FifeSing2006 The Fife Traditional Singing Weekend Friday - Sunday 12, 13, 14 May
at the Fife Animal Park, Birnie, Collessie Other Events: Thursday 11 May at 8
.00pm Anita Best from Newfoundland
at the Acoustic Music Club, Kirkcaldy
(click for details)
Monday 15 May at 7.30pm Old Songs and Bothy Ballads
at The Ship Hotel, Newburgh
(click for details)
A celebration of traditional singing, the songs and the bothy ballads
- for singers and enthusiasts!
THIS IS our fourth Fife Traditional Singing Weekend - a unique opportunity to meet, hear and talk with a selection of the finest exponents of Scottish traditional singing to be found today - and, of course, to participate in the singing.
The weekend will include: Concerts – featuring the guest singers. Singarounds and Sessions – where all who wish can participate. Workshops/Talks – on topics related to traditional song and culture.
At the Fife Traditional Singing Weekend 2003
Guest Singers
Our special overseas guest this year is traditional singer Anita Best brought up in the fishing outports of Newfoundland. We again welcome local bothy ballad singer Ron Bissett of Falkland and a return visit by Gordon Easton singer, fiddle player and raconteur from Tyrie in Aberdeenshire. For the first time as guest we invite Maureen Jelks from Dundee and we welcome back our local, world renowned singer and storyteller Duncan Williamson and Sheila Stewart traditional singer and standard bearer of the Stewart Family of Blairgowrie.
Workshops/Talks
Arthur Watson in conversation with Duncan Williamson: The Horsieman – from a bow tent on the shores of Loch Fyne to world renowned storyteller. Bob Blair: An illustrated talk: The Song Carriers: Recordings from BBC field recording archives as first presented by Ewan MacColl on radio in 1965. Anita Best: Growing up with songs and ballads in the Newfoundland outports.Vic Gammon: An illustrated talk: Sexual symbolism in traditional song.
You – The Participants
You are invited not just as an audience but as a participant. As in past years, the traditional singer guest artistes are intended as a catalyst, and all participants will have opportunity to contribute to sessions during the weekend celebration of traditional song.
The Programme:
Friday 12th May
Evening Concert (& Singaround): 8.00pm - 10.30pm (& later)
The opening concert with songs and ballads from the guest artistes and with a chance for participants to join in a singaround with a song from their own repertoire.
Saturday 13th May
Illustrated Talk: 10.00am - 11.00am Bob Blair: The Song Carriers: Recordings from BBC field recording archives as first presented by Ewan MacColl on radio in 1965.
In Conversation: 11.30am - 12.30pm Arthur Watson in conversation with Duncan Williamson: The Horsieman – from bow tent on the shores of Loch Fyne to world renowned storyteller and published author.
Ballad Concert: 2.00pm - 5.00pm
The guests and participants with traditional ballads from their repertoire. The classic big ballads - the muckle sangs.
Evening Concert: 7.30pm - 10.30pm
Songs from near and far: the guest artistes present their song and ballad traditions at a grand evening concert.
Sunday 14th May
Illustrated Talk: 10.00am - 11.00am Vic Gammon: Sexual symbolism in traditional song.
Illustrated Talk: 11.30am - 12.30pm Anita Best: Growing up with songs and ballads in the Newfoundland outports.
Farewell Session: 2.00pm - 5.00pm
The guest artistes lead a farewell concert and singaround with songs from all who still have a good song to sing and a voice left to sing it!
The Guest Singers:
Anita Best grew up in one of the Newfoundland outports - an island in Placentia Bay, depopulated during Newfoundland's community re-settlement program of the 1970s. Her early life in one of Newfoundland's most culturally rich regions inspired a fire and passion to collect and interpret a tradition and culture which seemed to be departing in tandem with the disappearing communities. Recognised as an outstanding traditional singer, she has recorded several albums, hosted a CBC Radio series and runs a bi-weekly concert in the summer months. Click for Website or Play a Soundfile:
Ron Bissett of Falkland is a well known local bothy ballad singer and one-time member of the Fife Yokels that competed in the Bothy Nichts programme on Grampian TV in the 1960s. Born in Kincardineshire, Ron came to Fife with his family when his father came as head shepherd to Kippo at Kingsbarns. Ron took his first job at Letham in 1950 - driving a pair of horse and living in the bothy.
