The Blend Festival

March 2009

TOLBOOTH

KILLIN BALFRON STIRLING

TICKET OFFER RURAL BLEND PASS! £16/£12 BOTH RURAL BLEND PERFORMANCES

THE BLEND PASS! £46/£40 ALL TOLBOOTH PERFORMANCES

EXCLUSIVE FOOD DISCOUNT Take your Blend ticket to the fantastic Darnley Coffee House, one of the best in Scotland, and our friend Niall will give you 20% off your food bill.

The Darnley is only 1 minute away from the Tolbooth, offer only available Fri 13 - Sun 15 March.

TICKETS & INFO Box Office 01786 27 4000 www.theblendfestival.com

Cover image courtesy of Graham Fagen

FSC LOGO Design by Christine Jones www.christinejonesgraphics.com

No fill in box or outline

Welcome Open your arms and embrace the exciting prospect of some new roots music experiences at this year’s Blend Festival.

We continue to look across different music traditions to bring you the best in roots music and this year the festival is awash with the energy and soul of Spain, Jamaica and Israel.

Our commitment to developing the tradition sometimes takes us off in very interesting directions and this year is no exception.

We are very proud and excited to have commissioned a new piece of music for The Blend from maverick dub reggae producer Adrian Sherwood, which forms part of our Robert Burns’ day.

I Murder Hate is a collection of songs created from interpretations of Burn’s lyrics and sung in the sweet soul voice of reggae artist Ghetto Priest.

We are really looking forward to Friday’s school’s concert and the performance from local group Stushie in support of the winner of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the year.

This year’s festival comes to a dramatic close on Sunday with the sultry soul of Flamenco.

The day includes a dance workshop, a talk on the development of guitar music and ends with the explosive sound of Miguel Linares and Gabriel Gonzalez.

Alongside all this are our free music sessions in the Tolbooth bar and the festival club featuring a DJ set from Adrian Sherwood on Sat evening.

I’ll see you there.

Alasdair Campbell Artistic Director

The festival music gets to the heart of the community with the Rural Blend performances and our work with young people continues with the return of the Youth Gaitherin’ on Sunday and Friday’s New Voices performances.

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Bruce MacGregor & Brian Ó hEadhra Trio Get Reel Sat 28 Feb, 7.30pm £10 / £8 McLintock Hall, Balfron Tickets also available locally from Balfron Library Bruce MacGregor and Brian Ó hEadhra blend some of the finest musicianship and singing to come out of Scotland in recent years. Individually they perform with their own highly acclaimed acts; Bruce in Blazin’ Fiddles, Brian in Anam.

These seasoned artistes draw on a wealth of tunes and songs from both the Gaelic and Scots traditions, as well as their own acclaimed compositions.

Not only excellent musicians, they are also loved by audiences for their witty and entertaining live performances.

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“Perfectly pitched mix of lively dance tunes, evocative slow airs and Gaelic songs earned both rapt attention and noisy applause.” ★★★★★ The Scotsman “Bruce MacGregor has something of the Midas touch. This has nothing to do with luck, it has everything to do with a deep love and affinity for his music and a unique talent.” Fiddle on Magazine The evening will start with Get Reel’s groups performing some new tunes with their tutors.

MUSIC WORKSHOPS Workshops in Fiddle and Song will take place in the afternoon, for full details contact the Box Office on 01786 27 4000.

BALFRON & KILLIN Killin Library Launch

The Anna Massie Band

Sat 7 Mar, 4pm FREE Killin Library

Rachel Lincoln, Siobhan Anderson & Killin Primary Gaelic Choir

The Blend joins forces with Stirling Council’s library service to celebrate the re-opening of Killin’s newly refurbished library.

To mark the occasion, superb instrumentalist, Anna Massie will be joined by some of Killin’s future players as they perform tunes they have learned earlier in the day.

After the launch, come and join in a wee procession along to McLaren Hall for a pre-gig reception.

Sat 7 Mar, 7.30pm £10 / £8 McLaren Town Hall, Killin Tickets also available locally from Newsfirst, Killin Anna Massie is a talented multiinstrumentalist in the fiddle, mandolin and tenor banjo. Though perhaps most impressive is her guitar playing - equally at home accompanying in her unique rhythmic style or flatpicking.

Anna’s band features the impressive guitar and vocal talents of Jenn Butterworth and the outstanding accordion and border pipe playing of Mairearad Green.

Support comes from two of Killin’s young talents. Rachel Lincoln (clarsach) and Siobhan Anderson (fiddle) are becoming regular players at The Blend and are joined by Killin Primary Gaelic Choir.

