Caithness
Tuesday 8th September 2009
Assembly Rooms, Wick Venue Postcode: KW1 4AB
7.30pm
Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham - Legends
with Fergie MacDonald, Addie Harper, Darren MacLean
& Melvich Gaelic Choir
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
Thursday 10th September 2009
Mill Theatre, Thurso Venue Postcode: KW14 8PS
7.30pm
Celtic Cousins - Ireland and Scotland
with Tread and the Calum Stewart Trio
Anyone who saw the Chieftains concert at Blas 2008 (or on BBC Alba) won't easily forget the amazing young dancers and musicians from Ireland and North America who performed alongside the legendary band. We were so blown away by their talent and dexterity we enquired if they ever played together out-with the Chieftains? Luckily for us they do and they are aptly called 'Tread'! We have set Tread on a tour of the Highlands with some of the best up and coming acts to come out of Scotland as well as the multi talented Fèisean nan Gaidheal Cèilidh Trail groups. This is one show that will get your hands clapping and feet tapping!
Tread
Experience the magic and exhilaration of this new, exciting show brought to you by five young people who unite the rich musical and dance traditions of Ireland, Scotland, and Canada. Tread’s combination of instrument and dance thrills the audience with its vitality, passion and exuberance. Triona Marshall (harp) and Jon Pilatzke (fiddle) take temporary leave from the iconic musical masters "The Chieftains" with whom they have toured for some years. They are joined by fellow Chieftains touring alum Nathan Pilatzke (Canadian stepdance) and Cara Butler (Irish stepdance), whose incredible, intricate step-dancing will have the audience on its feet. Add to this the sonorous voice and guitar of Jef McLarnon, and you have a show that will live in the memory.
Calum Stewart Trio
Originally from the small Morayshire village of Garmouth, in North East Scotland, Calum Stewart was raised with traditional music in the family home, where the Fiddle and Piping traditions of Scotland were the earliest influences in his playing. Now based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Calum's interest lies in music from well beyond his native Morayshire: looking beyond regional and national boundaries, for the territory between old and new.
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
