News

Grantown resounds to a traditional success story

THE Strathspey in May festival of traditional music in Grantown at the weekend was voted a resounding success by the bands and tutors taking part....and most importantly, the music lovers who attended it!
From the fast and furious piping of star player Finlay Macdonald on the Friday evening to the more sedate and nostalgic vocals of folk legend Bert Jansch on Sunday afternoon, Gran-town rocked with music and applause.
Festival artistic director John Jackson, who was responsbile for booking the bands, said that the second festival of its kind had been a triumph, and he hoped that the workshops would prove an inspiration to fledgling talent.
He said: “We managed to get together a wonderful display of talent for the weekend. The festival is workshop-based, and we are trying to promote the joy of learning an instrument well and playing it properly.
“We have to back that up by showcasing people who are masters of their art, like Flook on Saturday and Finlay MacDonald on Friday, who gave outstanding performances.
“These guys are inspirational figures for a lot of musicians, and we have given people a chance to work with them. They might come away from the workshop charged up and enthusiastic about practising their instrument, just to get to a higher level and experience the joy of playing well.
“People have come from far and wide – two people travelled from Germany especially to come to the concerts. We have had people from Skye, Orkney and Birmingham at the workshops, and there have been hundreds of hits a day on the website – it has been a great success.”
The four concerts over the weekend were mainly sold out, and the workshops were all fully booked.
This year there were workshops in clarsach, cittern, step dance and songwriting, as well as in whistle, flute, guitar, fiddle, uilleann and highland pipes, clarsach, singing and bodhran from some of Scotland and Ireland’s top musicians.
Dr Boyd Peters, committee member, said that the festival had been a real fillip for local businesses.
BUSIER
He commented: “The town was busier and workshop numbers were 88 this year, compared to less than 60 last year. We hope to do the same and even more next year, again on the second weekend of May.
“The festival has become a real draw, and even attracted visitors from the Continent, who left Grantown with a good impression.
“I would like to think that, like the car boot sale which also took place over the weekend, more community events and celebrations will take place as part of Strathspey in May.”
Visitors to the display of antique accordions in Burnfield Museum at the weekend could also listen to a lesson in playing the uillean pipes, as the workshop was being held in the same room.
In the YMCA, a collection of fine instrument makers showcased their work: Mr Mike Anderson, who makes electric bowed instruments and clarsachs; George Ormiston with his high-quality wooden flutes; Dave Shaw, a bellows pipes maker; Belgarth Bodhrans and Alba Aerophonics, who make alloy whistles and flutes.
This was the first year that instrument makers had been invited, and the organisers hope that this part of the festival will become an annual gathering of traditional instrument-makers.
Summing up, Mr Jackson said: “We have done a bit of good for the town, with over 300 bed nights sold over the weekend. We booked some very expensive bands, and are very pleased that we seem to have at least broken even.
“We are a non-profit-making group, so we didn’t want to make a fortune – I think we will have a little left over to give us a start for next year.
“We were very pleased to see so many local faces at the ceilidh on Sunday evening, who turned out to listen to Lindsay Weir on accordion.
“The evening turned out very well, and overall it’s been another fantastic festival, enjoyed by everyone if the feedback forms are anything to go by.”
Programme notes describe one of the aims of the festival as being “the pursuit of excellence”, and there is no doubt that music lovers from Grantown and abroad were treated to a weekend of musical excellence.