News

News

		Bringing it all Home Sunday, October 14, 2007 Saturday was dominated by the concert with Dick Gaughan at the Glenroy. He opened with the song "What You do With What You've got" which was a song that won the prize to commemorate the International year of the disabled in the 1990s. It's been a favourite of Gaughan's for many years and he told me later he likes to start his sets with it. He has introduced the song into the Scottish repertoire and there is a terrific version by Eddie Reader on her first solo album Mirmama. It was a bravura performance form the veteran performer with amusing and often politically charged introductions to his songs and then blistering performances. He played many of his favourites: "Both Sides the Tweed" (I've always been in favour of independence for England", he said.), "Westerling Winds", "Song for Ireland", "Erin Go Bragh", "No Gods and Precious Few Heroes" (as an encore). He had finished a few shows on this tour with "World Turned Upside Down" but apologetically declined a request saying he it took a long time to tune the guitar of that song. Later he said that he doesn't have a fixed set-list and that he plays what comes to mind. He seems to have tailored his performance to this "Scottish" City and later declared he'd had a thoroughly good time. Earlier in the day there were House full notices on most of the Celtic Cloth Sessions at the Otago Settlers Museum and a lively group were dancing at the Glenroy in the afternoon when I arrived to take some photos. There was a bit of an adventure at lunchtime when I turned up at the airport to pick up Dick Gaughan and there were three of the Wellington musicians who were due to play at the Otago Museum in about thirty minutes. So we all bundled into my car and we got to the museum in decent time. The others had started without our trio. The music they made was just delightful and the normally complacent café crowd were applauding enthusiastically. Fortunately thee will be a second chance to hear this crew as they appear at the Victoria Hotel at 7.30pm tonight. If you get this email in time please note we are gong to meet downstairs in the large bar (Rosie O Grady's) for those of you with long memories. The cream of Wellington's Kitty O'Shea's session players are in town to entertain with a rich variety of Irish and Scottish music and song. Glor na mBan (Angela Kidd, Melanie Brown and Neasa Scanlon) will captivate with heavenly harmonies, dance tunes and songs in Irish about cows and weddings. The Rose & The Thistle (Celia Briar and Davy Muir) will evoke a sense of the past with harp, fiddle and guitar. Ruairidh Morrison will attempt to be heard on flute over Uilleann piper Sean Connolly. And Kitty's regulars, Edward Abraham, Marina Conway and James McNamara, will join the rest of the Welly-Boots for a session set. I confess I was pretty tired for most of the day and dozed in a chair but I'm looking forward to tonight and Ben The Hoose tomorrow. This NZ based duo (Kenny Ritch on fiddle and Bob McNeill on guitar) specialize in Scottish music. They were selected to play at the exhibition at Te Papa about the Scots in New Zealand and their music remains part of that display. We have hosted them on many occasions, most notably as support artists when the Battlefield Band played here earlier this year. Their album "The Little Cascade" was voted the best folk album 2006 ( third Tui Award for Bob McNeill). They will be joined for a guest appearance by flute virtuoso Brendyn Montgomery. Tickets are available at the Regent Theatre or at the Victoria Hotel tonight or at the door. Great Scottish Music. They will be supported by Annemieke Harmonie playing harp with some of her students cheers Richard


		I Think I'm Having Fun Tuesday, October 09, 2007 Last night 85 people turned up for the talk by Cameron Duder about the founding of Ashburn Hall (now the Ashburn Clinic) and afterwards I wandered round to the Albar where an unofficial part of the Festival was unwinding. The Albar is an amazing wee place on Lower Stuart St. It is run by Steven and Anita from Edinburgh and they have created a warm and hospitable hostelry with excellent food (haggis with whisky cream and redcurrant jelly, anyone?). It is hosting the whisky tasting tomorrow night. They must be doing something right because when I left around 9.30pm every other place around the Octagon was closing up and they were still doing a respectable trade. On Tuesdays Half Legendary Men play there in a quiet corner and it is a delightful way to spend an hour or so. Thee will be no HLM next week, however, because we are all going to hear Sharon Shannon. Ticket sales are now picking up after a slow start but you can get yours from the Regent Theatre. I've put the programme on the website of the folk club at www.nefc.org.nz - or you can consult the website of the festival at www.dunedincelticarts.org.nz. Ceilidh Dance with the Wangawilli Band: The Glenroy staff are really excited about hosting festival events this coming week and are pulling out all the stops. For the Dance on Friday night they are putting tables round the dance floor and on the mezzanine and are putting in a café so that light snacks coffees and teas will be available as well as a bar. They have found a bolt of tartan cloth which they want to drape around the hall. Dick Gaughan some advance reviews John MCAuslan who is Dick's agent in Melbourne writes: "Dick is in great voice. As good as I've ever heard him and he is taking requests from the audience …if he can remember the words." And this just came through on the NZ Folk list : "Hi everyone I am new to this, but want to add to what Judith wrote about Dick Gaughan: If you want to be completely enthralled by an excellent musician, incredible guitarist (with amazing riffs and syncopated rhythms), wonderful story-teller, and songs, that takes you right inside the lyrics, sung with passion, directly from the heart, - then go see Dick Gaughan! I would not have missed that concert for worlds! If he was anywhere near driving distance I would go experience it all again! Francie Champion" Incidentally if anyone is driving to Christchurch on Sunday Dick needs a lift. Tonight 5.30 Robert Burns Poems and songs at the Otago Settlers Museum, free event. The Dunedin Celtic Arts Festival with Rob Burns talking about British Folk Rock. He is doing a PhD on the subject. That's at 8pm in the Burns Lecture Hall 7. There is a sort of Burns theme in there. Cheers Richard


