This is a past event
A festival to celebrate the singing traditions of North-East Scotland, Orkney, England, and Ireland in the unique setting of Tom and Anne Reid's farm in rural Aberdeenshire.
The weekend is a unique celebration, bringing together outstanding traditional singers from the North East of Scotland, Orkney, England, and Ireland. The event is especially for those who like to hear, enjoy, and join in traditional singing. Essentially informal, friendly, and non-competitive, it is just the place to encourage the young and less experienced as well as the old hands.
The weekend includes:
- Concerts featuring the guest singers.
- Singarounds for everyone who wants to join in.
- A Talk by Charlie Allan on 'Traditional humour in the North East of Scotland'
- Workshops
- Writing bothy ballads (Sheena Blackhall)
- Farmhouse cooking (Anne Reid)
- Clipping (Colin Riach, David McCracken)
- Sheepdog demonstration (Colin Riach)
- Spinning (Sheila Sellar)
- Rope-making (Tom Reid).
About Cullerlie
Cullerlie Farm Park and Heritage Centre is run by Tom and Anne Reid, helped by their family. Tom moved to Cullerlie Estate with his parents when just a toddler in 1935, and worked with his father in the traditional way of farming. He has 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.
In 1977 Tom was crowned 'The Bothy Ballad King' and still holds the title. Tom and Anne promote the North-East tongue through singing and speaking workshops with school children and adults of the North East at schools and at the museum.
'They like nithin better than sittin doon wi a puckle fowk in spikin aboot the auld times. In there's plunty tae keep fowk spikin fan they see aa the auld things at Cullerlie, in if ye speir ye'll get a sang.'
The Singers
Sheena Blackhall of the Elphinstone Institute is a writer of great talent both in English and the local Scots, the Doric. She is also a much-loved reciter and singer in the North East of Scotland.
Barbara-Ann Burnett is one of the brightest young singers from the North East. Brought up at Tyrie near Fraserburgh, her repertoire reflects the traditions of both fishing and farming.
John Cocking is from Marsden in the Yorkshire Pennines. A man of many talents - butcher, drystone waller, molecatcher, golfer - his fine songs and humorous tales are always in great demand at hunt socials.
Hannah Hutton comes from Rothbury in Northumberland and is a much-admired performer of songs from the border tradition. Her late husband was the great Northumbrian piper, Joe Hutton.
Billy Jolly, a fish merchant from Kirkwall in Orkney, specialises in songs and stories about the sea, which he performs with great warmth and humour. He also plays the moothie.
Willie, Allan & Gordon McKenzie are brothers from the Elgin district of Morayshire, who specialise in the bothy ballad traditions of the North East. Their songs come from their farming background as well as favourite old 78s of Willie Kemp and George Morris. All are great humourists and give up many hours to entertain at old people's homes. They are respectively a retired oat miller, a retired electricity linesman, and a landscape gardner. Hopefully we'll also hear their moothies, jew's harps, and 'petery-dicks'.
Geordie Murison from Stonehaven has recently established himself as a gifted singer of the songs of North-East Scotland. He is a great supporter of the local tradition and runs a plant hire business.
Jerry O'Reilly is from Dublin, where he works as a housing officer. He was born into a singing family and is noted for his declamatory ballad style. His repertoire comes from all over Ireland, especially Clare, Kerry and Cork.
Anne Reid is our hostess and a lovely singer. She will keep an eye on us all (including Tom) and make sure everyone is just fine.
Tom ('Tam') Reid is the 'Bothy Ballad King'. He sings with great skill and gentle humour and has been a guest at festivals throughout Scotland, as well as in France and the USA.
Roisin White is from Armagh, where she teaches Irish. She is a fine exponent of the Irish tradition and sings in both languages with great style. Her songs come from her mother and from other singers she has met.
- Hosted by
- Elphinstone Institute and Cullerlie Farm Park
- Venue
- Cullerlie Farm Park