Category: The Haal

13th Haal – Saturday Night – Karine Polwart and Sileas

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. 

Tickets £25 from bobportsoy@gmail.com

13th Haal – Friday Night – The Sands Family

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

Demand High As Haal Returns

Folk at the Salmon Bothy are gearing up for a busy weekend from 1-3 October as the 11th Haal traditional music festival makes a much-welcomed return to Portsoy, with demand for tickets already high.
Weekend tickets for the event are now sold out, and the Saturday night concert featuring Peggy Seeger is also at capacity. However, a limited number of tickets are still available for the Friday night Jimmy MacBeath Memorial Concert featuring Archie Fisher and the Sunday night farewell concert with Folk at the Salmon Bothy and special guests.

There is also a full programme of additional sessions taking place over the weekend, including a number of local bands and musicians performing at the Shore Inn and Portsoy Boatshed by the Old Harbour on Friday and Saturday evenings, and a number of free open sessions available on Saturday and Sunday afternoons. A range of workshops are also planned, led by experts in their fields. Arthur Coates and Martin MacDonald will lead a fiddle and guitar accompaniment, and a whistle session with Dick Elliott will help enthusiasts to hit the right note.

Budding songwriters can share and discuss their works in a session led by Brian o’hEadhra, while Fionnag NicChoinnich leads Scots song with a hint of Gaelic. Visitors can also enjoy a range of stories recounted by story enthusiast Erin Farley.

Not to be missed is an exhibition of weaving, mixed with Doric songs and poetry by Dundee University graduate, Kate Wilson from Inverurie. The display needs to be seen to appreciate the skills and talent required to produce such wonderful works. A music jumble being held in the town’s Scout Hut at Loch Soy on the Sunday from 12noon to 2.30pm offers an opportunity to grab a musical bargain. Visitors are invited to bring along instruments, books and other musical paraphernalia to sell on the day.

Organiser Bob Philips comments, “It’s great to see the enthusiasm for the return of the Haal, and we can’t wait to get together with friends old and new to enjoy the weekend. We are urging anyone who wants to join us to secure tickets quickly, though there may be last minute tickets available in small numbers. Even if visitors are unable to obtain a ticket, there will be a great atmosphere across the town over the weekend, so come along and to enjoy it over fish and chips or an ice cream by the harbourside!”

Sponsored by Kenway Tyres, Hydrasun and supported by a host of local businesses, the three-day festival is taking place after being rescheduled from June to October this year due to earlier Covid restrictions.

Information on the 11th Haal and all of the other Folk at the Salmon Bothy events is available at www.bothyfolk.org or on the Folk at the Salmon Bothy Facebook page. Enquiries can also be made to Bob Philips by email at bobphilips25@live.co.uk, or by telephone, 07968872217.

Download your copy of the programme here

Portsoy Folk Festival A3 Poster 1UP 2021Download
Portsoy-Folk-Festival-A3-Poster-1UP-2021

That’s a wrap !!

Well folks, thats it for another year.
What a cracking good weekend we have had !
Thanks to all who came and supported our 9th Haal Festival.
Special thanks to the army of folk who work behind the scenes to make it all happen. 
Thanks also to the many sponsors who continue to support us. Your support is incredibly important. 

We’ll see you all again next year for the TENTH HAAL !!

Festival opening singaround

Opening Sing-around, Station Hotel Friday 1st 1600. Bill Gray hosts. Come and join us for the first event of this year’s festival. Bring a song or a tune or just come and listen. Committee members will be on hand to help with information and tickets etc.

Workshops

Workshops
Saturday 
12:30 – 14:15 
£7.00 (U16 Free)

  • FIDDLE – Led by Duncan Wood – Town Hall
  • WHISTLE (Beginners)- Led by Kenny Hadden – Town Hall
  • FLUTE (Intermediate) – Led by Cathal McConnell – Town Hall
  • PIPING – Led by Hamish Moore – and Martin MacDonald – Scout Hall
  • Kissin’s nae a Sin – The Spiers Family – Station Hotel

Allan Taylor

ALLAN TAYLOR is one of the last of the travelling troubadours, having played at Festivals, Concert Halls and Clubs throughout the world for over 50 years. He is considered one of the foremost singer songwriters and guitarists in his genre. His songs are crafted in cafes, bars and hotel rooms and they have an integrity that make you aware they are from something real and the pictures painted make you feel as if you are there or know who he is singing about. Allan is also a Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy and Music.

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