THE 18th (2006) BELHAVEN BEST DUNBAR TRADITIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL

The 18th Belhaven Best Dunbar Traditional Music Festival is the biggest yet, with four new venues and six extra gigs over the weekend!

Last year we introduced skiffle to the festival; this year we bring Appalachian dance music from the mountains of North America, performed by The Feet First Band (www.feetfirstdance.co.uk). The music is a combination of British and Irish regional dances combined with elements of African and native American. The music was discovered in 1916 amongst the isolated colonist communities of the Appalachian mountains.

Joint headliners on Friday evening are Lori Watson Three and Edinburgh duo Sandy Brechin/Ewan Wilkinson.

Lori Watson Three features border lass Lori on fiddle and vocals. Twice a BBC Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year finalist, Lori has played with Aly Bain, Dick Gaughan and Karine Polwart and is currently a PhD student at RSAMD. Fiona Young from Fort William was tutored by Ronnie Douglas of Black Isle. She is an unconventional player, sensitive and light of touch and influenced by such as Sharon Shannon, Phil Cunningham and Ian Lowthian. She has a strong affinity with The Feis movement, Gaelic and Highland culture. Guitarist Innes Watson plays sensitive and robust accompaniment to Lori’s fiddle and voice. Danny Award Winners at Celtic Connections in 2005, together they offer a fresh approach to some of Scotland’s best musical heritage alongside Lori’s own compositions.

Accordian virtuoso Sandy Brechin who features in several well known line ups teams up with singer/guitarist Ewan Wilkinson for what should be a highly entertaining gig in The Eden Hotel. A performance not to be missed by aspiring accordianists.

05 debutants Rallion return for appearances on both nights. Their lively and enthusiastic performance drew a large crowd last year. The double fiddle sound provokes creative vocal arrangements and energetic instrumentals.

The balance of Friday’s gigs are filled by festival favourites, Home Made Jam, The Creelmen, Slainti M’hath and Guy Heath & Lou, all excellent musicians who have their respective followings amongst our weekenders. The Feet First Band debut at the West Barns Inn in what promises to be a lively session. They are travelling a long way so we hope they will receive a supportive audience for their first ever appearance at the festival. Additionally the traditional Scottish Evening takes place in The Hillside Hotel hosted by Stuart Adamson, Robin Hamilton and Joanna Cockburn.

On Saturday the programme starts virtually simultaneously at four separate venues. The extremely popular Children’s Workshop, hosted by cellist Lana McEwan & Friends starts at 1.30 pm, followed at 2pm by the Hillside Accordian Afternoon, The Diplomats of Jazz live on the High Street in a Belhaven artic and the Acoustic Folk Ceilidh/Open Song Competition in the Barnsness Hotel. We stress as ever that the afternoon events in The Hillside and Barnessness are open to all strolling musicians on both days. Supporting the jazz event will be Dunbar British Legion Pipe Band with a display between 3-3.20pm.

At 3.30pm. all stars The Podlies hold a concert in the Parish Church Hall supported by John Leslie and pupils from Dunbar schools. Eyemouth based, The Podlies are seriously interactive with rousing tunes and a fair bit of ‘craic’ with the audience.

Saturday evening is headlined by Lyra Celtica and The Sensational Jimmy Shandrix Experience.

Lyra Celtica are traditional Celtic multi-instrumentalists Lynn Tocker, Frankie McGuire and Chuck Fleming. Lynn was BBC Young Musician of the Year in 1989 and is a wonderful accordianist with a unique playing style. Also a composer, her solo career tokk her to Canada, Belgium,Italy and France amongst others, and she has played at the Cambridge, Glastonbury, Sidmouth and Whitby Festivals. Frank, who teaches Traditional Music at Newcastle University is an exponent of the bodhran, whistle and percussion. He has mainly played in Scotland and Ireland but has also toured Russia, visiting Moscow and St Petersburg. He numbers Beggars Row, The Gaelum and The Alison Brown Quartet amongst the bands in his playing career. Chuck Fleming has had a long and illustrious musical career. The ‘fiery fiddler’ has toured Britain and the USA with The JSD Band and The Steel Skies Band and was a founder member of Five Hand Reel and The Champion String Band. Chuck has written and featured in two Border TV documentaries and performed in eight feature films about the Catherine Cookson books.

Led by Scottish accordian ace Sandy Brechin, Shandrix have established themselves as one of the world’s top ceilidh bands over the past 10 years. Playing for high energy dances from Bangkok to Bogota, Melbourne to Moscow, the group are frequent guests at Caledonian Societies around the globe. They are regular performers at Edinburgh’s Hogmanay and The International Fringe Festival. They are a five piece band and their long awaited debut album ‘Electric Landlady’ was released in May 06.

