Orkney Folk Festival

SANDAY! What are you up to next Friday night?
We've a cracking ceilidh heading your way, with concert sets from The Poozies, Jim Malcolm and Jamie Anderson, ahead of a dance into the wee hours with the fantastic Peter Wood Music Shetland Dance Band!
Tickets are available locally from Sinclair General Stores. See you next week!

ACT OF THE DAY
Formed in 1998 to nurture traditional accordion and fiddle playing in the county, the Orkney Traditional Music Project has, in its two decades since, tutored well over a thousand students. Demonstrating that Orkney’s traditional music is in very good hands, the project has helped to establish many fine fiddlers and accomplished accordionists – a great number of whom now appear elsewhere in this programme in their own right.
https://www.orkneyfolkfestival.com/…/or kney-traditonal-mus…/

ONE WEEK TO GO! Here's another peedie throwback video, this time to 2017's Opening Concert. Thanks to orkney.com for the great video. See you next week!

ACT OF THE DAY
Formed by the award-winning Orkney duo of fiddler/mandolinist Graham Rorie and singer-guitarist Aidan Moodie, Gnoss combine livewire instrumentals with stirring song arrangement. Tipped as ‘ones to watch’ by Songlines, today’s line-up is completed by fellow Royal Conservatoire of Scotland students Connor Sinclair (flute/whistles) and Craig Baxter (bodhran/stomp). Their much-anticipated debut album, Drawn from Deep Water, was released just a few weeks ago, and we welcome them back to the festival on its launch tour.
https://www.orkneyfolkfestival.com/line-u p/gnoss/

With Scott Gardiner today's Act of the Day, a wee reminder of the nightly Song Clubs throughout the festival.
Thursday's has sold out, and Friday and Saturday's have VERY limited tickets remaining (7 and 1 tickets, respectively). A nightly haven for song enthusiasts, with sets from guest artists followed by a sing-around.

ACT OF THE DAY
Scott Gardiner is one of Scotland’s top traditional singers, and has been performing at concerts and festivals across the country since his schooldays. Brought up on a farm near Forfar, he is best known for singing the bothy ballads and songs of the north-east, having a particular love for his local Angus folk songs.
Scott is our host for the Song Clubs in the Royal Hotel in Stromness - a nightly haven for song enthusiasts.
... https://www.orkneyfolkfestival.com/line-u p/scott-gardiner/
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FIT AS A FIDDLE
In the summer of 2018, Birsay composer Robin Barr set off on a challenge for his 77th year - to climb seven hills in Orkney, composing seven new fiddle tunes, each in a different traditional Scots rhythm style, to play at each summit along the way. A Paisley fiddle, made in 1929 by Thomas B Wylie, was his musical companion.
With photos, live performance - including guest musicians from the West Mainland Juniors - and stories of Orcadians he met on his journ...ey, Robin's Saturday morning festival talk tells of his excursions to play his fiddle tunes - in a secret cave, at the site of an ancient fire ritual, in a Viking castle and many more adventures, culminating in a Strathspey and reel played atop the highest sea cliff in the UK, St John’s Head, looking down on The Old Man of Hoy.
Robin also raised several thousand pounds for Music in Hospitals and Care Scotland, alongside his musical adventures, and has since been nominated for the Scottish Charity Awards' Charity Champion. Voting closes on Friday 17th May at 5pm, via: https://scvo.org/…/robin-barr-music-in- hospitals-care-scotl…
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LAU AND ST MAGNUS
We are very excited about next Saturday's concert with Lau in St. Magnus Cathedral. We're not quite sure what they have planned, but can safely agree it will be epic.
Lau's other festival performances have all sold out, so don't miss this unique chance to catch them in one of Scotland's most iconic buildings.
... Over 350 seats have already sold, so it is only those with a restricted view remaining - however they are going for a bargain £10! Grab them whilst you can... will surely be an unforgettable gig.
orkneyfolkfestival.com/tickets
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ACT OF THE DAY
An accordionist from Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders, Jamie Anderson is currently based in Kirkwall whilst studying a degree in Applied Music through UHI. His varied style is based in traditional Scottish music; a love passed down from his father, Ian, an established folk musician. Having spent the last year immersed in Orkney’s local session scene, and performing alongside accordionist James Grieve, this is Jamie’s Orkney Folk Festival debut.
https://www.orkneyfolkfestival.com/line-u p/jamie-anderson/

TICKETS REMAINING - 10 days to go!
We've had another three gigs sell out in the last few days... here's how things stand now.
Tickets are still moving fast, and there is always a surge of purchases towards the festival weekend, so don't leave it too late. More will definitely sell out in the coming days!

