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Message from the Chair

HI Folks,
I hope you are all well.
It is after some serious consideration, I regret to have to inform you, that FATSB Events to celebrate the arrival of 2022 and Commemoration of Jimmy McBeath, have been postponed. The event in honour of Jimmy is pencilled in for 1st October 2022 and the welcoming of 2022 may be by zoom – tbc.
It is hoped that our Bothy Ballads and Burns event, featuring the Lennox Family (Tripple plus the Boys) will be able to go ahead on 19th February. Details will be posted on web site and FB pages.
We may also have a zoom session again soon so keep an eye on FB etc or let me know If interested and I will send link.
Finally, thanks to you all for your support of FATSB throughout this very difficult spell. It hasn’t been good, however our support of each other has been great and The HAAL in October certainly lifted a few spirits.
I wish you all a peaceful and safe Festive Season, and a Healthy and Happy 2022. Surely it will be kinder to us than 2020-21. I look forward to seeing you all again asap.
Bob

Club Night – Friday 17th December – Cancelled

It is with great regret that FATSB have decided that it would be unwise to gather in the Bothy this month. Our club night on Friday 17th December 2021 is therefore CANCELLED.

This decision is made in the light of recent Govt and Health Authority announcements re severity of transmission of new strain of Covid-19.

A further announcement will be made w/c 27 Dec regarding the planned New Years Day Session and the Jimmy McBeath event on 8th Jan.

I hope you understand this decision and keep safe and well. 

Best Wishes, Bob

Postponed – Jimmy McBeath – 50th Anniversary of his passing

Postponed until Oct 2022

Saturday 8th January 2022

Postponed until October 2022 due to Covid-19

12:00 Portsoy Cemetery
Laying of wreath at Jimmy’s grave, with a few stories and songs, led by Danny Couper

14:00 Portsoy Community Church Hall
Celebration of Jimmy’s life and contribution to Folk Song.
Led by Arthur Watson with support from Danny Couper, Geordie Murison, Scott Gardiner and The Spiers Family, performing songs from Jimmy’s repertoire, with a few surprising snippets from Jimmy himself.

19:30 Portsoy Community Church Hall
Concert – Doors open from 19:00
Bill Gray and Doug Hay will start the evening with a few of the songs made famous by Jimmy McBeath.
Gary West, Charlie West and Scott Gardiner will then perform Jock’s Jocks, a one-act play based on the wartime stories of around sixty WW1 soldiers, who were interviewed by north-east singer Jock Duncan
Choras (Aileen Carr, Barbara Dymock & Janice Clark) will round off the evening’s entertainment.

Afternoon Ticket £10
Evening Concert £15
Both for £20

Advance Tickets
Contact Bob Philips:
bobphilips25@live.co.uk
07968 872217

In Concert – Bob Knight and Mike Blackburn – Sat 13th Nov

Saturday 13th November – Salmon Bothy, Portsoy
Two very fine singer songwriters on one night!

Bob Knight is a highly experienced singer from Aberdeen, Scotland, who has been making a significant name for himself in the world of folk and traditional music. He is well known in North East Scotland folk circles as a singer and writer of songs in traditional style, having performed at most of the local clubs, and festivals, including many events at Aberdeen University’s Elphinstone Institute. Bob doesn’t just confine himself to his home patch though, and has played all over Scotland, including Edinburgh Folk club, The Scottish Storytelling Centre, (Edinburgh) The Rolling Hills Folk Festival in Melrose, the Portsoy Boat Festival, Dougie McLean’s Perthshire Amber festival, and Celtic Connections in Glasgow.
Bob performs as a solo artist, accompanying himself on guitar and shruti-box.

Bob Knight

Mike Blackburn

Singer-Songwriter and performer of self-penned, traditional and contemporary songs, Mike loves to put traditional songs in a new context, and definitely loves to mess with your emotions

There is no such thing as a bad music genre! I’m a fan of all music, provided it is good music – not written to a formula or with all the guts and soul removed from it. I want to write music and lyrics that move people (and I don’t mean out of the auditorium!). For many years I have used the same method – I imagine being a person involved in some way in a famous or not-so-famous happening; I delve into their imagined head, and when I feel that I know what they are thinking, I write it down!