The remainder of Saturday’s gigs are filled by Welcome the Stranger and festival newcomers Cruithne who join other bands from changing venues from Friday evening. See programme for details.

The annual Festival Ceilidh Dance featuring The Sandy Legget Broadcasting Band takes place at Dunbar Social Club.

On Sunday, a Celtic Shindig kicks off at 12.30 pm in The Hillside, followed by an Acoustic Folk Ceilidh in The Barnsness.

The main event and centrepiece of the day is The Family Concert in The Rossborough Hotel, featuring one of Scotland’s most popular folk rock groups – Burach – with their own style of heavy folk. For over 10 years the band have toured regularly in the U.S.A., South America, Middle and Far East, Australia, Scandinavia, Russia and mainland Europe.
The group’s first album’The Weird Set’ was released after winning the 1995 Scottish Folk Band Competition. Since then they have released two further albums. Their fourth ‘Unstoppable’ was released in June this year. It will be a lively and entertaining afternoon.

As the weekend draws to a close we have the traditional Final Fling at the West Barns Inn where local and and festival performers join together for a fantastic jam session!

THE BELHAVEN BEST 18th DUNBAR TRADITIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL PROGRAMME FRIDAY 22 to SUNDAY 24 SEPT 2006 All events are FREE (except *) Friday 22nd September 2006 2030 - late Home Made Jam at the Eagle (C) 2030 - late Sandy Brechin and Ewan Wilkinson at the Eden (S) 2030 - late The Creelmen at the Masons Arms (F) 2030 - late Rallion at the Volunteer Arms (F) 2030 - late Lori Watson Three at the Barns Ness Hotel (S) 2030 - late Scottish Evening at the Hillside Hotel (S) 2030 - late Guy Heath and Lou at the Bayswell Hotel (F) 2030 - late Slanti Mhath at the Rossborough Hotel (F) 2030 - late The Feet First Band at the West Barns Inn (C) Saturday 23rd September 2006 1330 - 1500 Children’s Workshop (if possible bring your own Instruments) at the Parish Church Hall 1400 Accordion Afternoon with Stuart & Robin at the Hillside Hotel (for Cathy who loved music, Gil) 1400 Acoustic Folk Ceilidh including “Open Song Competition” at the Barns Ness Hotel 1500 - 1520 Dunbar Pipe Band by the Old Post Office 1530 - 1700 The Podlies accompanied by music pupils at the Parish Church Hall 1500 Mighty Fine One at the Volunteer Arms (F) 1530 - 1600 Diplomats of Jazz by the Old Post Office, Dunbar High Street (J) 2000 - 2400 Festival Ceilidh Dance with The Sandy Legget Broadcasting Band at Dunbar Castle Social Club (£4 pay at door)* (S)

Saturday 23rd September 2006 (continued) 2030 - late Guy Heath and Lou at the Masons Arms (F) 2030 - late Home Made Jam at the Hillside (C) 2030 - late Lyra Celtica at the Barns Ness Hotel (S) 2030 - late The Creelmen at the Volunteer Arms (F) 2030 - late The Feet First Band at the Eden (C) 2030 - late Jimmy Shandrix Exp. West Barns Bowling Club (S) 2030 - late Cruithne at the Eagle Inn (S) 2030 - late Welcome the Stranger at the Bayswell Hotel (S) 2030 - late Rallion at Hallhill (F) Sunday 24th September 2006 1230 Celtic Shindig (for Kev who left us so young) with Sandy Legget at the Hillside Hotel (S) 1400 Acoustic Folk Ceilidh at the Barns Ness Hotel 1430 –1700 Family Concert with Burach at the Rossborough Hotel (£3 pay at the door - children under 14 free) * (F) 1430 - 1630 Slanti Mhath at the Rocks (F) 1500 - 1730 Welcome the Stranger at the Volunteer Arms (F) 2000 - late Final Fling at West Barns Inn A tribute to Davie Patrick All times may be subject to variation. The afternoon venues at the Hillside and Barns Ness Hotels are open to all strolling musicians and singers. Details of the Open Song Competition and programme details can be found on the Dunbar Traditional Web Site ( www..dtmf.dunbar.org.uk) hosted by Lothian Computers and also on displayed posters which will include the Sponsors (S) Scottish (F) Folk (C) Bluegrass (J) Jazz

 

 

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