May 18, 2013

Appearing at this year’s festival and click on the highlighted link for more information about the artist or band.

Basco /Blazin’ Fiddles/Blyde Lasses/Boys of the Lough/The Cheechoo Family/The Dirty Beggars/Glenfinnan Ceilidh Band/Gria/The Henry Girls/Kerr Fagan Harbron/Leonard Brown/Martin Donohoe and the Irish Gang/Mike Tickell/New Rope String Band/Rachel Sermanni/Broken Strings/Bruce Mainland/The Chair/Eric Linklater/Fiddletime/Fiona Driver and Graham Simpson/Frank Keenan and Login’s Well/Graham Low and Jack Kirkpatrick/Hadhirgaan/Halina & Aidan/Hullion/Jenny Keldie and Brian Cromarty/Jo Philby Band/Kirkwall City Pipe Band/Kyan/Maggie and James Nicolson/Mira/No Soond/Orkney Accordion and Fiddle Club/Orkney Folk: The Gathering/Orkney Strathspey and Reel Society/Orkney Traditonal Music Project/Ronald Anderson Dance Band/Saltfishforty/Song Shop Choir/Song Shop Trio/Stromness RBL Pipe Band/Stronsay’s Silver Darlings/Three of Bu/West Mainland Strathspey & Reel Society/Wrigley and the Reel

As well as all the concerts with the above artists, there are also Talks and Workshops:
SATURDAY 25  MAY

Talk – Orcadians in the Sub-Arctic: Musical Exchanges with the James Bay Cree
11:00am – Stromness Academy Lecture Theatre, Stromness
Frances Wilkins, an ethnomusicologist and researcher in Scottish and North American musical traditions, will give an introduction to these musical connections collected during fieldwork in the James Bay region.
Sponsor – The Pier Arts Centre

Workshops
11:00am – Stromness Community Centre, Stromness
Instrument Makers Demonstration
Derek Curtis (flute), Eoin Leonard (bodhran), Colin William Tulloch (violin)

Open Stage
12noon – Stromness Town Hall, Stromness
Guests: Mira (winners 2012)
Sponsor – Northstar New Media   -
Artists have already been chosen for this years Open Stage – so why not try for next years festival!
The Winners are invited to The Danny Kyle Open Stage at Celtic Connections 2014.

Workshops
1:00pm – Stromness Community Centre, Stromness
Clarsach – Ingrid Henderson
Bodhran – Aimee Leonard - SOLD OUT
Accordion – Dougie Hunter
To register, please email info@orkneyfolkfestival.com. Attending any of the one-hour sessions costs £10 per person.

Music in St. Magnus
1.00pm – St. Magnus Cathedral, Kirkwall
Orkney Traditional Music Project

The House of Song
2.00pm – Royal Hotel, Stromness
Hosted by Doris Rougvie

Saturday Family Concert
2.00pm – Stromness Academy, Stromness
New Rope String Band
Fiddletime
Sponsor – Morrison Construction

Workshops
3:00pm – Stromness Community Centre, Stromness
Flute – Cathal McConnell
Cree Fiddle – James Cheechoo
Irish Song – The Henry Girls
To register, please email info@orkneyfolkfestival.com Attending any of the one-hour sessions costs £10 per person.

See you all there!  Liz Clark.

May 18, 2013

This week’s ‘castaway’ on Ciaran Dorris Sunday Session on Sunday 19 May at 5.00pm is Northern Ireland singer-songwriter Eve Williams

Eve is from County Down and she writes music inspired by her love of diverse artists such as Kate Bush, Peggy Lee and Máire Brennan which bring a little flavour of her Celtic homeland to contemporary, heartfelt songs.

Her four octave voice makes for diverse melodic and harmonic potential.

John McGlynn of Anūna has described Eve as having ‘a great voice’ and Pamela Ballantine of UTV Life has commented on her ‘fine, true voice’.

Eve completed her Master of Music degree in Songwriting at Bath Spa University in September 2012 and released her debut album ‘Twenty Miles From Home’ the same year.

Ciaran Dorris Sunday Session, Sunday 19 May 5.00-7.00pm and Catch Up anytime.

May 18, 2013

The Celtic Music Radio Album of the Week commencing Saturday 19 May is from Trail West with their album ‘One That Got Away’.  Tune in from 12 noon and 12 midnight today (Saturday) and 6.00pm on Monday 20 May to hear Danny Matheson talking with Trail West about their debut CD One That Got Away.

May 18, 2013

Festival Fling this weekend showcases the acts that played the Orkney Folk Festival 2012.  Festival Fling introduced by Liz Clark airs at 2.00pm on Saturday and Sunday.

This year’s festival take place this May holiday weekend from Thursday 23 to Sunday 26 May. Details at the Orkney Folk Festival website.

The Orkney Folk Festival is today widely regarded as one of the most prolific and special throughout Scotland, the UK and further afield.

Entering it’s 30th year in 2012, the festival is manned year round by a voluntary committee of around a dozen members – the same principal format upon which it was founded in 1982.

In the early eighties both tourism and traditional music were going through a low period. The summer tourism season was shrinking, and so there was a great need to increase visitor numbers to the islands in the earlier summer months, so that the tourism industry could become more sustainable.  Also, at that time, folk music was seen as unfashionable – particularly amongst the younger generations.

Taking these threads as a cue, the then Orkney Tourist Board and BBC Radio Orkney were instrumental in bringing together a group of individuals with the requisite skills to take on the role of organising and promoting a folk festival.  A committee was formed in late 1982, and in less than six months staged the first festival at the end of May in 1983.

The Orkney Folk Festival has since been contributing to the musical and cultural life of Orkney, has established itself as an important event in both the Orkney and Scottish folk calendars.

One of the most important characteristics of 1983’s festival that stands true today is the balance of visiting and local artistes. Whilst the festival has become a sought-after stage amongst folk acts worldwide, it is equally the local, Orkney-based, acts that make the festival what it is.

Many people enjoy the festival, and the atmosphere it creates in and around Stromness and the isles, so much that they return year after year to experience the fine mixture of music and hospitality. Many are musicians, storytellers or dancers themselves, however there are scores of others who simply come to enjoy the “craic”.

We invite you to come and experience the festival’s magic too!

Listen to Festival Fling on Saturday from 2.00-4.00pm and on Sunday at 2.00pm introduced by Liz Clark.