A whole weekend of concerts, workshops, sessions, story telling, and performances in and around the village of Portsoy
Friday 2nd June – Jimmy McBeath Memorial Concert with Nathalie Chalmers, Danny Couper, Charlie Abel, Aaron and Andy Clark. The fantastic Sands Family from Co Down will headline the concert. Tickets £25
Saturday 3rd June – Main concert – Patsy Sneddon and Mary MacMaster – Sileas. Headline artist Karine Polwart. Tickets £25
Sunday 4th June – Grand farewell concert featuring members of Folk at the Salmon Bothy and guests. Tickets £10
13th Haal – Saturday Night – Karin Polwart and Sileas
Only a few tickets left for our Saturday night concert featuring Patsy Seddon and Mary Macmaster (Sileas) and the wonderful Karine Polwart.
SILEAS
SILEAS, The harp duo of Patsy Seddon and Mary Macmaster adopted the name of a late 17th century female Gaelic bard, Sìleas na Ceapaich – Sileas MacDonald of Keppoch – and exploited the contrasting timbres of gut and wire-strung harps as well as the newly developed electroharp to bring Scottish harp music and Gaelic and Scots song to an ever-widening contemporary audience.
Sileas were one of the first groups to make the harp cool! The combined harp talents of Patsy Seddon and Mary MacMaster together with their vocal harmonies create an exciting new view of what the harp can do. Using both wire strung and gut strung harps gives dimension to their playing. Their album Beating Harps has been described as “virtuosic” and “unusual rhythmic and harmonic intricacy”.
KARINE POLWART is a multi-award-winning Scottish songwriter, folk singer, and storyteller. Her songs evoke a richness of place, hidden histories, scientific curiosity and folklore. Trees and rocks speak. Birds flit in and out of vision. And the stars know everything. She conjures the beauty and magic, the sorrow and complexity of the world out of the corner of her eye, with lyricism and tenderness.
Just a few tickets left for this fantastic Friday night concert featuring The Sands Family from Rostrevor, Co Down. We invite you to take a stroll down the Ryan Road with one of Ireland’s most respected and admired folk bands.
Anne, Ben, Colum and Tommy have won international acclaim with their clever mix of traditional Irish music and song coupled with their own thought- provoking compositions reflecting the rich cultural heritage of their home county, An Dun. Renowned as performers, writers and presenters they have remained at the centre of Ulster folk music for a generation and show no evidence of running out of inspiration, enthusiasm or energy.
Ireland’s First Family of Folk have the gift of making their audience feel immediately home as they weave stories and jokes seamlessly into the fabric of their performance. Book early and avoid disappointment.
Support by Nathalie Chalmers, Danny Couper, Charlie Abel, Aaron and Andy Clark
A whole weekend of concerts, workshops, sessions, story telling, and performances in and around the village of Portsoy
Friday 2nd June – Jimmy McBeath Memorial Concert with Nathalie Chalmers, Danny Couper, Charlie Abel, Aaron and Andy Clark. The fantastic Sands Family from Co Down will headline the concert. Tickets £25
Saturday 3rd June – Main concert – Patsy Sneddon and Mary MacMaster – Sileas. Headline artist Karine Polwart. Tickets £25
Sunday 4th June – Grand farewell concert featuring members of Folk at the Salmon Bothy and guests. Tickets £10
We welcome Tommy Sands, Northern Irish singer, songwriter and social activist back to the Salmon Bothy in Portsoy on Saturday 25 March. Renowned worldwide, Sands performed with his siblings as The Sands Family, and has developed into one of the most powerful songwriters and enchanting solo performers in Ireland today.
Bob Philips, chairman of Folk at the Salmon Bothy, commented, “The Bothy Folk are looking forward to a busy year, with lots of events and entertainment planned. We have witnessed a range of amazing talent grow and emerge from the local folk scene, as well as welcoming performers from across the world to Portsoy, and we look forward to continuing this throughout 2023.
We are especially excited about welcoming Tommy Sands, providing the opportunity to listen to a fantastic performer in the intimate surroundings of Portsoy’s Salmon Bothy”
A celebration of the works of Rabbie Burns and of the Bothy Ballads of North East Scotland
Featuring the fantastic Tripple (Jill, Cate & Annie Lennox) supported by Bill & Mac Lennox Also starring Bothy Trophy Winners ~ Doug Hay & Bill Gray, Bowling Club, Portsoy Sat 18th February 2023 ~ Doors Open 6:30 pm 3 Course Meal, Tea, Coffee & a Dram! All for Only £25 Booking Essential ~ Tickets available from Bob Philips 07968 872217 bobportsoy@gmail.com
Survived Hogmanay, then come along to very informal New Years Day Session. Portsoy Bowling Club. 2000 start. Entry free, but bring a raffle prize and some nibbles to share.