Saturday 13th November
Salmon Bothy, Portsoy
Doors open 7.30
Admission £8

Back in the Bothy

Back in the Bothy

This week’s FATSB Open Mic is to be held back in the Bothy.
Doors open 1900 for 1930 start, with Mike in the hot seat.
Joan and Paul will be at door to relieve you of £4 entry fee and as many pounds worth of raffle tickets as you care to purchase.
Please bring you own refreshments (provision of teas etc still suspended), try to implement sensible social distancing and keep doors open for ventilation ( wear your winter woolies).

Dates for your diary.

Mike Blackburn and Bob Knight in Concert Sat 13th November. Doors 1930. £6 plus raffle.
Nov 19th. Open Mic. 1900 for 1930.
Dec 4th Alyson and Neil MacConnachie with Bob Sharp in Concert.
Dec 17th – Folk Club Xmas Themed Open Mic. 
Sat 1st January New Year Celebration sing around in Portsoy Bowling Club. 8-late.
Entry free, but raffle. Bring raffle prize, nibbles, cheese, biscuits,  soggy sausage rolls and a floppy chipolata or two
Saturday 8th December. A day in memory of Jimmy McBeath. 50 years since his passing on 7/1/72. Venues, tickets etc to be confirmed.

Performances

We have lined up a performance of Jock’s Jocks and a few singers. Full details to follow soon.
Bothy Ballads and Burns with Tripple/ Lennox Family Sat 19th February
Tommy Sands 26th March
Bob Fox sat 2nd April.
Dougie McKenzie and Brian Miller 23rd April.
HAAL no 12 3/4/5 June 2022.
Plus of course regular open mic nights in Bothy on 3rd Friday of each month.
I hope to see many of you soon.
Keep safe and well . BOb

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

Haal Return Brings Music To The Ears

Saturday night (Peggy Seeger) now sold out. Still some tickets left for Archie Fisher on Friday night

The 11th Haal is set to take place from 1-3 October, with organisers Folk at the Salmon Bothy currently working hard to ensure a safe event offering a full and exciting programme.

The three-day festival, which was rescheduled from June to October this year due to Covid restrictions, will bring together musicians and performers from across the country to deliver performances, sessions and workshops. 

Renowned folk musicians, Archie Fisher and Peggy Seeger will headline the event, supported by a host of fine performers including Aberdeenshire based Arthur Coates, and the award winning O’hEadrha family from Inverness. Also in concert will be stalwarts of the Scottish traditional music scene, Arthur Watson and Chris Miles.

A new addition this year will be 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.

Peggy Seeger

There will also be many opportunities to perform songs, tunes and tell a story or two throughout the weekend, one of the elements that makes the festival so popular.

Tickets for the Haal are already selling fast, and it may be with safety in mind that numbers are restricted.  Audiences are therefore urged to consider booking tickets in advance to avoid disappointment on the day.

During the lockdown periods, regulars and guests of Folk at the Salmon Bothy produced monthly shows which were shown on the club’s social media platforms.  Successful outdoor sessions were then hosted at Loch Soy during the summer months as Covid restrictions further eased.

The club will now return to its regular monthly Friday night indoor live sessions, with events scheduled for 17 September, 15 October, 19 November and 17 December, regulations permitting.  These regular events will be held at the Scout Hut at Loch Soy until further notice. 

Information on the 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.

Coming up – Dates for your diary

AGM – Monday 6th Sept
Club AGM will be held in Station Hotel, Monday 6th September at 1930.
Items for agenda to Bob please by 1/9.

The 11th Haal
Things are looking quite positive for The 11th HAAL. However, our main concert venue ( Town Hall) has still to be confirmed. Our back up is the newly refurbished church hall. If this has to be used, audience numbers will have to be considerably reduced. Advance sales of weekend tickets are very good, so if you wish to attend any concert etc, please book your tickets now, as we may have to close sales soon.

Club night – Friday 17th September
Our regular meetings of FATB will be back to the Salmon Bothy on 3rd Friday of Month, (Friday 17th Sept) Usual entry fees etc, (unless changed at AGM.)

See you all soon I hope.
Bob (Chair FASB)

11th Haal – The programme is out

The 11th Haal will be held on 1st, 2nd and 3rd October.

Headliners
Friday night – Archie Fisher,
Saturday night – Peggy Seeger with her son Calum MacColl

The programme is now available – see below
Numbers may be restricted due to current conditions
Tickets from bobphilips25@live.co.uk
Phone 07968872217

Click below to download the 2021 11th Haal Programme

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

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