Gordon Easton lives at Wellhead of Tyrie near Fraserburgh in Aberdeenshire where, for many decades, he has worked the land as a market gardener along with his wife Isobel, land farmed before him by his father and grandfather. He has been referred to as a one-man folk festival – steeped in the tradition, he has been singing and playing (fiddle, moothie, trump, melodeon, whistle) all his life. In the last fifteen years, he has become a fixture on the festival competition scene, sometimes entering as many as five competitions! Play Soundfile:
Workshops presented by:
Bob Blair is a singer with a love of Scottish lyrical songs and traditional ballads and he plays concertina and guitar. Originally from Fife and now living in Glasgow, Bob is a member of the Glasgow group Stramash. Whilst living in England in the 1960s and 70s, Bob was a member of Ewan MacColl's Critics Group and it is Ewan’s Song Carriers radio programme series that will be the subject of Bob’s workshop on Saturday. Click for Website.
Vic Gammon is Senior Lecturer in Folk and Traditional Music at the International Centre for Music Studies at the University of Newcastle. He has interests in the vernacular musics of Britain and North America and is also a singer and musician. We are pleased to welcome him to the weekend and, on Sunday morning, he will present a workshop on sexual symbolism in traditional song. Click for Website.
Hosted by:
Shepheard, Spiers & Watson: The singing weekend is organised by a committee of Peter Shepheard, Tom Spiers and Arthur Watson who also sing together as Shepheard, Spiers & Watson. They will host the events of the weekend. All three are enthusiasts for traditional song. Pete Shepheard is a singer, musician and folk song collector and runs the Scottish music label Springthyme from his home in Balmalcolm. Tom Spiers lives in Auchtermuchty, sings and plays fiddle and was for many years a member of the Aberdeen based group the Gaugers. Arthur Watson sings and plays whistle, was also in the Gaugers, founded the renowned Peacock Print Makers in Aberdeen and is now Senior Lecturer in Fine Art at the University of Dundee. They recently released their first CD: They Smiled as We Cam In that has been enthusiastically reviewed. Click for Website.
The Place: The Fife Animal Park
The Fife Animal Park is on the B937 between Collessie and Ladybank on the left about half a mile south from the A91/B937 crossroads. Our hosts Jim and Edna Moffatt will be happy to answer any questions about the facilities available (tel: 01337 831810). There are good train services from Dundee or Edinburgh to Ladybank station. Taxi (tel: 01337 828630 or 828214) from Ladybank to the Fife Animal Park.
Restaurant: Food and Bar Facilities
Food will be available in the Birnie Loch Room throughout the weekend between events - from Friday at 6.00pm and for Breakfast and Lunch (Saturday & Sunday) and Evening meal (Saturday). Full bar facilities at all events.
On-site Accommodation
The Fife Animal Park has a paddock for free camping and caravans with on-site toilet facilities. Let us know at the time of booking if you plan to bring a caravan.
Other Events: This year we are exendending our weekend to
provide a series of five concerts with our Special Guest Anita Best – from Newfoundland
Thursday 11 May at 8.00pm
at the Acoustic Music Club, Kirkcaldy
£6.00 at the door Anita Best
with Shepheard, Spiers and Watson
in the Polish Club. Bennochy House, Forth Park Drive, Kirkcaldy
Monday 15 May at 7.30pm
at The Ship Hotel, Newburgh Old Songs and Bothy Ballads £5.00 at the door (or see ticket order form) Anita Best from Newfoundland
with Ron Bissett (Falkland) Jimmy Hutchison (Newburgh), Jim Aitken (Newburgh)
and Shepheard, Spiers and Watson
at
The Ship Hotel, High Street, Newburgh
Ticket Booking Form For ticket booking form click here: Booking Form
or
download the Programme as a pdf file
to be opened by Adobe Reader
or
Contact us at Peter Shepheard, Balmalcolm House, Balmalcolm, Cupar, Fife KY15 7TJ tel: 01337 830773 email: pete@springthyme.co.uk
The Fife Animal Park is on the B937 between Collessie and Ladybank on the left about half a mile south from the A91/B937 crossroads. Our hosts Jim and Edna Moffatt will be happy to answer any questions about the facilities available (tel: 01337 831810). There are good train services from Dundee or Edinburgh to Ladybank station. Taxi (tel: 01337 828630 or 828214) from Ladybank to the Fife Animal Park.