The Sideburns Stage at Bella will be promoting an eclectic programme themed around the bard, and taking an alternative and contemporary approach to his work.
The highlight of each day with be a 90 minute Burns ceilidh curated by Inverness fiddle ace Bruce MacGregor. The theme of the Friday ceilidh will be Burns Blues, with the help of Highland blues exponent Andy Gunn setting some of Burns' more morose songs to the blues and turning some blues songs into the sort of language Burns would have used: Thus , ‘Woke Up This Morning’ become,s
‘Waukenin this mornin / Chanticleer in ma lugs / Dirl in ma heid / Barkin fairmyaird dugs / A hae the waukrife blues / Waukrife nicht again.’
The Saturday ceilidh will take its theme from the fact that Burns was a fiddler himself. Bruce MacGregor will accompany the Jimmy Shandrix Experience band in a selection of Gaelic airs that Burns used to set some of his better known songs to, such as ‘Ay Fond Kiss’ and ‘My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose’.
The spoken word part of the ceilidh will come from Highlander Hamish MacDonald who was the first Write In Residence in Burns’ cottage in Ayrshire. Among other things, he will be doing his own version of ‘Tam ‘O Shanter’ set in Inverness.
As a light-hearted aside, the stage will host a competition for the finest pair of (real!) sideburns on show at Belladrum. Festival co-promoter Joe Gibbs’ wife Leonie will join Torquil MacLeod of Homecoming Scotland in judging who wins a pair of tickets to next year’s Bella. A presentation of two free tickets will also be reputation for its eclectic line-ups, its off-beat non-musical entertainments and its all-ages approach. Capacity will remain what it was in 2008 at 12,000. At the UK Festival Awards Ceremony in October – the festival industry’s ‘oscars’ - Bella was awarded the Grassroots Festival Award.
This year the festival is supported by Homecoming Scotland 2009, EventScotland and Highland Council. Marie Christie, Homecoming Scotland Project Director said, “Belladrum is one of Scotland’s leading family-friendly festivals. Taking place in beautiful surroundings, the fantastic programme and quality experience make it an unmissable festival diary date. We are excited to be working with the organisers to make sure 2009 hosts the best Bella yet ”.
Advance adult weekend tickets have been held at 2008 prices and are £80 and adult Saturday tickets will cost £50. Both include parking and camping. As in previous years, tickets for children 12 & under are free.
The highlight of each day with be a 90 minute Burns ceilidh curated by Inverness fiddle ace Bruce MacGregor. The theme of the Friday ceilidh will be Burns Blues, with the help of Highland blues exponent Andy Gunn setting some of Burns' more morose songs to the blues and turning some blues songs into the sort of language Burns would have used: Thus , ‘Woke Up This Morning’ become,s
‘Waukenin this mornin / Chanticleer in ma lugs / Dirl in ma heid / Barkin fairmyaird dugs / A hae the waukrife blues / Waukrife nicht again.’
The Saturday ceilidh will take its theme from the fact that Burns was a fiddler himself. Bruce MacGregor will accompany the Jimmy Shandrix Experience band in a selection of Gaelic airs that Burns used to set some of his better known songs to, such as ‘Ay Fond Kiss’ and ‘My Love Is Like A Red, Red Rose’.
The spoken word part of the ceilidh will come from Highlander Hamish MacDonald who was the first Write In Residence in Burns’ cottage in Ayrshire. Among other things, he will be doing his own version of ‘Tam ‘O Shanter’ set in Inverness.
As a light-hearted aside, the stage will host a competition for the finest pair of (real!) sideburns on show at Belladrum. Festival co-promoter Joe Gibbs’ wife Leonie will join Torquil MacLeod of Homecoming Scotland in judging who wins a pair of tickets to next year’s Bella. A presentation of two free tickets will also be reputation for its eclectic line-ups, its off-beat non-musical entertainments and its all-ages approach. Capacity will remain what it was in 2008 at 12,000. At the UK Festival Awards Ceremony in October – the festival industry’s ‘oscars’ - Bella was awarded the Grassroots Festival Award.
This year the festival is supported by Homecoming Scotland 2009, EventScotland and Highland Council. Marie Christie, Homecoming Scotland Project Director said, “Belladrum is one of Scotland’s leading family-friendly festivals. Taking place in beautiful surroundings, the fantastic programme and quality experience make it an unmissable festival diary date. We are excited to be working with the organisers to make sure 2009 hosts the best Bella yet ”.
Advance adult weekend tickets have been held at 2008 prices and are £80 and adult Saturday tickets will cost £50. Both include parking and camping. As in previous years, tickets for children 12 & under are free.
more info
- Date: Friday 7th August 2009
- Event: Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival at Belladrum Italian Gardens
- Venue: Belladrum Italian Gardens
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