Event Programme

Friday 30 September to Sunday 16th October 2011

We must apologise to all our supporters and followers of the Festival who have been trying to access our Web page and our e-mail for the delay. A virus attack which interfered with our ability to use the web and e-mail became so bad that we have now a new computer and the relevant programmes which allow us to change the web page have just been added today (Thursday 9th September)

. Our apologies!

Our followers and lovers of the Doric micht be interested to note the following concert.

Saturday 24th September           7-30pm

Alford Heritage Centre

The following gives details of performers at the forthcoming fundraising concert at Alford Heritage Centre and Museum on Saturday September 24th at 7.30pm:
 
Russell Taylor
Russell was born in Aberdeen but now lives in Ellon.He admits that he has an eclectic taste in music (and unusual words) ranging from classical through jazz, blues, country and pop, and on the Aberdeenshire folk scene he is most likely to be heard singing bothy ballads, "muckle" ballads" and songs from the music hall tradition. He has even penned a few songs himself, including "Utterly Butterly", a homage to the rowie!

Irene Watt
Describes herself as having loved singing from the time she could talk, and oh what a voice! She is no mean tickler of harp strings too and even built her own harp. She has a very wide repertoire of songs and tunes! At present she is completing a Phd in Ethnomusicology at Aberdeen University, her topic being lullabies. 
She regularly work in schools on cultural projects involving music linking the arts across the curriculum. She comes from a long line of fisher folk from Gardenstown and has given many talks to clubs and groups about The Fisher Lassies or Herring Quines and singing the songs about fisher life at sea or on the land.  She has been involved in television work and appeared with Gareth Malone in Sea Songs and Shanties, and more recently with Melvin Bragg in The Reel History of Britain, due to be screened in September 2011, and The One Show, teaching Carrie Grant to sing a song the fisher lassies sang. She will also feature in a forthcoming edition of the Radio 4 programme, Woman's Hour.

Allan Tayor
Allan Taylor is originally from Tornaveen, but is now resident in Alford. He first heard bothy ballads on an old gramophone in a bothy at his granny’s croft at Methlick and has been interested in North-East song ever since. He has been singing regularly since 2006 when he entered the competitions at the Strichen Festival. He has won both bothy ballad and traditional singing competitions over the past few years and been a finalist in the Bothy Ballad Champion of Champions competition at Elgin.
 
Eoin Taylor
Allan's teenage son who is following in father's footsteps quite literally, having won a number of major bothy ballad and traditional music competitions
 
Larry Duncan
A folk singer/songwriter from Strathdon. Larry hails from Buckie originally and has been on the folk scene since the likes of Isla St Clair and Freda Morrison became "weel kent".
 
Frances McDonald
Anither weel kent local wifie, Frances hails frae Rayne and strings tigither a few Doric phrases into locally weel loved poems.
 
The theme is "The Hairst" and chorus songs will be included so that folk can join in. Before the concert and in the interval, a selection of traditional tunes will be played by "The Alford Village Scratch Bothy Band". The concert will conclude with a "come all ye" of all performers.

The programme for the "ACHTEENTH" festival is now detailed below.

If you wish to hold an event in future festivals go to "Event Organisers" and fill up the application form. (please consult the "Event Guide)

Or contact Sandy Stronach, Festival Director for details:-

e-mail; sandy@thedoricfestival.com

telephone; 01771 653320

   Exhibitions

"Lilt o the lan"                                                                Westhill Library

"Rev. Geeorge Abel "                                                    Newmachar Library

(organised by Aberdeenshire Library and Information Service)

The Doric Festival Writing Competition

For THE Connon Caup and other prizes

For a POEM, STORY or PLAY written in doric

Prize-giving event details to follow

CATEGORIES

Adult Poetry £50 first prize; £25 second prize

Short Story £50 first prize; £25 second prize

One Act Play £50 first prize: £25 second prize

The work deemed “The Best Ower Aa” will receive £50 and The Connon Caup

The entry must be the competitor’s own work, previously unpublished.

RULES

1. Writers may submit up to THREE entries in all the categories.

2. Use a separate form for EACH entry; you may photocopy this page.

3. To ensure anonymity attach a front sheet to your entry with

the title and your name ( your name should not appear on the sheet/s on which your poem or story is written))

4. Entries must be in 'Doric' or 'N.E. Mither tongue'.

5. Stories, poems, or plays submitted must not have been

previously submitted to this competition, or published.

5. The judges' decisions will be final.

6. The final date for submission is WEDNESDAY 10th SEPTEMBER 2011.

The organisers reserve the right to publish an anthology of selected entries.

Please keep a copy of your entry as no submission will be returned.

