This is a past event
A festival to celebrate the singing traditions of Scotland, England, and Ireland in memory of Tom and Anne Reid.
The Festival is a unique celebration, bringing together outstanding traditional singers from Scotland, England, and Ireland. The event is especially for those who like to hear, enjoy, and join in unaccompanied traditional singing. Essentially informal, friendly and non-competitive, it will be just the place to encourage the young and less experienced as well as the old hands. The weekend includes ceilidhs featuring the guest singers, singarounds for everyone who wants to join in, workshops, and a talk. As part of the Homecoming celebrations, we mark the anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns in 1759 with a talk and a workshop on the Bard.
Cullerlie Farm Park and Heritage Centre was set up by Tom (‘Tam’) and Anne Reid in 1993 and is now run by Anne’s daughter Tracey Walker and her husband Eric, as well as other members of the family. Tom moved to the Cullerlie Estate with his parents in 1935, and worked with his father in the traditional way of farming. He kept the traditions alive by turning the old original steading into a farm museum with one of the largest privately owned collections of farming and domestic memorabilia in Scotland. Anne, who was from nearby Peterculter, joined Tom when they married in 1975.
Tom (born 1929) was a legendary singer, having been crowned, in 1977, the Bothy Ballad King before a crowd of 10,000 at the Haughs in Turriff, a title that remained his until his death in January 2003. Anne (1939-2006) was also a fine singer and promoted the traditions of the North-East through singing and speaking workshops with schoolchildren and adults at local schools and at the museum, as well as hosting regular Saturday-night ceilidhs. It is the family’s express wish that the festival should continue to run in memory of Tom and Anne.
At the Park there is a large tearoom where the staff serve soup, sandwiches, and lots of delicious home baking. They cater for all needs with a baby changing area plus disabled facilities.
The Park nestles at the foot of the Hill of Fare where the battles of Corrichie and Cullerlie Moor were fought. It is 6 miles north-east of Banchory and 12 miles west of Aberdeen. From Aberdeen follow the A944 to the Westhill roundabout, then fork left on the B9119 to Garlogie, then fork left again on the B9125 for 3 miles. The Park is on the right.
Guests
David McCracken is a Northumberland hill farmer working a 2000 acre farm in deeply rural Tarset, perched on the fells between Otterburn and Kielder Water. He comes from a family that loves the traditional songs of the Borders and Northumberland. Following in an Aunt's footsteps, he treads the boards in amateur dramatics and from time to time composes the odd song. [photo]
Ellen Mitchell was born in Glasgow into a musical family with eclectic tastes in jazz, skiffle and classical music. In her youth the discovery of folk clubs drew her into traditional song. As a mother with a full-time job, she kept in touch with singing via the TMSA, but it was at the National Folk Festival at Sutton Bonington that she made her break-through as a solo singer. Instinctively she prefers love songs, and tempers them with ballads plus a bit of comedy.
Kevin Mitchell was born in St Columb's Wells, Derry City, and from an early age he was interested in Irish songs. He learnt traditional songs first-hand from Seán Gallagher who introduced him to several relatives who gave him their ballads. Later he attended ballad sessions in Buncrana, where he met Corny McDaid. He finally settled in Glasgow in 1969, and has appeared at many clubs and festivals in Britain, Ireland, Canada and the USA.
Will Noble was born into a family of stonemasons and farmers in Shepley on the edge of the Yorkshire Pennines. As a small boy he learnt a few songs from his family, and in the late 1960s he was invited to the after-hunt sings of the Holme Valley Beagles, where he learnt songs from the legendary Arthur Howard, among others. He has performed at festivals and folk song clubs throughout the UK and Ireland, as well as in the USA.
Mary-Anne Roberts trained in dance, theatre and education in Trinidad and Tobago, before migrating to the UK, in 1988. She has been a performer for 35 years and an educator through performance for 25 years. She is a founding member of Trinidad Tent Theatre, which specialised in reviving characters from Trinidad's carnival and reviving ritual and traditional folk songs. She is half of the duo, Bragod, which specialises in performing medieval Welsh music and poetry. [photo]
Lise Sinclair is a singer, musician, poet, crofter and mother of four who lives in Fair Isle, where she was born and brought up. She has had the luck and fortune to sing in beautiful places such as Rekjavik and Brittany, Orkney, Washington DC and sunny Glasgow. She has a strong feel for the dialect of her native isle and has written a suite of music for cello, harp, viola and voice based on poetry from Shetland.
