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
Workshops
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.
RAB NOAKES is a force to be reckoned with in the music scene in Scotland and beyond. He turned 70 in May 2017 and celebrated 50 years of performing by touring extensively throughout the UK . Over 20 recordings have been made, many of which have been reissued. His collaborations with Barbara Dickson and Kathleen McKinness are simply outstanding. After battling serious illness in 2015, Rab returned to performing with a new set of songs, six of which are featured on his CD Treatment Tapes. His partnership with Allan is sure to be a very special night.
Martin’s playing is fresh and exciting. He has studied classical, folk, jazz and popular styles and specialises in fingerstyle playing. Hailing from Lewis, he has a deep knowledge of both the guitar and the pipes.
DUNCAN WOOD was born in Banff in August, 1955, and raised in Cullen. He travelled south to Eastbourne where he met up with a band of like-minded musicians who performed Scottish and English folk music around the south of England before heading for Norway where he develop his career in the folk band Vandrene, playing throughout Norway and touring extensively in Europe and the USA.
Flute player, tin whistler and singer Cathal McConnell of The Boys of the Lough is one of the best-loved performers in thee world of Celtic music. He is equal parts modern virtuoso and old-time roots musician. On the one hand, capable of stopping a show with dazzling displays of technical virtuosity. On the other hand, he can render an old ballad or tune with a poignancy reminiscent of the great fireside musicians of the past. In 1962, Cathal won the All-Ireland championship on both the flute and tin whistle. Despite over thirty years on the road as a performer, Cathal has never become jaded about playing or singing.
Sponsored by Kenway Tyres – Aberdeen