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NEW VOICES Blend Schools Concert

FRIDAY NIGHT FLING

1.30pm

The BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the year 2009 & Stushie

Working with young people to develop their interest and skills in music has always been an important aspect of The Blend.

The Blend Schools Concert marks the end of a series of Scots Song workshops in one of our local primary schools and features some of the young people performing in front of a specially invited audience.

The performance will also feature professional musicians who will introduce the children to a range of traditional music instruments.

We can’t think of a more positive way to start our New Voices day than by giving the next generation of performers their Festival debut.

5.30pm / £5 This slot at The Blend has become a tradition in itself featuring, as it has, a whole host of wonderful players over the years.

This first night of The Blend at Tolbooth is all about New Voices and the fling will feature a couple of the newest.

As we go to print the winner of BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Trad Musician 2009 has yet to be decided but going on previous winners, we are in for a treat and they will be joined by local group Stushie.

Music in the Bar 7pm / FREE The music continues in the Tolbooth’s bar with a free session from some of The Blend’s friends.

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FRIDAY 13 MARCH DOUBLE BILL

Mary Hampton Mor Karbasi 8pm / £14 / £12 Blend Friday continues to explore the new and unique voices that are emerging on the roots and traditional scene.

Mor Karbasi Mor Karbasi sings in Ladino, Spanish & Hebrew and has been winning fans to Sepharic music with her wide ranging repertoire – from traditional songs dating from or inspired by the Jewish culture of 15th century Spain to striking new Ladinoinfluenced compositions of her own.

Mary Hampton The sheer scary beauty of Mary Hampton’s songs is a must to catch live.

In her words, “We don’t want Sephardic music to be a museum piece covered in dust. We’re not trying to revive it; it is not dead.”

In some sense her music is part of the new folk scene that has been evolving over the last 5 years but actually there is an ancient vein that runs through her music.

“Not since the late Ofra Haza has a voice soared so sweetly in music of the Jewish Diaspora” The New Yorker

Mary’s crystalline voice will send shivers down your spine as she sings songs strongly influenced by the tradition.

“You can fish around for reference points – Incredible String Band, Lal Waterson, Kate Bush, Melanie and Ann Briggs all might qualify – but this is wondrously individual” Mojo ★★★★

FESTIVAL CLUB ‘til midnight FREE The Blend continues in the bar where our friendly DJ’s and bar staff will bring the night to a gentle climax.

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WHERE ARE YE NOW MY BONNIE LAD? The film, subtitled ‘The Songs of Robert Burns’, features Jean Redpath and Hamish Henderson and won the award of best documentary at the Celtic film and television festival in 1987. An open discussion and some songs and readings of Burns will follow the film.

Burns’ Walk 11am / FREE Meet at the Tolbooth, where Burns was mobbed by Stirling fans in August 1787 and follow in his footsteps around the town in a walk that lasts 90 minutes. Led by Dr Elspeth King, Smith Art Gallery & Museum.

12pm / FREE

Tim will be accompanied by Stirling based Alison McMorland, Geordie McIntyre and Jo Miller, each a stalwart and bearer of the living tradition.

Saturday at The Blend kicks off with a free music session in the Tolbooth’s bar.

Redpath gives ‘the performance of her life’.

FILM SCREENING

ROOTS DUB WORKSHOP

The Tree of Liberty dir Timothy Neat

Skip MacDonald & Pete Lockett

1pm / £5

2pm / £8

Director Timothy Neat introduces his much neglected but highly influential film ‘The Tree of Liberty’, with a discussion of the relevance of Robert Burns to our contemporary world.

Skip and Pete will lead this unique workshop looking at the origin and nature of roots, reggae, rhythms and sounds.

Music in the Bar

The workshop is open to anyone interested in Jamaican music. Bring your own instruments.

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Image © ECKIE

Skip will be working with acoustic guitar and Pete with percussion.

SATURDAY 14 MARCH TRAD MUSIC WORKSHOPS

Music in the Bar

Marc Duff

7pm / FREE

Whistle 3pm / £5

Saturday evening continues with another special free music session in the Tolbooth’s bar.

For those with some experience come and learn new tunes and techniques.

Bodhran 4.30pm / £5

ARTIST TALK

Ayr – London – Kingston 6pm / FREE A question and answer session with music producer, Adrian Sherwood and artist Graham Fagen putting into context the premiere of I Murder Hate, commissioned for this year’s Blend and quizzing them about their collaboration and different practices.

