Folk at the Salmon Bothy
Our very own Stuart B Campbell is part of the music lineup for this event. Along with Scratch N Brass, Will Boyd Wallis, Wee Cabin Ceilidh, Rachel Sermanni, Cat Noble, Stuart B Campbell, and Gary Moyes.
Timber Festival 2024
Donald WG Lindsay & Alasdair Roberts at The Salmon Bothy, Portsoy
Donald and Alasdair will present a programme featuring a rich variety of pipe tunes with guitar accompaniment, as well as a broad selection of songs both traditional and original. The pipe tunes bring together a diverse range of influences, from Scots fiddle tunes (Donald’s elder brother’s fiddling being an early influence), by way of Hungarian and Romanian pipe music, to classic and contemporary Highland piping and Lowland, Border and Northumbrian tunes. The songs range from variants (some rare, some more well-known) of traditional ballads or ‘muckle sangs’, to songs from the Scots lyrical tradition from the early modern period onwards, to contemporary songs written by both Alasdair and Donald.
In the company of Donald WG Lindsay and Alasdair Roberts, listeners can expect a thrilling evening in which rare and splendid gems of Scottish musical history and tradition will be brought to life in the hands of two unconventional masters, who invite you to join them in celebrating thirty years of music and friendship!
Listen here: https://on.soundcloud.com/RZFyD
Alasdair Roberts : fingerstyle guitar, vocals
Alasdair Roberts is a musician (primarily a guitarist and singer) who is based in Glasgow Scotland. He has worked with Drag City Records since 1997, firstly releasing three albums of self-written material under the name Appendix Out and then several albums under his own name. He has also released music on labels such as Secretly Canadian, Galaxia and Stone Tape Recordings. His work mainly consists of two parallel strands: self-written song material and interpretations of traditional songs and ballads from Scotland and beyond.
Alasdair has collaborated widely with many different musicians throughout his musical career, including the Scottish Gaelic singer Mairi Morrison, with whom he made the 2012 album Urstan. He has also collaborated with artists from other disciplines such as puppeteers (Shane Connolly, with whom he worked on a puppet theatre interpretation of the Scottish folk play ‘Galoshins’), film makers (including Luke Fowler, contributing a soundtrack to his film ‘All Divided Selves’) and, most recently, a poet (fellow Scot Robin Robertson, with whom he made the 2013 album Hirta Songs).
“He discovers the inner mystery of traditional music and shows that if this infinitely expressive material is respected, it may yet reward us with results that sound utterly unprecedented. Five stars.” – The Times
Donald WG Lindsay : Scottish smallpipes, vocals
The inventor of the Lindsay System, a sophisticated new Scottish instrument based on the smallpipes, the original prototypes of which are now featured in the museum display of the National Piping Centre in Glasgow. A number of young Scottish musicians have taken up this new three-octave design of Scottish smallpipes, most notably Malin Lewis who is currently touring their debut album Halocline. Donald himself has been featured widely on BBC Radio 3, 4, and 6 music, both with his unique instrument and as a singer, being described by Iggy Pop in 2020 as “really, really good”. He returned in 2022 to live on the Orkney Islands, after three years spent developing his original instrument designs on Ascension Island in the South Atlantic, and finally returns to live touring this autumn with a series of duo dates with Alasdair Roberts this September beginning with an intimate performance on the remote Orkney island of Papay, and culminating in shows at Edinburgh’s Summerhall, and the Tolbooth in Stirling
Dave Goulder – Friday 16th August
Joining us for our Club Night on Friday 16th August is the great Dave Goulder. Dave will perform extended sets including songs, stories and poems. Dave Goulder is a contemporary of his friends Martin Carthy, Archie Fisher and Gordon Bok, all of whom have recorded his songs over the years
A locomotive fireman in the days of British Rail, he has recorded and published two albums and a book of ‘steam’ ballads as well as his more lyrical output of wild songs such as ‘January Man’, ‘Easter Tree’ and ‘Sandwood Down to Kyle’. Classical guitar has always been his instrument of choice but he’s also happy to give a tune on the Jew’s harp. A master craftsman dry stone dyker and instructor, he can punctuate his sets with humorous tales of stone and steam
Plenty spots for keen performers to take the floor and entertain too.
Doors open 7pm for 7.30pm. £5 entry fee.
Bring your own bottle.
All welcome, to perform, or just to relax and enjoy the entertainment on offer.
Salmon Bothy, Portsoy. Doors open at 7pm for 7.30pm start.
Admission is £5, and guests may bring their own bottle.
Kenny Speirs, a well-known figure on the national and international folk circuit, will perform an extended set as part of Folk at the Salmon Bothy’s Open Mic Session on Friday 19 April.
Performing initially with the John Wright Band in the early nineties, Kenny was propelled from the pubs and clubs of his local area in the Scottish Borders to some of the biggest festival stages throughout the UK and Europe.
Releasing seven albums with the John Wright Band after turning professional in 1995 earned him as a sensitive guitarist, singer and arranger. A further two solo album releases gained further wide critical acclaim.
In 2001 Kenny formed Real Time with his partner Judy Dinning. For the next 12 years they toured extensively throughout the UK and Europe, until Judy’s untimely death in 2013.
The band continued without her until 2019, by which time Kenny had decided to concentrate on writing his own material and pursue a solo career, releasing two self-penned albums ‘Sleepwalking’ and ‘New Dawn Breaking’.
“We are very much looking forward to welcoming Kenny back to Portsoy. A highly acclaimed singer/songwriter, Kenny has performed for us in the past, and has been very well received by local audiences thanks to his interesting song repertoire and laid back style. His extended sets will complement performances from regular club members and guests who will also take to the stage on the night.
A warm welcome awaits all who wish to join us.”
Bob.
Enquiries and ticket requests to Bob Philips at bobportsoy@gmail.com, or by telephone, 07968 872 217.
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.
Tickets £25 from bobportsoy@gmail.com
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”
Tickets £12, Doors open 1930, BYOB
Contact Bob at bobportsoy@gmail.com
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
Whats happening at Folk at the Salmon Bothy?
Coming up at Folk at the Salmon Bothy. Here are some great events during the next few months.
For more details please get in touch on FaceBook or email Bob at bobportsoy@gmail.com
Kenny Spiers – Sat 10th September
Kenny Speirs is one of the leading figures of the Borders folk scene, from his early days reforming Peebles Folk Club and presenting the weekly folk programme on Radio Borders to the founding of Denholm Folk Club in 1993 which he still runs today.
An evening of fine songs not to be missed.
https://www.kennyspeirs.com/
Salmon Bothy, Sat 8th Sept.,
Doors 7.30pm £10.