The Award ceremony is on Wednesday 5th October at 7pm in The Gordon Arms Hotel, Huntly, at which the winners will be told of their successes and receive their prizes.

All competitors and their

friends are cordially invited to attend, and if they wish, read their work. Intervals of traditional songs and music have been arranged for your entertainment by Graeme Mitchell and Family.

Prizes will be presented by the Connon Quines..

Details from and Entries should be sent to Mrs Phyllis J. Goodall, Greenhowe,ChapelStreet,HUNTLY tel 01466 792298 

Draft Programme

(programme details will be added as they are received; so do look regularly)

THURSDAY 29th September            7.00 pm

 St Margaret’s Church and Hall, Gallowgate, Aberdeen

Gallowgate Doric Celebration 

in Memory of Dean John Skinner (1721-1807)

Dorothy Taylor,                Compere

Anna and Karin Frost,       fiddle and flute

St Machar Academy

      Matthew Adam,              sangs         

      Holly Beattie,               bagpipes

Georgia Pithie                     poem

Fearghal McCartan             harp

Grainne Smith                     verse

Sheena Blackhall                sangs and stories

Emsley Nimmo                    Tullochgorm

Charles Beaton                      poem

Mattie Douglas                     poem

Ruari and Scott McAllister   sangs and drums

Cheryl Watson                      sangs

Elsie Gardiner                       sangs

Tickets £ 7 includes tea and biscuits                                 

FRIDAY 30th September                 7-30pm

Opening Concert

Huntly Golf Club Cooper Park, Huntly

The Festival opens with a traditional concert with top North-east performers:-

Strathspey Fiddlers

Graeme Mitchell   ( accordion)

Shona Donaldson  (Huntly's own, now one of Scotland's top traditional singer)

Murray Douglas   (moothie)

Margaret Grant  (Doric Verse)

Tickets  £5  Bairns £2 from Orb's Bookshop

OR  01466 792298   OR   01771 653320

FRIDAY 30th September           7-30pm

 A play       " DOORWAYS IN DRUMORTY"

Grassic Gibbon Centre, Arbuthnott, Lawrencekirk

DOORWAYS IN DRUMORTY is a play based on the short stories of Lorna Moon, the lass who hailed from Strichen but became well known as a screen writer in Hollywood. The play interweaves several of her stories, alternatively amusing and poignant, into a work that is warm, charming and humourous and that captures the mood of the rural North East in the 1920's, an era when the chief currency was gossip. It has been written by Aberdeen playwright Mike Gibb (Mother of all the Peoples, Five Pound & Twa Bairns, Clarinda, Lest We Forget) and will be performed by the professional theatre group, RedRag Theatre Company.

Tickets £8-50  from 01561 361668

SATURDAY 1st October           7-30pm

Meal an Ale :- Doric Concert

Cookney Hall

Gran array o traditional performers at this TMSA concert:-

Geordie Murison & John Valentine (singers and Joint Comperes)

Peter Lamb (singer)

Kate Taylor (singer)

Ann Nicol (fiddle)

Bill Clark (moothie)

Grainne Smith (verse)

Tickets  £7  concession £5  from Joyce Murison 01569 731236

SUNDAY 2nd OCTOBER

“Vintage Ploughing Competition and Farm Day” (Whitehouse)

Come and watch experts in the craft of ploughing, using ploughs of all ages and types, along with vintage and up-to-date tractors. There may also be some ploughing with horse,

(subject to availability and ground conditions)

Ploughing commences at 10-30am

Admission includes entry to the Alford Heritage Centre with its comprehensive collection of tools, implements and memorabilia from by-gone days.

Tickets (at the gate) £3 children 60p

TUESDAY 4th October                 8pm

Open Folk Night Session

The Aberdeen Arms, Tarland

The Cromar Folk Club invites singers, musicians and storytellers to join them for a gran nicht's session

Free entry

TUESDAY 4th October                         7pm

"The Achteenth Doric Sampler"

Monymusk Arts Centre

Local children and young people present their favourite Doric and Scottish poems, songs and performances.

Tickets £3  concession £1-50 at the door   

WEDNESDAY 5th October          8pm

“Session of Songs, Music and Stories”

Vale Hotel, Fyvie

Fyvie Folk Club will host this session and invites performers outwith the club to come along and join in. The session runs from 8 till late.

Free entry

WEDNESDAY 5th October         7pm

 Doric Writing Prize-Giving

Godon Arms Hotel, Huntly

Winners will be announced and there will be readings from the winning scripts.