They will also look at the connection between Scotland’s 18th Century poet Robert Burns and reggae!

somebodyelse Graham Fagen FREE An exhibition of portraits by Graham Fagen from various series brought together for the first time.

Almost all of the works haven’t been exhibited in Scotland before. These portraits combine real and imagined figures in order to explore contemporary and historic culture.

Fagen has also pursued making a new work Heads of Scotland that represents the main cultural formers in contemporary Scotland.

Courtesy of Graham Fagen and doggerfisher

Come and try this most iconic Celtic instrument. Bodhrans provided

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I MURDER HATE I murder hate by field or flood, Tho’ Glory’s name may screen us.

In wars at hame I’ll spend my blood Life-giving wars of Venus.

The deities that I adore Are Social Peace and Plenty: I’m better pleas’d to make one more Than be the death of twenty.

I would not die like Socrates, For all the fuss of Plato; Nor would I with Leonidas, Nor yet would I with Cato; The zealots of the Church and State Shall ne’er my mortal foes be; But let me have bold Zimri’s fate Within the arms of Cozbi.

I Murder Hate, 1790 Robert Burns

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SATURDAY 14 MARCH PREMIERE I Murder Hate 8pm / £14 / £12 An interpretation of the words of Robert Burns by Adrian Sherwood & Graham Fagen with Ghetto Priest, Skip MacDonald, Pete Lockett, Ian King & Adrian Sherwood.

Tolbooth has a fine tradition of commissioning new pieces of music and I Murder Hate brings another vibrant piece into the world with its exclusive premiere at The Blend.

With I Murder Hate we open our ears to the mesmerising sounds of roots and dub reggae but with a significant cultural twist – the words sung by the sweet voice of Ghetto Priest are the words of Robert Burns.

Collaborating with artist Graham Fagen, whose own work touches on identity and place and is showing in The Changing Room over the festival, Adrian Sherwood has created a new group of evocative songs.

The commission will be performed by the amazing cast of musicians and singers that Adrian has been working with down in the fertile hub of On-U Sounds at his London Base.

Adrian is the producer of choice for a host of diverse musicians across many musical boundaries.

His maverick approach across all music is a joy to behold and makes him an obvious choice to mash up The Blend.

FESTIVAL CLUB Dub Maestro DJ set with Adrian Sherwood Bar until midnight FREE - with Blend ticket Something special to reverberate through the high vaulted Tolbooth bar. The dub maestro himself will deliver one of his intergalactic DJ sets.

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DUENDE THE HEART OF FLAMENCO Music in the Bar 12pm / FREE Ease yourself into Sunday afternoon with this family session in the Tolbooth’s bar, led by the Riverside Music Project.

FLAMENCO DANCE WORKSHOP

Maria Conte 1.30pm / £8 Part of the flair and passion in Flamenco comes with the expression in its dance.

This introductory workshop is open to all and will look at revealing some of the secrets behind the drama and the art of Flamenco.

Stirling Youth Gaitherin’ 3pm / FREE Building on last year’s success the Youth Gaitherin’ is back, showcasing the talents of the young people who are learning traditional music at the Tolbooth and the RSAMD classes in Callander.

The concert will also feature a few guest performances by students of traditional music from Stirling as well as the tutors of both groups.

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Both groups are funded by the Youth Music Initiative, through Stirling Council’s Children’s Services, and are open to children attending Stirling schools.

A Guitar Journey from Ragas to Flamenco Peter Walker 4pm / £5 A guitar workshop and more… Anyone at all interested in the development of guitar music shouldn’t miss Peter’s take on where he believes so much of the music has come from.

“Flamenco appears to be the missing link between eastern and western music.”

Peter Walker.

Music in the Bar 7pm / FREE Flamenco artist Maria Conte adds some colour and passion to the Tolbooth’s bar in this free music session.

SUNDAY 15 MARCH DOUBLE BILL

Gabriel Gonzalez & Miguel Linares Peter Walker

Gabriel Gonzalez and Miguel Linares perform with the pure unadulterated passion of all great flamenco artists as they conjure up the music of legendary figures such as El Camaron de Isla and Paco De Lucia.

8pm / ÂŁ14 / ÂŁ12 Flamenco is one of the great musical forms of Europe, with an energy few folk cultures can match.

Peter Walker Sixties cult guitar maverick Walker has recently re-emerged on to the scene.

The extraordinary power in performance of singer and guitar, sometimes accompanied by the flaying skirts of dancers and the euphoric hand clapping of bystanders, is one of the most dramatic and breathtaking musical experiences around, leading some commentators to compare it to the rural blues of the Mississippi.