		Greg Waite's Sessioneers Raise the Roof Sunday, October 07, 2007 The Dunedin Celtic Festival really came alive for me tonight. This was folk club night and Greg Waite had put together a superb programme that captivated a capacity audience. For a while it looked like we might have to move to another room but we pulled out a few tables, yanked a couple of musicians out of their chairs and jammed in another dozen or so seats. From the opening Gaelic song from Evelyn Entwistle to the closing tunes from the "Sessioneers - a dozen or so stray players that were co-opted- the audience were enthralled. Highlights included John Walton's RSB Band playing behind him as that corncrake voice sang his song about Scotland, Half Legendary Men (sans Lindsey Shields who is overseas) in a short set that included Sean Manning's alleged cowboy song. In the second half Greg on Uillean pipes joined Annemieke Harmonie on harp and Sandra Crawshaw on fiddle. The audience was enthralled by their programme that featured O'Carolan tunes alongside jigs reels and hornpipes. Throughout the evening Irish and Scottish dances were spontaneously added to the programme. A group of dancers lead by Kathryn Olcott had earlier demonstrated a few dances although there wasn't a lot of room and our little stage was a bit bouncy for hard shoe to be danced in confidence. Tomorrow is a rest day and the festival resumes on Tuesday morning with a talk by Evelyn Entwistle on Gaelic song with demonstrations on her harp.



		We're Off! Friday, October 05, 2007 Finally, it's all underway; with a brilliant opening event. Nearly 200 people of all ages and backgrounds crammed into the foyer of the Otago Settlers Museum as the Mayor and Official Party were piped in. In a rare (if ever) joint appearance the newly crowned Queen o' the Heather and the current Rose of Tralee to the stage with the president of their respective organisations: the Highland Council and the Friends of Ireland. There was singing, dancing, piping and a sterling address by His Worship The Mayor Peter Chin. Peter spoke of the founding of our city and its early settlers and how relevant the festival was to our heritage and to "going forward" as a community. The community that does not celebrate its existance is soon lost. Story-telling duo KatAnnaFiddle had their Scottish CD launch the following day, entitled "My Cousin Angus" with songs and stories from Scotland - from the humourous to the tragic! The usual session at Murphy's took on huge proportions with a dozen or more musicians that barely paused for breath! Check out the photos in the Gallery.


		Mayor to Open Festival Thursday, August 30, 2007 Dunedin Mayor Peter Chin, also well known as a fine tenor singer, will be our special guest at the Glenroy Theatre for Pushing Out the Boat, the opening of the 2007 Dunedin Celtic Arts Festival, along with the Queen o' the Heather (courtesy of the Scottish Heritage Council).



		A Festival Beer! Monday, August 20, 2007 Green Man Beers, in association with the festval, are producing a limited release called "Celt" - a dark, malty beer with a unique flavour. You can try it at the Official Opening or hunt it out at the various events or wherever Green Man is sold. Strictly limited - a true collectors' item!



		Sharon Shannon confirmed! Tuesday, July 10, 2007 It is with great delight we are able to announce a festival concert by the renowned Irish accordianist, Sharon Shanon - with the Sharon Shannon Band featuring the outstanding talents of Michael McGoldrick (Capercaille) on flute, Dezi Donnelly on fiddle and guitarist Jim Murray. Tuesday, October 16th, Glenroy Auditorium.