 Judges:-

Lindy Cheyne - Editor of Leopard

Derrick McLure - Renowned linguist

Musical entertainment will be provided by

Moira Stewart (singer) and John McPherson (bothy ballads)

Tickets £4  concession £2 (accompanied children free)

from The Gordon Arms Hotel   OR 01466 792298

The organisers acknowledge the generous support of local Huntly businesses.

FRIDAY 7th October               7-30  to  9-30pm

Tarves Folk Club Concert

Ythanbank Mission Hall

John Dickson ( M.C.   singer/guitar)

George and Stuart Davidson (fiddles)

Russell Taylor (singer/cornkisters)

Dick and Maggie Trickey (singers / guitar / clarsach)

Dave and|Christine Wilkie (singers / guitar)

Free admission

An as aye.....oor surprise guests!....dinna miss oot.....ye niver ken fa'll drap in tae dee a turn!

SATURDAY 8th OCTOBER    AT 2PM

"The Doric Lintie"

 SINGING COMPETITION

Rothienorman Hall

The Doric Festival is to continue with its new Open competition for traditional singers, the winner of which will be titled "The Doric Lintie " with a Perpetual Trophy and prize money of £50.

This is an Open Competition, for male, female, young and old!

Singers will perform TWO songs, one Traditional Ballad and another which may be a cornkister, ballad or even a modern song in the doric tradition. The performance score will be the average of the two songs. 

To enter contact Sandy Stronach on 01771 653320

0R sandy@thedoricfestival.com.

OR come along on the day.

Judges:-

 Jake Simpson

Barbara-Ann Burnett

Spectator tickets £3 (at the door)

SATURDAY 8th October            7-30pm

Doric Concert

Rothienorman Hall

Allan Taylor (Compere / singer)

John Dickson (singer)

Sarah Walker (singer)

George and Stuart Davidson (Fiddlers)

Shirley Foulkes (verse)

Miguel Padilla (flute)

SUNDAY 9th October            3pm(Please note time change!)

Doric Kirk Service

Haddo House Chapel

Join Rev Margaret Robb in the Haddo House Chapel for a Doric service celebrating the Harvest, followed by refreshments in the Library.  Participators will be Robert Lovie, Robbie Shepherd, Sheena Blackhall and Peter Chapman,Gordon Hay

Tickets £8, available from Margaret Alexander, tel: 01651 872659 &

TUESDAY 11th October            8pm

Anither Open Folk Nicht Session

The Aberdeen Arms, Tarland

The Cromar Folk Club invites singers, musicians and storytellers to join them for a gran nicht's session

Free Entry

THURSDAY 13th October     at 7-pm

"DORIC DIRL"

Deeside Activity Park

Tickets £9-50 Concession £7-50 (Includes stovies)

from Deeside Activity Park

tel 013398 83536

 THURSDAY 13th October           1pm

Concert being arranged with the "Freeze Company" from the day centre who will perform two short One-act plays. Other entertainment will feature music and song from Bill Gray and Company.

Kirk Centre Ellon .

 Tickets £3 from the Day Centre, Ellon

'Drama Leader and Actor Scott Armstrong is funded by Artsability Aberdeenshire Council to work on two pieces with the Ellon Drama group 'Freeze Company' for the Doric Festival. The project promotes performance arts opportunites for adults with learning disabilities in Aberdeenshire' 

FRIDAY 14th October          7-30pm

Doric Concert

King Edward Hall

Entertainment with Doug Stewart and Company

Tickets £5 (includes tea and Shortbreid)  from  01888 551634 OR 01261 821634

 SATURDAY 22 nd October         7-30pm

Bothy Singing Competition

Pipe Band Hall, Turriff

Turriff Pipe band are to stage a Bothy singing competition.

Judging this exciting new event are two well known NE singers :-

Jock Duncan and Robert Lovie

Full details later

Unveiling a Plaque at Inverurie

 Robert Dufton Scott

A communiction from Katie es verra day means that it hisna bin possible tae get aathin thegidder for pittin up a plaque es eer!

But we'll leave es message here as we'll maist certainly pit on an event neist year!

So look oot for "Dufton Scott" in 2012!

Dufton Scott was a noted writer of Doric plays and performer, including Gavin Greig's "Mains Wooin".

Born in Forgue in 1880 ,he eventually ran a shop in Inverurie, dying in 1944.

Not before time his grand-daughter, Katie Scott, is organising to unveil a plaque to her grand-father at the site of the shop, now Stronachs, the Solicitor at High Street, Inverurie.

At this stage we do not have a date or time for the unveiling, but we have told Katie that we will be present and will help out with readings.

If like the Festival Director you remember Dufton Scott in his shop or if you remember performances of his works then this is an event you should not miss!

Keep an ee oot on es page fer the hinmast times fin they come tae han!