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2024 at Folk at the Salmon Bothy

Portsoy’s Folk at The Salmon Bothy have kicked off the new year by announcing an exciting programme of live music events.

Performers are invited to join an Open Mic Night on Friday 19 January at Portsoy Salmon Bothy, where they can share music, songs, ballads and poetry around the table.

All welcome, whether to perform, or simply enjoy the entertainment on offer.  Doors open at 7pm for 7.30pm start.  Admission is £5, and guests may bring their own bottle. 

Open Mic Nights continue on the third Friday of each month throughout the year, including extended sets performed by The Sir Reel Clarks on 15 March, and Kenny Spiers on 18 April.

The club’s renowned Bothy Ballads and Burns event takes place on Saturday 17 February from 6.30pm, where special guests Choras and Tom Dymock will perform.  A number of Burns songs, tunes and poems, interspersed with bothy ballads will also be on the bill.

Tickets for the evening, priced at £25, include a three-course meal and toast dram. Booking is essential, please contact Bob Philips on bobportsoy@gmail.com or 07968 872217. 

The event will also mark the official launch of 2024 Haal festival, which is set to take place on 31 May, 1 & 2 June.  Now in its 14th year, the Haal continues to attract the best performers from across the regions to take part in a variety of concerts, music sessions, workshops and sing-arounds for all ages and performing abilities in venues across Portsoy.

Headliners for the Saturday evening include Jacquie McShee’s Pentangle, and one of the last of the travelling troubadours, Leeds based Allan Taylor.

Tickets for the festival are available now.

Bob Philips, chairman of Folk at the Salmon Bothy, commented, “We are looking forward to another packed programme throughout 2024.  As well as nurturing local folk music talent, we are also proud to attract performers from far afield to Portsoy for our audiences to enjoy.  This year is no different as we continue to add globally recognised singer-songwriters to our listings, and look forward to welcoming them, along with existing and new audiences to our many events across the year. Our sincere thanks go to our long standing sponsors, including Hydrasun, Kenway Tyres and Hamlyns, without whom we would not be able to host the Haal festival annually.”

Further information on all Folk at the Salmon Bothy events is available at www.bothyfolk.org or on the Folk at the Salmon Bothy Facebook page. 

Dates for your Diary. 

Coming up at Folk at the Salmon Bothy

  • Friday, 17th Nov – Regular Open Mic – in Bothy. Doors open 1900.
  • Friday 15th Dec. – Christmas Extravaganza. With punch and nibbles
  • 1st January. 2024 – New year session in Bowling Club. Bring friends an nibbles to share, plus a raffle prize.
  • 19th Jan and 16th Feb – regular open mic nights.
  • Sat 17th Feb – Bothy Ballads and Burns Night. 3 course meal. dram. Chaired by Tom Dymmock and songs from CHORAS and floor singers. All for £25. Bookings now being taken.

Keep safe and well.
Hope to see you all soon.

Folk club cancelled.

Due to the expected poor weather conditions the decision has been taken to cancel the regular club meeting on Friday 20th.

Stay home and stay safe 🏡😊

The programme – 13th HAAL 2nd – 4th June

13th HAAL Festival 2nd – 4th June 2023

Today’s the day! – Here’s a copy of our programme. Hope you have a great festival 🙂

Portsoy-Folk-Festival-PosterDownload

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

Here’s the programme for the 13th Haal Festival

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

13th HAAL 2nd – 4th June 2023

13th HAAL Festival 2nd – 4th June 2023

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

Here’s the programme for the 13th Haal Festival

Portsoy-Folk-Festival-PosterDownload

Tommy Sands – Saturday 25 March

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

Bothy Ballads and Burns

Bothy Ballads & Burns

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

New Year’s Day Bash

Sunday 1st January 2023.

New Year’s Day Bash.

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.

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