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After two years of holding a virtual weekend of events the Keith Traditional Music & Song Association (TMSA) Festival is back! The weekend of music, song and dance returns, in-person, to various venues through The Friendly Town during the weekend of Friday 10th – Sunday 12th June 2022. Having started in 1976, the Keith TMSA Festival has been a yearly fixture in the town during that time but during the pandemic it went online. However, the committee are delighted that a strong line-up of musicians and singers have agreed to entertain at the popular weekend of traditional music and song. There will be some aspects of the Festival that continue to be online with all but one of the performance competitions as well as the Prizewinners Concert being held virtually this year. More information about the performance and written competitions, including the rules and how to enter, can be found at www. keithfestival.com/competitions. The Festival kicks off on the Friday night with an Old Time Dance in the Legion dancing to Robert Whitehead and his band. At the same time there will be a Bothy Ballads and Other Songs Concert in The Ploo. Both events start at 8pm. Saturday will see the competition entries published on the Festival website as well as sessions and sing-a-rounds throughout the day. The hotly contested Bothy Ballad Competition will take place in-person and spectators are welcome to go and see which singer clinches the coveted place at the Bothy Ballad Champion of Champions Competition in Elgin. In the evening, Scottish supergroup Mànran make a very welcome return to the Festival to headline the Concert in The Royal. The multi award-winning, seven-piece band will bring
Mànran by Elly Lucas
Chorus Cup
their uplifting and unique live performance to the heart of the Festival. Meanwhile, the everpopular Concert in The Bowling Club will also start at 8pm featuring a wide variety of the very best traditional singers, musicians, and bands in the country. Sunday is another packed day of music and song with the Bairns Ceilidh, Open Air Concert, Sessions and Sing-a-rounds and Chorus Quaich Competition all taking place. The weekend is rounded off by a Farewell Concert in The Royal Hotel starting at 7.30pm. The 2022 list of guest artistes includes 7-time Bothy Ballad Champion of Champions Joe Aitken, as well as fellow singers Geordie Murison, Moira Stewart, Allan Taylor, Scott Gardiner and The Quiggs. Shetland duo Peter Wood and Andy Kain will be in Keith for the weekend as will The Cruickshank Family Band, Steven Carcary and his band and The Mayfield Group. Speaking about the upcoming Festival, Kathleen Anderson, Chairman, said: “We are over the moon that we are able to run a Festival in-person again! Boy have we missed it! The virtual weekends were brilliant but there’s nothing like being in the room and being able to listen and join in with the music and songs – as well as socialise with friends old and new.
“Once again we have managed to attract a wide variety of guest artistes to perform for us – all of whom are top class singers and musicians. “There really is something for everyone be that the headline concert with Mànran to the Bairns Ceilidh to the sessions and sing-a-rounds. “After a two-year absence we can’t wait to get back and we look forward to welcoming new and old friends along to a great weekend of music, song and dance.”