His sound has been called a stunning fusion of Indian raga and Spanish flamenco bearing the influences of both Ravi Shankar and Paco de Lucia.

A festival closing concert of fire and earth straight from, as the Spanish poet Lorca put it; the blood filled room of the soul.

This is a very special opportunity to see this legendary and highly influential American guitarist who recorded two pivotal folk raga albums for the Vanguard label in the late Sixties and now inspires a new generation of artists like Sir Richard Bishop, Ben Chasney, Thurston Moore and Jack Rose.

Peter has played with Lowell George, George Harrison, Karen Dalton, Fred Neil, Tim Hardin, and Joan Baez

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TICKETS + INFO

BY TEL call the Box Office on 01786 27 4000 ONLINE www.theblendfestival.com OTHER TICKET OUTLETS SECextra 08700 13 26 52 *subject to possible booking fee macrobert 01786 46 6666 The Albert Halls 01786 47 3544 In person at the Tolbooth Tue - Sat 10am - 6pm, Sun & Mon: Closed Open until start of performance on performance evenings.

You can pay by VISA, Mastercard, Switch, Eurocard, Cash or Cheque.

CONDITIONS Tickets cannot be exchanged of returned to the Box Office after purchase unless the event is cancelled. We can reserve tickets for a maximum of three days after which time they will be released. No reservations will be taken three days before an event.

BOOKING FEE These may vary but you will be advised at the time of purchase.

Disabled access available, please inform when booking.

TOLBOOTH ACCESS: Level access and induction loop system.

RURAL BLEND VENUES: All venues have level access.

THE BLEND VENUES Tolbooth, Jail Wynd, Stirling, FK8 1DE McLaren Town Hall, Main Street, Killin, FK21 8HW McLintock Hall, Buchanan Street, Balfron, Glasgow TRAINS For information call First ScotRail on 08457 484950 www.firstscotrail.co.uk BUSES For information call Citylink on 08705 50 50 50 www.citylink.co.uk ACCOMMODATION For information call Visit Scotland on 0845 225 5121 www.visitscotland.com All information was correct at the time of going to print.

Copyright Tolbooth 2009. The Blend is a trademark.

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GETTING HERE

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AT A GLANCE SAT 28 FEB

Bruce MacGregor & Brian Ó hEadhra Trio & Get Reel

7.30pm

Music

P4

SAT 7 MAR

Killin Library Launch

4pm

Music

P5

SAT 7 MAR

The Anna Massie Band & Rachel Lincoln, Siobhan Anderson & Killin Primary Gaelic Choir

7.30pm

Music

P5

FRI 13 MAR

Blend Schools Concert

1.30pm

Music

P6

FRI 13 MAR

Friday Night Fling with The BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2009 & Stushie

5.30pm

Music

P6

FRI 13 MAR

Music in the Bar

7pm

Music

P6

FRI 13 MAR

Mary Hampton & Mor Karbasi

8pm

Music

P7

FRI 13 MAR

After Show Festival Club ‘til midnight

Music

P7

SAT 14 MAR

Burns’ Walk

11am

Walk

P8

SAT 14 MAR

Music in the Bar

12pm

Music

P8

SAT 14 MAR

Film Screening - The Tree of Liberty

1pm

Film

P8

SAT 14 MAR

Roots Dub Workshop with Skip MacDonald & Pete Lockett

2pm

Workshop

P8

SAT 14 MAR

Trad Music Workshop with Marc Duff - Whistle

3pm

Workshop

P9

SAT 14 MAR

Trad Music Workshop with Marc Duff - Bodhran

4.30pm

Workshop

P9

SAT 14 MAR

Artist Talk - Ayr-London-Kingston

6pm

Talk

P9

SAT 14 MAR

Music in the Bar

7pm

Music

P9

SAT 14 MAR

I Murder Hate

8pm

Music

P11

SAT 14 MAR

After Show Festival Club ‘til midnight

Music

P11

SUN 15 MAR

Music in the Bar

12pm

Music

P12

SUN 15 MAR

Flamenco Dance Workshop with Maria Conte

1.30pm

Workshop

P12

SUN 15 MAR

Stirling Youth Gaitherin’

3pm

Music

P12

SUN 15 MAR

A Guitar Journey From Ragas to Flamenco with Peter Walker

4pm

Workshop

P12

SUN 15 MAR

Music in the Bar

7pm

Music

P12

SUN 15 MAR

Gabriel Gonzalez & Miguel Linares & Peter Walker

8pm

Music

P13

www.theblendfestival.com