ACT OF THE DAY
A mainstay of Orkney’s traditional scene, the Orkney accordion & fiddle club has been playing together regularly since the late 1970s. As well as providing a welcoming, friendly atmosphere for players to come together for weekly tunes, throughout the summer they host hugely popular monthly guest nights - and in 2015 were named the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards’ Club of the Year.
https://www.orkneyfolkfestival.com/…/or kney-accordion-fidd…/

TEN DAYS TO GO! The festival is next week!!
For the perfect run-up soundtrack, check out our Spotify playlist, now featuring even more tracks from a great many artists heading our way next weekend, including: Four Men and a dog, Lau, Cara Dillon, Còig, Julie Fowlis, Saltfishforty, The Poozies, Jim Malcolm, The Revellers, Kathleen MacInnes, Malinky, Benedict Morris, Gnoss, HEISK, Ryan Young Music, The Chair, Son Yambu, The Wrigley Sisters, Jo Philby and more...
... Follow/download/share/turn up to 11. Hup!
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Still to sort your late night Friday festival fix? Don't miss out on the last few tickets to this year's Academy Club - featuring Kinnaris Quintet, Son Yambu and Orkney's own Saltfishforty! 💥
This one-off concert offers night owls the chance to catch these three fantastic acts, just a bit later in the day (10pm-1am).
Whilst the gig is fully seated, there is a bar as well as space for dancing down the front - which, given the line-up is highly likely... 💃🎉
... Check 'em out here: Kinnaris Quintet: https://youtu.be/8QMtI5qKohE Son Yambu: https://youtu.be/8UZJK-pLYUI Saltfishforty:https://youtu.be/nGenJzePAC Q
orkneyfolkfestival.com/tickets
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ACT OF THE DAY
Pioneers and trail-blazers, The Poozies have been pushing musical boundaries for over 25 years. Today’s line-up sees founding member Mary Macmaster and long-term cohort Eilidh Shaw joined by Hoy’s Sarah McFadyen, and Tia Files from Oban. Their exhilarating sets of original tunes and eclectic mix of songs burst with energy and invention, peppered with the group’s signature rascality and joie de vivre.
You can still grab tickets to see The Poozies at Friday nigh...t's Sanday Ceilidh, or in our new Festival Club on Saturday night!
https://www.orkneyfolkfestival.com/line-u p/poozies/
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ACT OF THE DAY
Rooted in the British folk tradition, yet with a strong Nordic influence, Kate Fletcher and Corwen Broch’s attraction to the ancient past adds a darker edge to their music, often described as ‘hypno-folk’. Sometimes using long forgotten instruments, they aim to make music that their ancestors would understand and appreciate.
Kate and Corwen appear at Friday night's Song Club, alongside Shetland's Laeverick and host Scott Gardiner. Still a few tickets going!
... https://www.orkneyfolkfestival.com/…/ka te-fletcher-corwen-…/
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FESTIVAL CLUBS
We still have some Friday and Saturday night tickets available for our very exciting, BRAND NEW Festival Club!
This year the club has moved to the Stromness Community Centre - though not as you've ever seen it before. We're transforming the games hall into a custom-made venue, with cabaret seating for an increased capacity of 150, and a full bar with table service as well as late night snacks.
... Thursday night's club, as well as both Friday and Saturday's Lunchtime Clubs, have sold out - but we still have some tickets going for Friday and Saturday nights, both of which have fantastic line-ups, and run between 10pm and 1am.
FRIDAY: Còig, Ryan Young Music and Jenn Butterworth, Andy Taylor Group
SATURDAY: The Poozies, Jim Malcolm and Skeldro
Grab your tickets here: orkneyfolkfestival.com/tickets
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ACT OF THE DAY
An award-winning young fiddle player from Helensburgh, Ryan Young Music brings new and exciting ideas to traditional Scottish music. Heavily influenced by the fiddle playing of County Clare, his style is rich with fresh melodic ideas, an uplifting rhythmic drive and a great depth of dynamics and precision, bringing new life to very old, often forgotten tunes.
Ryan appears in Orkney with driving guitar accompaniment from Jenn Butterworth. Catch them at:... Thursday 23 May - OpenIng Concert (sold out) Friday 24 May - Festival Club Saturday 25 May - St Andrews Concert Sunday 26 May - Farewell Concert Three (sold out)
https://www.orkneyfolkfestival.com/…/ry an-young-and-jenn-b…/
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Just two weeks to go! We've gone further into the video archives - this time six years ago, to 2013 and the 31st Orkney Folk Festival. Lots more of this to come in a couple of weeks... :-)