Friday 16th December – Open mic Xmas Special, hosted by Mic HO HO HO ! Blackburn. 1930 in Salmon Bothy. Bring a seasonal song, tune, story, or simply come along and relax and enjoy the performances. Joan and Paul in charge of the ‘falling down’ refreshments and nibbles. Donations to local food bank can be left in box at foot of stair. We will ensure goods are delivered to local distribution point.
Sunday 1st January 2023. Survived Hogmanay, then come along to very informal New Years Day Session. Portsoy Bowling Club. 2000 start. Entry free, but bring a raffle prize and some nibbles to share. Saturday 28th January. Banffshire Ceilidh. Banff RFC/ Cornhill Games , Burns Ceilidh Dance. Banff Bowling Club. Euan McIlwraith to address haggis and dancing to Dark Island Ceilidh Band. Tickets £25. Booking essential.
Saturday 18th February. Bothy Ballads and Burns Night . Portsoy Bowling Club. Hosted by The Lennox Family, with Doug Hay and Bill Gray. 3 course meal and a dram. £25. Booking essential.
Sat 25th March. Tommy Sands in Concert at Bothy. £12. A most gifted songwriter…with an ability to write on serious subjects which come across as songs rather than sermons…also well able to be extremely funny in the way he puts words together. . . Irish Times
13th HAAL – 2nd, 3rd, 4th June 2023. A weekend of concerts, sing arounds, tunes, sessions, story telling, competitions and tributes to Jimmy McBeath and Davy Steele. Featuring – The Sands Family, Karine Polwart, Sileas, Danny Couper, Aaron Clark, The Spiers Family, Scott Gardiner, Natalie Chalmers, Beth Malcom, Jamie Steele, Doug Hay, Bill Gray and many many more. Weekend tickets available. Camping, B & B, Hostel and AirBnB all available.
3rd Friday each month – Open Mic. At the Salmon Bothy. Information and Tickets from bobportsoy@gmail.com, Www.bothyfolk.org or FB.
Coming up at Folk at the Salmon Bothy. Here are some great events during the next few months.
Friday 18th November – Stuart Campbell is our MC for this months Open Mic Event. Doors open 1900. £4 includes Tea/ coffee etc. BYOB.
Friday 16th December. Mike Blackburn is to MC our Xmas Extravaganza. More info to follow.
New Years Day 2023 – Session on New Years Day 2023. Portsoy Bowling Club. Free entry, however bring a raffle prize and some food to share. 8.00pm onwards. Please let Bob know asap if interested. This event will only run if enough support.
Saturday 18th February – Bothy Ballads and Burns. The Wonderful Lennox Family will once again host our Bothy Ballads and Burns event, Portsoy Bowling Club. More details to follow. Bookings now being taken.
Saturday 25th March. – Tommy Sands in concert in the Salmon Bothy. Tommy is no stranger to Portsoy and is a superb singer songwriter, story teller and peace activist.
For more details please get in touch on FaceBook or email Bob at bobportsoy@gmail.com
Folk Singer Jimmy McBeath Remembered Through Music And Song
Bothy ballads echoed through Portsoy recently as musicians gathered to remember the legendary late folk singer, Jimmy McBeath.
The event on Saturday 1 October was organised by the town’s Folk at the Salmon Bothy, to mark fifty years since McBeath’s passing in 1972.
One of Scotland’s most memorable and talented personalities, McBeath bequeathed a priceless treasury of songs as part of Scotland’s heritage. Many of his songs such as Come aa Ye Tramps and Hawkers, The Wind Blew the Bonnie Lassie’s Plaidie Awa and The Bonnie Lass o Fyvie, have been adopted by internationally known folk singers, and are still valued and sung around the world today.
A group of twenty people, many who had known McBeath personally, gathered at Portsoy graveyard to celebrate the grand legacy of song left behind by McBeath.
David Denoon, who had known McBeath well, gave a moving tribute to ‘The Scout’ as he was known, prior to laying a wreath of autumn flowers at McBeath’s grave.
The day of celebration and remembrance continued in front of extended audiences. An excellent presentation on McBeath’s life was given, compiled by Tom Spires and led by Arthur Watson. Songs and stories were contributed by Geordie Murison, Maggie Spiers and Scott Gardiner.
A number of bothy songs performed by local champion singers Doug Hay and Bill Gray kicked off the evening event, followed by a fantastic and moving performance of Jock’s Jocks, which brought tears to many eyes. The evening programme was brought to a close by Choras, who harmonised beautifully across a variety of songs.
Reflecting on the day, Bob Philips, chairman of Folk at the Salmon Bothy, commented, “The event was a fitting celebration of Jimmy McBeath, one of Scotland’s most talented and memorable personalities on the traditional folk music scene. Performers and audience members alike shared both laughter and tears during a host of superb performances from talented musicians and singers throughout the day. The evening event concluded with all the performers and some of the audience singing A Parting Glass, which proved to be a very apt end to a day during which many a glass had been raised to the folk music legend that is Jimmy McBeath.”