Tom Spiers was born in Aberdeen in 1947 and learned fiddle at Primary School. He joined Aberdeen Folksong Club in 1962 and from 1966 until 1996 was a member of ‘The Gaugers’, a trio specialising in the songs of North-East Scotland – much of their repertoire collected directly from source singers. In 2006 he was nominated for ‘Scots Singer of the Year’ and is currently a member of ‘Shepheard, Spiers and Watson’.
Moira Stewart from Turriff in Aberdeenshire only returned to singing in the last four years. Since then she has won several of the North-East’s singing competitions, a feature of the local festivals. She is a loyal supporter of the TMSA and regularly compères for the Turriff & District Accordion and Fiddle Club. Among the singers who have influenced her are Lizzie Higgins, Jean Redpath and Christine Kydd.
Grace Toland, born and reared in Inishowen, Co. Donegal, is a passionate supporter of the rich singing tradition of the peninsula. Her songs and style come from time shared with older singers and friends such as Dan McGonigle and James Eoghan. She has performed at festivals in Ireland and abroad. She is one of the organisers of the annual Inishowen Singing Festival and works in the Irish Traditional Music Archive. [photo]
John Valentine from Cove near Aberdeen is a fine singer, storyteller and MC, who competed at the Elgin 2010 Champion of Champions Bothy Ballad Competition. He is also an engineer in the oil industry, both off and on shore, with a keen interest in ROVs, and is a much sought after pipe band drummer.
Programme
Friday7.30-11.30 Welcome ‘Come-All-Ye’ – everyone
Saturday10.00-11.30
Workshop A1 ‘Fair Isle Knitting’, Lise and Anne SinclairWorkshop A2 ‘Flower Making’, Betty ElgaaenWorkshop B ‘The Peter Hall Folk Song Collection’, Tom SpiersWorkshop C Farmhouse Cooking, Shirley FoulkesWorkshop D ‘Kist Making’, Iain Milne
11.45-12.45Illustrated Talk in the Marquee Elizabeth Stewart talks about her forthcoming book of Travellers’ songs and stories of the Fetterangus Stewarts, Across Yon Wide and Lonely Glen, which is compiled and edited by Alison McMorland1.00-2.30 Lunchtime Informal sessions2.30-5.00 Singaround A John Valentine Singaround B Moira Stewart Singaround C Ellen Mitchell5.00-7.30 Long Tea Break 7.30-11.00 Grand Ceilidh Concert in the Marquee. All Guests – hosted by Jim Taylor and Ian Russell
Sunday10.00-11.30 Workshop A1 ‘Fair Isle Knitting’, Lise and Anne SinclairWorkshop A2 ‘Flower Making’, Betty ElgaaenWorkshop B ‘Irish Songs of Emigration’, Kevin Mitchell and Grace TolandWorkshop C Farmhouse Cooking, Shirley FowkesWorkshop D ‘Kist Making’, Iain Milne12.00-2.00 Lunchtime Singarounds A Mary-Anne Roberts & Will Noble B Lise Sinclair & David McCracken C Informal music2.15-5.00 Farewell Ceilidh Concert in the Marquee. All Guests, hosted by Jim Taylor and Ian Russell A = Marquee B = Bothy/Wash Hoose C = Tea Room D = Outside
Organizers
Tracey Walker (Anne’s daughter) and Jim Taylor (Tom’s nephew) on behalf of Cullerlie Farm Park andIan and Norma Russell on behalf of The Elphinstone Institute
Thank you to our sponsors
Coupers (Fish Processors) of AberdeenDavidson & Murison LtdThe Friends of the Elphinstone InstituteThe Elgin Rotary ClubAnonymous donors
- Hosted by
- Elphinstone Institute and Cullerlie Farm Park
- Venue
- Cullerlie Farm Park