response to these sessions was such that they decided to tour together and so a great partnership was born. Their annual tour has grown and has become something of an institution with the concerts selling out faster each year.
Aly Bain is the best known and most significant fiddle player in the celtic tradition. He is rightly regarded as Scotland's supreme fiddler- arguably the finest of all time. As a founder member of Boys of the Lough, Aly has toured extensively in America, Europe and the UK. In 1994 Aly was awarded an M.B.E. in recognition of his services to music and was further honoured in 1999, receiving the degree of Doctor of Music from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
Phil Cunningham is a world famous accordion player and composer. At sixteen he joined his brother John in the highly acclaimed band Silly Wizard. He was nominated in June 1996 in The Scotsman as one of Scotland's most influential people. In recent years Phil's work load has included numerous commissions for TV and film and an increasing amount of work as musical director for television and large theatrical events.
Adult Earlybird Ticket (up to 31st July 2009) £12.00 and £14.00 (from 01.08.09)
Senior Citizen £12.00
Children (U16) and School Pupils £5.00
Family Ticket (2 adults with 2 children) £30.00
book tickets Venue Website
